Upwardly mobile Asian diners have developed a taste for civet, pangolin, and other exotic—and protected—wild animals. In turn, semi-clandestine restaurants serve up rare animals for a hefty price. To reduce this pressure on wild populations, some conservationists have proposed establishing farms where the species can be raised for human consumption. But new research in […] Read More »
It is widely feared that ocean acidification—caused by rising atmospheric CO2—will weaken the shells of marine organisms. But a new experiment shows that certain species actually increase their shell production under these seemingly harsh conditions.
To reach this conclusion, researchers raised 18 species of marine organisms in seawater acidified by different levels of carbon […] Read More »
Are urban coyote populations rising because the creatures are attracted to human activities or in spite of those activities? This question has vexed researchers for years, and now Stanley Gehrt of Ohio State University is piecing together an answer.
In the Journal of Mammalogy, Gehrt and his colleagues chronicle their research on coyotes in […] Read More »
Scientists have always known spider silk is strong. But strong enough to lift an SUV and hold it in the air?
Researchers at the University of Akron think so and are making intriguing discoveries about how spider silk could revolutionize everything from manufacturing to medicine. Their core finding: by adding or removing moisture to […] Read More »
Argentine ants are masters of destruction. They displace native ants, raid honeybee hives, drive pollinators away from flowers, and pour into people’s homes around the globe. In fact, one enormous colony extends for thousands of kilometers along the southern coast of Europe. To stop these relentless invaders, Neil Tsutsui at the University of California, […] Read More »
In December 2007, a Japanese aquarium hooked up the lights on a Christmas tree to a tank containing an electric eel. Metal plates at the ends of the tank collected the electricity the fish generated, which was used to power the bulbs. It was certainly effective as a publicity stunt. Now some researchers in […] Read More »
Barnacles and other sea creatures can encrust a ship’s hull after just a few months in the water, slashing fuel efficiency and requiring costly cleanings. In turn, shipping companies have long dreamt of finding a sure-fire way to discourage the growth. Now, a research team led by Rahul Ganguli of Teledyne Scientific & Imaging […] Read More »
The Patagonian Sea is one of the earth’s richest marine areas. Spanning 3 million square kilometers, it’s also so vast that conservationists have struggled to develop a comprehensive scheme to protect its denizens. Now, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International have developed a breakthrough tool: a cutting-edge atlas that could be […] Read More »
Both Boeing and Airbus have trumpeted the efficiency of their newest aircraft, the 787 and A350, respectively. Their clever designs certainly make a difference. But a group of researchers at Stanford University, led by Ilan Kroo, has suggested that airlines could take a more naturalistic approach to cutting jet-fuel use. The answer, says Kroo, […] Read More »
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Changing the BatteryFlamingos stand precariously on top of one of the world’s largest deposits of lithium—the very stuff that powers our mobile world
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Shrink to FitHumanity appears to be ushering in new age of minifauna, a kind of Lilliputian world full of runts and dwarves |
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Chasing RainbowsLured by a utopian visions, agencies dropped billions of trout into thousands of lakes. Now, they’re determined to undo the damage they caused. |
