My picks from ScienceDaily

Babies Learn Music While Sleeping:

Early screening and treatment for infants with hearing problems, and the ability to computer-generate musical scores, are two very different possible outcomes of some "off-the-wall" research. Until recently, little has been known about the perceptions humans have when they enter the world. Although adult perception has been extensively researched, how, or even if, the brains of newborn babies perceive patterns in the world remained a mystery.

Scientists Discover Why Teeth In Mammals, But Not Sharks, Form In A Single Row:

A system of opposing genetic forces determines why mammals develop a single row of teeth, while sharks sport several, according to a study published in the journal Science. When completely understood, the genetic program described in the study may help guide efforts to re-grow missing teeth and prevent cleft palate, one of the most common birth defects.

Humans Walked On Modern Feet 1.5 Million Years Ago, Fossil Footprints Show:

Ancient footprints found at Rutgers' Koobi Fora Field School show that some of the earliest humans walked like us and did so on anatomically modern feet 1.5 million years ago.

Tigers Get A Stimulus Plan:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), together with the World Bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF), has announced a commitment of $2.8 million toward tiger conservation across its range. WCS will lead a new project, Tiger Futures, in partnership with other conservation organizations with long-term field experience in tiger conservation throughout countries spanning the big cat's geographical range in Asia.

Just Eat Less! Heart-healthy, Low-cal Diets Promote Weight Loss Regardless Of Fat, Protein And Carb Content:

Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake--regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate--can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health.

Ad Click-through Rate Lower Than Previously Thought:

The rate of ad clicks from sponsored and non-sponsored links was reported in a recent study conducted by researchers from Penn State and the Queensland University of Technology.

'Dark Cells' Of Living Retina Imaged For The First Time:

A layer of "dark cells" in the retina that is responsible for maintaining the health of the light-sensing cells in our eyes has been imaged in a living retina for the first time.

Critically Endangered Cheetahs In Algeria Snapped With Camera Trap:

A Wildlife Conservation Society-supported survey of the Sahara has captured the first camera-trap photographs of the critically endangered Saharan cheetah in Algeria. The survey was conducted by researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Office du Parc National de l'Ahaggar (OPNA), and the Université de Béjaïa, with support from WCS and Panthera.

DNA Identification Of Czar's Children Available:

Cutting edge science has finally put to rest a 90-year-old mystery that involved nobility, revolution, murder and the long-romanticized story of a child's escape from the firing squad. Genomic analysis performed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in cooperation with Institutions of Russian Academy of Science (VIGG) and Academy of Medical Sciences (MHRC) have confirmed that human remains found in the Ural Mountains in July 2007 are indeed those of the two "missing" children of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, whose family was murdered in 1918 during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Light Or Fight? How Plants Make Tough Survival Choices:

Ever since insects developed a taste for vegetation, plants have faced the same dilemma: use limited resources to out-compete their neighbors for light to grow, or, invest directly in defense against hungry insects.

Why Didn't Darwin Discover Mendel's Laws?:

Mendel solved the logic of inheritance in his monastery garden with no more technology than Darwin had in his garden at Down House. So why couldn't Darwin have done it too? A Journal of Biology article argues that Darwin's background, influences and research focus gave him a viewpoint that prevented him from interpreting the evidence that was all around him, even in his own work.

Heat Could Be Stifling Turtles' Swimming Abilities In Australia:

It seems we're not the only ones struggling to adapt to the summer weather - University of Queensland researchers have found the increased temperatures may be affecting turtles too.