Using a novel modeling method, a team of researchers gained new insights into how hummingbirds produce wing movement, which could lead to design improvements in flying robots.
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True giant wombat gives Diprotodon podium a wobble
While the Diprotodon -- the extinct megafauna species that is distantly related to wombats but was the size of a small car -- is commonly (but incorrectly) thought of as Australia's 'giant wombat', researchers have shed light on a large species that does belong in the modern-day wombat family. The complete...
A peculiar protected structure links Viking knots with quantum vortices
Mathematical analysis identifies a vortex structure that is impervious to decay.
Reliance on moose as prey led to rare coyote attack on human
Wildlife researchers have completed a study that may settle the question of why, in October 2009, a group of coyotes launched an unprovoked fatal attack on a young woman who was hiking in a Canadian park. Researchers concluded that the coyotes were forced to rely on moose instead of smaller...
Newly discovered scorpionfly genus with bizarre appearance
Zoologists have described and classified previously unknown species of scorpionflies from Nepal. These species belong to a completely new genus.
Fossil-Sorting Robots Will Help Researchers Study Oceans, Climate
Researchers have developed and demonstrated a robot capable of sorting, manipulating, and identifying microscopic marine fossils.
Water Mission to Gauge Alaskan Rivers on Front Lines of Climate Change
The upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will provide a trove of data on Earth’s water resources, even in remote locations.
How Intensive Agriculture Turned a Wild Plant Into a Pervasive Weed
New research in Science is showing how the rise of modern agriculture has turned a North American native plant, common waterhemp, into a problematic agricultural weed.
Warming Seas’ Negative Impact on Giant Kelp Starts in Early Life – Otago Study
Rising ocean temperatures are driving deterioration of kelp forests worldwide, but a University of Otago study hopes to help turn the tide and restore the valuable habitats.
Electric Car Sales Drive Toward Cleaner Air, Less Mortality
Electric cars – and their continued sales growth – are expected to have a greener, cleaner influence on air pollution and reduce human mortality in most, if not all, U.S. metropolitan areas, according to Cornell research published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (March 2023).