Marine brew

A species of red seaweed has yielded 10 new medicinal compounds. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found this species near Fiji. Some of the new compounds have the potential to kill cancer cells, hazardous bacteria and the HIV virus. Two of the compounds can also fight antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Oxygen boost

Abundance of oxygen has fuelled the evolution of not only giant, placental mammals but also of the large-brained creatures like humans, claims a newly compiled study by researchers at the State University of New Jersey. They came to this conclusion after analysing carbon-rich minerals and single-celled marine plants in deep sea sediments that are 205 million years old.

Sex cry

It may not be considered manly for humans, but shedding tears is a proof of masculinity for male mice. University of Tokyo researchers have discovered that sex-specific pheromones exist in the tears of male mice. They release pheromones in the fluid that moistens their eyes. This doubles as a ‘sex cue’ for females and helps them choose potential male partners, reports Nature.

Oldest noodles

The 50-cm-long, yellow strands found in a pot, unearthed at the Lajia archaeological site in China, are the remains of the world’s oldest noodles, claim researchers at the Louisiana State University, US, reports Nature. Radiocarbon dating of the material, made of grains from millet grass, indicated that it had probably been buried during a catastrophic flood 4,000 years ago.