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Microbes

Picture shows what looks like a model bridge made of compressed sand grains, sitting on a lab table, next to beakers full of green liquid.

Technology

Research Harnesses Bacterial Power to Generate Self-Reproducing Building Material

Combine sand, gelatin and bacteria, let them rest, and watch one brick turn into eight.

Charles Q. Choi, Contributor

Earth

How Viruses Secretly Control the Planet

Bacteria help drive Earth's chemical cycles and climate. Viruses drive the bacteria.

Nala Rogers, Staff Writer

Image shows numerous termites gathered around a hole.

Creature

Termites Cannibalize Their Co-Workers for the Good of the Colony

Underground species eats or buries its dead, depending on likelihood of catching disease.

Joshua Learn, Contributor

Creature

The Loudest Bird Ever, Suffering Coral Reefs and Pureed Potatoes!

A month's worth of cool science stories summed up.

Alistair Jennings, Contributor

Earth

Warming Tropical Soils May Release Huge Amounts of Stored Carbon

New research adds to the worry that soil microbes will make climate change worse.

Gabriel Popkin, Contributor

Creature

Microbes Can Change How Spiders Mate

Scientists show that bacteria have unexpected effects in spider sex.

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Contributor

Creature

The Mysterious Microbes That May Explain What Happened When Life Became Complex

Microbiologists are debating how a group of ancient microbes fits into the emergence of the first complex organisms.

Valerie Brown, Contributor

Sports

How Running a Marathon Changes Your Gut Microbes

Endurance exercise favors the growth of some gut bacteria, which might provide athletes with an extra boost.

Rodrigo Pérez Ortega, Contributor

Earth

Soil Takes Decades to Catch Up to Climate Changes

Soil bacteria often take 50 years or more to react to changes in climate.

Nala Rogers, Staff Writer

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