Biology
In plants, sense of time is connected with sense of danger
Salty soil is a growing threat to crops worldwide. Hotter, drier weather has increased evaporation rates, drawing moisture from the soil and leaving behind concentrated mineral sa…
Wild birds rewrite rules of flight efficiency: Study reveals power of 'free fuel' from the sky
An international study has overturned a longstanding textbook view of how much energy animals use to travel, revealing that flying can sometimes be cheaper than swimming.
We're surprisingly close to conserving 30% of the world's land
In an effort to conserve the world's plants and animals, governments have pledged to conserve 30% of the planet by 2030. Official figures suggest that attempts to reach this targe…
India's cobras share genetic ties across the mainland, while Sri Lankan cobras form a distinct genetic lineage
The spectacled cobra (Naja naja) is one of India's "big four" snakes responsible for most serious snakebite cases. It is currently considered one species, which lives across much …
Time’s up for the leap second as scientists swap it for the leap hour
Delegates from 69 countries approve clock changeover after decades of debate – but switch may not take effect for thousands of yearsAfter decades of discussion, quibbling and worr…
Why are pets scared of fireworks?
Fireworks are an integral part of many celebrations and cultural events. With their pretty colors, spectacular sights and big bangs, fireworks are a popular attraction for many pe…
Solving the mystery behind a flightless beetle's transatlantic journey
They can't fly or swim, so why do their closest relatives appear on different continents? Grey Gustafson, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, discover…
Neanderthal remains may be earliest human ancestor find killed by a spear
Adult excavated in an Iraqi Kurdistan cave died more than 70,000 years ago and bears ‘kill shot’ shoulder woundA smooth round hole in the shoulder blade of a Neanderthal who died …
Fossil footprints reveal how dinosaur ancestors gradually shifted from sprawling to upright walking
A research team led by Dr. Lorenzo Marchetti of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin described the earliest archosauriform footprints (Pachychirotherium gardenaensis) from the GEOPARC…
Drowned 5,000-year-old forests reborn as thriving peat reefs and biodiversity hotspots off Mozambique
Researchers from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) Ocean Observatory have documented ancient forests that grew on the Mozambican coast thousands of years ago and h…
Research finds vegan honey could be made with similar antimicrobial properties to mānuka honey
Vegan honey alternatives could be engineered to have antimicrobial properties similar to those of prized mānuka honey from New Zealand, according to research at Aston University.
Cortisol is a reproduction friend, not enemy
A major international study of the role cortisol plays in reproduction has found it may not be the villain it has been depicted as, and it may actually promote healthy reproductio…
Finding new ways to catch a thief—via intruders' airborne eDNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly being investigated by forensic scientists as a tool to help solve criminal cases that lack biological traces—and attention is also turning…
Turning up the heat on chickpea yield
A University of Queensland study has outlined a practical pathway for accelerating the development of heat-adapted chickpeas using data from new 'omic' technologies. Ph.D. candida…
Early growth differences help explain which beech trees survive forest competition
The fight for survival in the forest is fierce: light, water and nutrients are all limited. This is particularly true in "mast years"—times when trees and shrubs produce an unusua…
Cyril Hilsum obituary
Government physicist whose radar research paved the way for flat-panel TV and computer screens based on liquid crystalsCyril Hilsum’s research into stable liquid crystals and the …
Ascension Island: How a planting project created a lush cloud forest
In the middle of nowhere, a small island emerges in the Atlantic Ocean. This unique territory completely changed in the 19th century thanks to the efforts of two British scientist…
Is your boss watching you? The rise of AI surveillance at work – podcast
Workers have always been monitored by their bosses, first through output targets, and then via computer software labelled ‘bossware’. But AI is transforming the capabilities of th…
Consumers need clearer answers before they can trust precision fermentation, new report finds
Consumers may not fully understand precision fermentation yet, but many are curious enough to taste the results. New qualitative research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, p…
Report identifies investment priorities for low-emissions agriculture
A new report by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has found a growing suite of promising options already available to reduce on-farm emissions, as well as further opport…
Now you see them: Researchers uncover patterns in vessels that vanish at sea
Across the waters of West Africa, commercial fishing vessels vanish along international boundary lines.
Scientists alarmed as super El Niño collides with 'strange uptick' in Galapagos iguana trafficking
The only lizard in the world that can live and forage at sea may now be in a fight for survival. International scientists warn black-market trafficking of Galapagos marine iguanas…
One-third of food is lost or wasted: How to help farmers cut postharvest losses
Agriculture in the Global South remains under pressure to produce more food while responding to climate change and resource constraints. Policy responses have focused on increasin…
Uganda's sugarcane boom leaves families hungry: What needs to change
Busoga, in eastern Uganda, is a low, fertile plateau surrounded on three sides by Lake Victoria, the Nile River and Lake Kyoga. Most of its 4.3 million people farm small, rain-fed…