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Humans outrunning prey over long distances appears to have been widely done until recently. Plus: gel sobers up drunk mice.

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On the run

Before the advent of rifles, many cultures around the world hunted by pursuing prey over long distances. The energy gained by hunting in this way can far exceed the energy spent running, researchers have found, strengthening the argument that humans evolved for endurance running. “I think our paper makes a very strong case for its importance in the past,” says Eugene Morin at Trent University in Canada. “Something that was thought to be marginal is now shown to be a common strategy worldwide.” Read more

Alcohol antidote

A gel based on a milk protein drastically reduced the level of alcohol in the blood of intoxicated mice. With further research, it could one day be used to tackle the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption in people, or even prevent drunkenness in the first place. The gel mimics the structure of an enzyme that causes the body to break down alcohol into acetic acid, rather than the chemical acetaldehyde, which can trigger negative health outcomes. This helped to sober up a group of intoxicated mice and prevented intoxication in other mice that were given access to alcohol. Read more

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Thanks for reading!

Alexandra Thompson

Assistant news editor, New Scientist
Email me at [email protected]

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