Science Daily

1. Cinnamon could affect drug metabolism in the body

   Cinnamon is one of the oldest and most commonly used spices in the world, but a new study indicates a compound in it could interfere with some prescription medications.

2. How to break through climate apathy

   A new study finds that presenting the same continuous climate data, such as incremental changes in temperature, in binary form -- such as whether a lake did or did not freeze in the winter -- significantly increases people's ability to see the impact of climate change.

3. One gene defines the many patterns of snake skin

   In many animals, skin coloration and its patterns play a crucial role in camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In the corn snake, some morphs display red, yellow, or pink blotches, and their dorsal spots can merge or turn into stripes. But which genetic and cellular mechanisms determine these colorful patterns? A team discovered that a single gene, CLCN2, is involved in these variations.

4. New approach makes AI adaptable for computer vision in crop breeding

   Scientists developed a machine-learning tool that can teach itself, with minimal external guidance, to differentiate between aerial images of flowering and nonflowering grasses -- an advance that will greatly increase the pace of agricultural field research, they say. The work was conducted using images of thousands of varieties of Miscanthus grasses, each of which has its own flowering traits and timing.

5. Plant-based calamari that rivals real seafood in texture

   Plant-based seafood alternatives should have similar flavors, textures and nutritional content to the foods they mimic. And recreating the properties of fried calamari rings, which have a neutral flavor and a firm, chewy texture after being cooked, has been a challenge. Building off previous research, a team describes successfully using plant-based ingredients to mimic calamari that matches the real seafood's characteristic softness and elasticity.