Science Update
Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS
OCEAN SCIENCE - Old warships become new habitats. An ocean quadcopter gives researchers a sky-high view of the stormy North Atlantic. And, autonomous underwater vehicles that search for sunken treasure. Also, behind the untimely death of the octopus.
Caterpillars build tiny “houses” that shelter other creatures as well.
Elephants, unlike mammals much more similar to us, seem to instinctively understand pointing gestures.
Octopuses have an unusual reproductive strategy: they die soon after mating.
Insects may be able to “predict” the weather by changing their behavior when they sense changes in air pressure.
INSECTS & SPIDERS - Could spider venom be the next insecticide? Why mosquitoes smell you better at night. And debunking the myth of extracting dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber. Also, insect legs that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern machinery.
Microphone arrays around the North Pacific allow scientists to listen to the diversity of life under the sea.
Researchers have discovered that mosquitoes have a better sense of smell at night.
Giant flightless birds with enormous beaks once roamed the earth. Did they feast upon flesh, or gobble up plants?
Some insects' legs have gears that look and function like the classic man-made invention.
Whales tan and suffer sunburn-like skin damage, which could indicate changes in UV radiation over the oceans.
The highly efficient lungs of birds are inspiring climate-friendly carbon-capturing filters.
The Ugly Animal Preservation Society uses humor to raise awareness about nature's less attractive endangered animals.
The Ugly Animal Preservation society uses humor to raise awareness about conservation. Why whales have to worry about sunburns. And an ancient terror bird that wasn't so terrible after all. Also: transplanting gut bacteria from obese humans makes mice fat.
Underwater explosions scare sea lions away from commercial fishing operations. But the noise could be impacting whales and dolphins.
A molecule in the gut controls the brain's response to food, and its absence could lead to overeating and obesity.
OCEAN LIFE - Scientists test a 3-D underwater microscope. How oxygen led to the rise of ocean carnivores. And why some fish are going back to school. Also, can computers be funny?
Scientists are testing a new 3-D underwater microscope to study tiny marine predators.
Making fish hatcheries more mentally stimulating may increase the fish's chance of survival in the wild.
Rising oxygen levels during the Cambrian period allowed for the rise of ocean carnivores and the subsequent explosion of animal diversity.
NATURE & HEALTH - Scientists look to the oceans for new antibiotics. The full moon affects sleep patterns. And, how paleo is the so-called "Paleo" diet? Also: How apes remember events.
Like humans, chimpanzees and orangutans can remember events that took place years in the past.
The world's largest dinosaurs had to replace their teeth constantly to keep up with all their eating.
ANCIENT ANATOMY - What dental records from the Mesozoic era can tell us about the lives of dinosaurs. How humans are uniquely adapted to throw baseballs. Also: an automated nature recording system that's monitoring environmental change. And, could vaccinating children protect the elderly as well?
