eLife Science Digests

Latest

1. 

   The eyes have it

   The efficiency of a multi-component sensory system depends on balancing the cost–benefit functions of its individual components.
2. 

   Breaking plant defenses

   Two major crop pests produce different salivary proteins that disable the plant immune sensor RLP4, weakening plant defenses and revealing a shared strategy insects use to promote feeding.
3. 

   Unbreakable blooms

   Cyanobacterial colonies are robust structures, in particular when formed through cell division, and do not break under typical lake flows.
4. 

   The thrill of the arcade

   Sensory cues paired with rewards can drive riskier decision-making by reducing sensitivity to losses, helping explain how gambling environments promote addictive behavior.
5. 

   Giant brain ripples

   Brain activity is organized as large ripples that can cover wide regions of the brain.
6. 

   Teenagers vs teamwork

   Teenagers cooperate less than adults because they are less motivated to reciprocate fairness and shared cooperation.
7. 

   Stress, striatum and spirits

   Alcohol suppresses stress-related communication in brain circuits governing motivation and habit formation.
8. 

   The curious life of the three-banded panther worm

   A new study of the reproductive life history of Hofstenia miamia provides new insights into early animal evolution and regenerative systems.