Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Whale poo: The ocean's miracle grow
While many mammals produce excrement in clumps, whale poop is more of a slurry. "Very liquidy, a flocculent plume," says whale expert Joe Roman at the University of Vermont. Flocculence...
K-State advances field of ecological genomics with research, symposium
A Kansas State University professor's research and the upcoming Ecological Genomics Symposium continue to make the university a leader in the emerging field of ecological genomics...
In pictures: Selwood Living Landscape photographic exhibition
The ancient forest of Selwood has attracted the attention of five top artists and photographers in a new exhibition
Ocean acidification poses little threat to whales’ hearing, study suggests
Contrary to some previous, highly publicized, reports, ocean acidification is not likely to worsen the hearing of whales and other animals, according to a scientist who studies sound propagation in...
Microchip technology rapidly identifies compounds for regrowing nerves in live animals
Engineers have now used a new microchip technology to rapidly test potential drugs on tiny worms called C. elegans, which are often used in studies of the nervous system. Using...
Bacteria may signal through nanowires
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Some bacteria can grow electrical "hair" that allows them to link up in big biological circuits and create large cooperating colonies, U.S. researchers...
Recently Discovered Habitable World May Not Exist
Swiss team finds no evidence for the first Earth-like exoplanet that could harbor life
Footage 'shows land clearing threat to Sumatran tigers'
New infra-red footage released Tuesday captures a rare tiger roaming in protected forests on Indonesia's Sumatra island, which conservationists alleged to have been illegally cleared.
Mystery Bird: Dark chanting goshawk, Melierax metabates | GrrlScientist
This African species closely resembles Saturday's mystery bird but it is actually a different species!Dark chanting goshawk, Melierax metabates, also known as the chanting goshawk, photographed at Serengeti National Park, northeastern Tanzania, Africa....
Colour My World: Red parrot feathers resist bacterial degradation
Why do parrots have such brightly colored feathers? There are lots of evolutionary reasons, but now you can add one more to the list: bright pigments resist bacterial degradationHave you ever noticed how...
Hi-res detector used by researchers to map neural circuits of the retina
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using a sophisticated neural recording system developed by physicists at UC Santa Cruz, researchers were able to trace for the first time the neural circuitry that connects individual...
In a Takeout Container, a Trek to the Stratosphere
A seven-minute edit of a handmade craft’s recorded trip 100,000 feet into the air, posted on a video-sharing site, becomes a viral success.
Genomic comparison of ocean microbes reveals East-West divide in populations
Much as an anthropologist can study populations of people to learn about their physical attributes, their environs and social structures, some marine microbiologists read the genome of microbes to glean...
Landing lights for bumblebees
Gardeners could help maintain bumblebee populations by growing plants with red flowers or flowers with stripes along the veins, according to field observations of the common snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus, at...
DNA and the 'magic rings' trick
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study from UC Davis shows how, like a conjuring trick with interlocking rings, two interlocked pieces of DNA are separated after DNA is copied or repaired....
Better way developed to see molecules at work in living brain cells
By creating a better way to see molecules at work in living brain cells, researchers are helping elucidate molecular mechanisms of synapse formation. These studies could also help further understanding...
Nanowire-Armed Bacteria Become Living Biological Circuits
Microbes form large cooperative colonies connected by nanowires to live together rather than die alone.
Birds could signal mass extinction
The first detailed measurements of current extinction rates for a specific region have shown that birds are the best group to use to track the losses. The study also reveals...
Studying the Ice Cream Headache
Brain freeze may not be the most serious of heath concerns, but scientists are studying it anyway.
Scientist at Work | Dr. Abraham Verghese: Restoring an Old Narrative for Medicine
At Stanford, Dr. Abraham Verghese is on a mission to bring back something he considers a lost art: the physical exam.
Observatory: Joints Key to Bats’ Complicated Flight
By making video recordings of bats flying in a wind tunnel, researchers have shown that bat flight is significantly more complicated than bird flight.
Observatory: Salt Infusion Could Be a Remedy for Damaged Cells
An infusion of sodium helped tadpoles regenerate amputated tails.
Leaving Night Light On Could Cause Weight Gain
Mice exposed to a dim light during nighttime hours gained 50 percent more weight than mice in normal lighting conditions.
Study Shows Factors Affecting Molecule Motion in Cells
Using large-scale computer simulations, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have identified the most important factors affecting how molecules move through the crowded environment inside living cells.
Study details structure of potential target for HIV and cancer drugs
In a technical tour de force, structural biologists have determined the three-dimensional structure of a molecule involved in HIV infection and in many forms of cancer. The high-resolution structure sheds...
5 reasons to like the Nissan Leaf
Surprise, the Nissan Leaf is great fun to drive. Well, it's not all that much of a surprise: I'd driven two other cars with the Leaf technology under the hood,...
Adult rabbit stem cells show good potential for laboratory use
Japanese molecular biologists have successfully reprogrammed adult rabbit body cells to form colonies of fully pluripotent cells that are highly similar to rabbit embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
Baby killer whale born in Florida
A wildlife park in Florida is celebrating the arrival of its newest attraction, a baby killer whale weighing more than 300lb.