What’s hot in science? Research news for the day of April 1, 2021

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Velella velella, also called

Thu, 01 Apr 2021
‘By-the-wind sailor’ jellies wash ashore in massive numbers after warmer winters

Observations by citizen scientists help researchers find patterns in jellyfish strandings

As their name suggests, by-the-wind sailor jellyfish know how to catch a breeze. Using a stiff, translucent sail propped an inch above the surface of the ocean, these teacup-sized organisms skim along the water, dangling a fringe of delicate purple tentacles just below the

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red arrows point to extra flower branches

Thu, 01 Apr 2021
WOX9: A gene that’s a jack of all trades

Scientists change a plant’s traits by changing a gene’s regulation

Over evolutionary time scales, a single gene may acquire different roles in diverging species. However, revealing the multiple hidden roles of a gene was not possible before genome editing came along.

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night sky, stars and a telescope

Wed, 31 Mar 2021
Found in space: Complex carbon-based molecules

Discovery may offer clues to carbon’s role in planet and star formation

Much of the carbon in space is believed to exist in the form of large molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Since the 1980s, evidence has indicated that these molecules are abundant in space, but they have not been directly observed. Now, a team of

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