Top stories: The true cost of cash bail, tuft cells, and a fossil-saving Australian farmer

(Left to right): UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN ST. LOUIS/ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO/CAROLINA HIDALGO; V. ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE; JASON IRVING

Does jailing people before trial make cities safer? Not always, new research suggests

Cities and states across the United States are moving to ease cash bail and other pretrial detention policies that critics say are unfair, counterproductive, and contribute little to public safety. The reforms are contentious, but relatively little hard evidence informs the battle. Now, social scientists are launching studies to find out whether pretrial practices such as cash bail really do result in higher appearance rates and safer communities. Results published last month, for example, bolstered reformers’ case that cash bail is ineffective, at least in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Closing in on a century-old mystery, scientists are figuring out what the body’s ‘tuft cells’ do

The function of tuft cells, the turf-topped cells scattered among various parts of the body, has eluded researchers for decades. Some contain the same chemical-sensing surface proteins that act as taste receptors on the tongue. But they appear in the lining of structures such as the intestines, lungs, and urethra that have no apparent need to “taste” anything. Now, research reveals these oddball cells serve as sentinels along the body’s invasion routes, relying on their sensory capabilities to detect pathogens and allergens trying to infiltrate the body.

This Australian farmer is saving fossils of some of the planet’s weirdest, most ancient creatures

When a rancher purchased the Nilpena cattle station in South Australia 30 years ago, he suddenly became the unexpected steward of some of the world’s oldest fossils. The ranch contains about 60 species from the Ediacaran, the period when Earth’s first multicellular creatures arose some 560 million years ago. Recent financial troubles had some worried about the site’s future, but on 28 March the state government of South Australia purchased about half of the station, which is almost singular in its preservation of entire communities of ancient Ediacaran organisms.

New neurons for life? Old people can still make fresh brain cells, study finds

One of the thorniest debates in neuroscience is whether people can make new neurons after their brains stop developing in adolescence—a process known as neurogenesis. Now, a new study finds that even people long past middle age can make fresh brain cells, and past studies that failed to spot these newcomers may have used flawed methods.

Duke University settles research misconduct lawsuit for $112.5 million

Duke University will pay $112.5 million to the U.S. government to settle a lawsuit brought by a former employee who alleged the university included falsified data in applications and reports for federal grants worth nearly $200 million. The university will also take several steps “to improve the quality and integrity of research conducted on campus,” including the creation of a new advisory panel that will provide recommendations to the president, the Durham, North Carolina, institution said in a statement released earlier this week.

source: sciencemag.org