Researchers observe blue crabs ambushing fiddler crabs from shallow, water-filled pits, like crocodiles ambushing wildebeests in Africa.
Chagas: Less neglect for a neglected tropical disease
A research group implemented a survey over two years to assess vector infestation and the infection risk of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi in triatomine bugs, the culprits responsible for Chagas disease, throughout El Salvador. Their findings showed the nationwide ubiquity of the principal insect vector and identified areas where these...
Today’s heat waves feel a lot hotter than heat index implies
When the heat index was created nearly 45 years ago, it was a good measure of how hot it feels under increasing humidity. It still is. But with climate change, weather extremes are becoming more common, and the Heat Index can underestimate the apparent temperature and the physiological stress humans...
Do wind instruments disperse COVID aerosol droplets?
Orchestral ensembles have faced many challenges when starting to perform again during the COVID pandemic, and contamination is a chief concern: specifically, whether wind instruments are vectors of contamination through aerosol dispersion. Researchers worked with musicians to deepen our understanding of how much aerosol is produced and dispersed by wind...
Study Achieves Longest Continuous Tracking of Migrating Insects
Insects are the world’s smallest flying migrants, but they can maintain perfectly straight flight paths even in unfavorable wind conditions, according to a new study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) and the University of Konstanz in Germany, and the University of Exeter in the UK.
How Scientists Used Acoustic Soundscapes and NASA Satellite Data to Assess the Health of the Amazon Rainforest
From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look fully recovered with a healthy, lush, and green canopy.
Rocket Launches Can Create Night-Shining Clouds Away from the Poles, NASA’s AIM Mission Reveals
Near Earth’s North and South poles, wispy, iridescent clouds often shimmer high in the summertime sky around dusk and dawn.
National parks — islands in a desert?
How effective is biodiversity conservation of European and African national parks? This seems to be strongly associated with societal and economic conditions. But even under the most favorable conditions, conservation efforts cannot completely halt emerging threats to biodiversity if conditions outside of the parks do not improve.
Rhodiola rosea root might be beneficial for managing type 2 diabetes
A team of researchers has discovered that treatment with an extract from the roots of the Rhodiola rosea plant might be effective for helping manage type 2 diabetes, showing promise as a safe and effective non-pharmaceutical alternative.
Colorful solar panels could make the technology more attractive
Solar panels aren't just for rooftops anymore -- some buildings even have these power-generating structures all over their facades. But as more buildings and public spaces incorporate photovoltaic technologies, their monotonous black color could leave onlookers underwhelmed. Now, researchers have created solar panels that take on colorful hues while producing...