Neighbors shape plant life more than expected, scientists find
Scientists at Leiden University have discovered that plants are strongly influenced by their neighbors, not just above ground but also through hidden networks in the soil. Their findings challenge long-held ideas about how plants shape their environment and could help improve...
What to take away
Watch whether the idea proves useful beyond the early test.
Why it's good
It shows curiosity and learning turning into real-world exploration.
Keep reading
More Bright Stories
Human KindnessGenome tool places large genetic sequences precisely in rice and tobacco without DNA breaks
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new way to add large pieces of genetic information to plants, overcoming a challenge that has limited plant biotechnology for decades. The advance could help scientists build more complex traits into plants in the future, supporting research into areas such as crop resilience, sustainable agriculture, biotechnology and the use of plants as scalable platforms for producing therapeutics and biologics.
Phys.org Biology - Jul 22
Human KindnessHydra rebuilds the body by restoring its internal cellular map
Before a hydra can regrow a head or foot, its cells appear to rebuild the internal map that tells them where they are and what they should become next, FMI researchers report. The work suggests that cells need to interpret not only where they are in the body, but also what stage of regeneration they are in—a finding that could help explain how tissues regenerate after injury.
Phys.org Biology - Jul 22
Human KindnessThe rise of community-led football
As Premier League prices rise, growing numbers of supporters are seeking out something closer, cheaper and more human in non-league football
Positive News - Jul 22
Human Kindness2,000 volunteers join a painstaking effort to restore massive skeleton of prehistoric predator
Volunteers armed with chisels, brushes and protective goggles chip away at rock encasing the bones of a massive prehistoric amphibian in a glass-walled laboratory on the ground floor of Warsaw's Copernicus Science Centre.
Phys.org Biology - Jul 22