Bees win in survival wars
Like diseases affecting humans, parasites can wage a deadly evolutionary ‘arms race’ against their hosts. But can hosts and parasites upgrade their weapons at the same rate?
Science & Technology
Scientists develop a recyclable pollen-based paper for repeated printing and ‘unprinting’
Scientists have developed a pollen-based ‘paper’ that, after being printed on, can be ‘erased’ and reused multiple times without any damage to the paper.
Honey holds potential for making brain-like computer chips
Honey might be a sweet solution for developing environmentally friendly components for neuromorphic computers, systems designed to mimic the neurons and synapses found in the human brain. Hailed by some as the future of computing, neuromorphic systems …
Global team of scientists determine ‘fingerprint’ for how much heat, drought is too much for forests
A new study has compiled a global database of climate-induced forest die-off events, from 1970-2018, across 675 locations. After analyzing the climate conditions at each location during each event, researchers found a common ‘hotter-drought fingerprint…
Gene deletion behind anomaly in blood cancer cells
Although clinical labs have known for almost a century that a oddly shaped nucleus resembling pince-nez glasses in blood cells could indicate leukemia, the cause of this anomaly remained unknown. Scientists have now discovered that loss of nuclear Lami…
Squid recorded color-matching substrate for the first time
A new study has found that squid will camouflage against coral reef and other substrate as a way of avoiding predation.
New non-destructive DNA method opens opportunities
A new method of obtaining ancient genomic data without damaging source material has been developed, creating new opportunities for museum and archaeological collections worldwide.
DNA discovery reveals a critical ‘accordion effect’ for switching off genes
Researchers have revealed how an ‘accordion effect’ is critical to switching off genes, in a study that transforms the fundamentals of what we know about gene silencing. The finding expands our understanding of how we switch genes on and off to make th…
‘Freeze-thaw battery’ is adept at preserving its energy
Scientists have created a battery designed for the electric grid that locks in energy for months without losing much storage capacity. It’s a step toward batteries that can be used for seasonal storage: saving renewable energy in one season, such as th…
The global ‘plastic flood’ reaches the Arctic
Even the High North can’t escape the global threat of plastic pollution. An international review study shows, the flood of plastic has reached all spheres of the Arctic: large quantities of plastic – transported by rivers, the air and shipping- can now…