Editor's picks: Giving drones the right stuff, the not so constant speed of light, self-mutilating spiders and more

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FEATURE Flying animals can teach drones a thing or two BY NSIKAN AKPAN Scientists have turned to Mother Nature’s most adept aerial acrobats -- birds, bees, bats and other animals -- to inspire their designs for self-directed drones. Read More Read More»

NEWS Speed of light not so constant after all BY ANDREW GRANT Even in vacuum conditions, light can move slower than its maximum speed depending on the structure of its pulses. Read More Read More»

WILD THINGS Cringe away, guys -- this spider bites off his own genitals BY SARAH ZIELINSKI After sex, a male coin spider will chew off his own genitals, an act that might help secure his paternity. Read More Read More»

NEWS Rosetta reveals a complex comet BY CHRISTOPHER CROCKETT Rosetta finds diverse landscapes on comet 67P, which could provide researchers with clues about how the solar system formed. Read More Read More»

IT'S ALIVE That’s how shrimpfish roll BY SUSAN MILIUS A tails-up swimmer makes rare moves. Read More Read More»

SAY WHAT? Decoding sommeliers’ brains, one squirt of wine at a time BY TINA HESMAN SAEY Researchers use a 'gustometer' to control wine portions in experiments comparing the brains of sommeliers and novices.  Read More Read More»

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More Headlines from Science News NEWS IN BRIEF Scans tell gripping tale of possible ancient tool use South African fossils contain inner signs of humanlike hands, indicating possible tool use nearly 3 million years ago. Read More BY BRUCE BOWER NEWS Brain’s protective barrier gets leakier with age Aging influences the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, which may contribute to learning and memory problems later in life. Read More BY ASHLEY YEAGER NEWS IN BRIEF When bacteria-killing viruses take over, it’s bad news for the gut A rise in some bacteria-killing viruses in the intestines may deplete good bacteria and trigger inflammatory bowel diseases. Read More BY TINA HESMAN SAEY SCIENCE TICKER Scrolls preserved in Vesuvius eruption read with X-rays A technique called X-ray phase contrast tomography allowed scientists to read burnt scrolls from a library destroyed by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Read More BY HELEN THOMPSON