My picks from ScienceDaily

Plants Grow Bigger And More Vigorously Through Changes In Their Internal Clocks:

Hybrid plants, like corn, grow bigger and better than their parents because many of their genes for photosynthesis and starch metabolism are more active during the day, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin in a new study published in the journal Nature.

How Red Wine Compounds Fight Alzheimer's Disease:

Scientists call it the "French paradox" -- a society that, despite consuming food high in cholesterol and saturated fats, has long had low death rates from heart disease. Research has suggested it is the red wine consumed with all that fatty food that may be beneficial -- and not only for cardiovascular health but in warding off certain tumors and even Alzheimer's disease.

Ancient And Modern Plagues Show Common Features:

In 430 B.C., a new and deadly disease--its cause remains a mystery--swept into Athens. The walled Greek city-state was teeming with citizens, soldiers and refugees of the war then raging between Athens and Sparta. As streets filled with corpses, social order broke down. Over the next three years, the illness returned twice and Athens lost a third of its population. It lost the war too.

Scientists Discover 21st Century Plague:

Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. Research published in the December issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that brown rats, the biggest and most common rats in Europe, may now be carrying the bacteria.

Bee Swarms Follow High-speed 'Streaker' Bees To Find A New Nest:

It's one of the hallmarks of spring: a swarm of bees on the move. But how a swarm locates a new nest site when less than 5% of the community know the way remains a mystery. Curious to find out how swarms cooperate and are guided to their new homes, Tom Seeley, a neurobiologist from Cornell University, and engineers Kevin Schultz and Kevin Passino from The Ohio State University teamed up to find out how swarms are guided to their new home.