New Scientist - Life

1. Morphing red blood cells help bats hibernate - and we could do it too
   Animals that hibernate need a way to keep their blood flowing as their body temperature drops, and it seems that the mechanical properties of red blood cells may be key
2. Hornets can hold their alcohol like no other animal on Earth
   The oriental hornet shows no ill effects – or behavioural changes – when it spends a week drinking an 80 per cent alcohol solution
3. Preserved tracks suggest non-avian dinosaurs used their wings to run
   Not all winged dinosaurs were necessarily capable of full flight, but this anatomical feature may have enabled them to travel further by flapping or gliding
4. These stunning photos celebrate the intricacy of the microscopic world
   A mouse's tumours, scales from a butterfly's wings and a smiling cross-section of a bracken fern are some of the incredible images from the Nikon Small World photography competition
5. Motor made from bacteria parts is one of the smallest ever built
   The natural motors that power tail-like appendages in bacteria seem to have a single evolutionary origin, allowing parts from different species to be combined to create a tiny new engine
6. De-extinction company claims it has nearly complete thylacine genome
   Colossal, a US firm that is aiming to revive lost species such as the woolly mammoth, says it now has a near-complete genome of the extinct thylacine
7. Dolphins breathe in microplastics and it could be damaging their lungs
   Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico have tiny bits of plastic in their breath, and this is probably a worldwide problem
8. Invasive snake is surviving in Britain by living in attics and walls
   Britain should be too cold for the invasive Aesculapian snake to survive, but it is thriving by exploiting the warmth of attics, wall cavities and compost heaps
9. Male mice flee to female mice to de-escalate fights
   During a fight between two male mice, one will often run to a female mouse to distract their aggressor, a bait-and-switch strategy that could help abate social conflicts
10. Puppies as young as 6 weeks old know to ask people for help
    Puppies that are raised in someone's home seem to benefit from that extra human interaction, by asking for help at a younger age than those brought up in kennels