Ah, science. Sure, it does plenty of amazing things for society: finding treatments for cancer, putting people in space.
But along the way, scientists also discover some truly bizarre things about the way the world works.
From DNA-devouring worms to M&M-crazed bees, here are some of the strangest science stories of the year.
1. Hold the sex, pass the DNA
Sure, birds do it, bees do it, but rotifer worms don't bother. Having sex is a key way for species to increase their genetic diversity and prevent the buildup of harmful genetic mutations. But an all-female worm called the bdelloid rotifer seems to have kept its kind alive for 80 million years without engaging in sex.
Instead of cozying up to a fellow rotifer, the creature devours fungi and bacteria and incorporates some of that DNA into its own genetic code. The DNA meals may provide a healthy dose of antioxidants, the researchers propose.
2. Colorful honey
Hives of sugar-crazed bees in France are turning chocolate M&Ms into colorful honey. The bees got hooked on the candy because a biogas plant in the region processed waste from a local Mars Chocolate Factory.
The bees collected the sugar in their storage stomachs and then transferred it to other bees in the colony. The artificial coloring in the candy dyed the honey striking shades of blue and green.
3. Mother-child brain meld
And you thought pregnancy hijacked the brain. New research revealed that fetal cells migrate to a woman's brain, where they can linger for decades. The scientists found traces of male sex chromosome DNA in the cadavers of women as old as 94.
While scientists don't understand exactly what these cells do, some theorize they may help the woman's body repair tissue and may even play a role in Alzheimer's disease.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider