Our genomes are riddled with DNA from ancient viral infections known as jumping genes. The majority of these are retrotransposons, which copy themselves via RNA intermediates; a smaller portion are cut-and-paste DNA transposons.

🔗 “How rogue jumping genes can spur Alzheimer’s, ALS”: https://knowmag.org/4k8BkkY

By performing tricks for birds, monkeys and other creatures, researchers hope to learn how they perceive and think about their world.

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2024/how-magic-can-help-us-understand-animal-minds

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Some nice news: Amber Dance, investigative science and health writer and special contributor to Knowable Magazine, won First Place for Specialty Articles: Health at the California Press Women’s 2025 Professional Communications Awards. Congrats Amber!

Read the story: https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2024/progress-in-scientists-search-for-new-migraine-therapies

Bountiful remains of foraminifera reveal how organisms responded to climate disturbances of the past. They can help predict the future, too.

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2025/foraminifera-fossils-tell-story-of-past-life-on-earth

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Worm-inspired treatments inch toward the clinic: Infection by certain wrigglers may reduce inflammation and fight obesity and diabetes. Scientists are at work to turn the findings into therapies.

Hookworms are one of the groups being studied for potential impact on metabolism. Natural infection happens when the worms are excreted by an infectious host and penetrate the skin of a new host.

More: https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2025/worm-inspired-treatments-inch-toward-clinic

🧠 Now enrolling: Teen Brain Bootcamp 🧠

In a free email course for teachers and parents, Knowable Magazine will take you on a scientific journey through the adolescent mind.

Expect:

✅ Key insights from leading researchers
✅ Evidence-based strategies for supporting executive function
✅ Short, accessible breakdowns of key studies

Sign up today: https://knowmag.org/teen-brain-bootcamp

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Spots, stripes and more: Working out the logic of animal patterns

More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity.

Scientists are still using his model — and adding new twists — to gain a deeper understanding of animal markings.

https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2024/animal-patterns-spots-stripes-explained-turing-mechanism

Rural Alaskan and Canadian communities are trying to get along with the large mammals.

📝 Learn more about this in our recent article republished by Smithsonian Magazine.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/to-reduce-human-and-grizzly-bear-conflicts-both-species-must-change-their-behavior-180986630/

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