Two newly described fossil whales—a pregnant female and a male of the same species—reveal how primitive whales gave birth and provide new insights into how whales made the transition from land to sea.

Environmental conditions are much more powerful than genetic influences in determining intelligence, says U-M social psychologist Richard Nisbett: “Believing that intelligence is under your control—and having parents who demand achievement—can do wonders.”

Related:

• Podcast: Intelligence: How to get it
• Education Is All in Your Mind (NY Times, Feb. 7, 2009).

A year and a half after the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis, and with a new national emphasis on rebuilding infrastructure, U-M is leading a new project to engineer smart bridges that can thoroughly discuss their health with inspectors.

Going outside, even in the cold, improves memory and attention.

Is obesity all in your head? New research by an international team co-led by U-M suggests that genes that predispose people to obesity act in the brain — not on metabolic functions such as fat storage — and that perhaps some people are simply hardwired to overeat.

Bad news for a promising new idea about cancer. The cancer stem-cell model must be reassessed because it is based largely on evidence from a laboratory test that is surprisingly flawed when applied to some cancers, U-M researchers have concluded.

The University of Michigan and General Motors have announced an important collaboration. A five-year, $5-million award establishes the GM/U-M Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains (ABCD), headquartered at U-M. Three U-M engineering professors are involved. The project will develop new battery technologies for next-generation autos.

Here’s one more reason to say “shade grown, please” when you order your morning cup of coffee. Shade coffee farms, which grow coffee under a canopy of multiple tree species, not only harbor native birds, bats and other beneficial creatures, but also maintain genetic diversity of native tree species and can act as focal points for tropical forest regeneration.

Male and female shopping styles are in our genes—and we can look to evolution for the reason. Daniel Kruger, research faculty at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, says it’s perfectly natural that men often can’t distinguish a sage sock from a beige sock or that sometimes women can’t tell if the shoe Read more