Light tends to come with life, and with darkness, death. This theme extends throughout the animal kingdom, but what if there was a way to see light in the darkness? Just ask the mantis shrimp, a 340-million-year-old carnivorous marine crustacean with an amazing gift. This little critter has perhaps the best vision in the history […]
The littlest eyes make the biggest impact Read More »
A solitary dung beetle rolls its round cargo across the South African grassland, looking for a suitable place to bury its prize. It quickly distances itself from other beetles at the dung pile and avoids circling back to its original location, all while moving a ball of dung much larger than itself. However, in a
Seeing in the dark: Polarized light helps these animals find their way at night Read More »
Across the barren landscape of Antarctica, a team of scientists spent the months of December 2013 through February 2014 collecting bird poop from seabird nesting regions. After carefully preserving these samples and sections of muscle tissue from seabird carcasses, these researchers transported their data collection to Griffith University in Australia for analysis. Why pick up
Pollutant poop: How the south polar skua brings toxic chemicals to Antarctica Read More »
In the dead of winter, the Atlantic Ocean can reach a frigid 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Diving into this water would immediately activate the cold receptors beneath your skin, causing you to experience a “cold shock.” This reaction has the potential to be lethal. First, it triggers an involuntary gasp of air, followed by hyperventilation. This
Polar plunge: No pain no gain Read More »
Extremophiles are microorganisms that survive — and thrive — in extreme conditions not considered suitable for other forms of life. This umbrella term encompasses bacteria, archaea, protozoa, and fungi with unique adaptations allowing them to inhabit extreme temperature, radiation, salinity, pH, and other physical and geochemical conditions. Extremophiles can be found in deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Alien microbes: The frontier of extraterrestrial research Read More »
What do vampires, werewolves, and mummies all have in common? They are classic monsters, but only one of the three truly exists. Mummification has been used to preserve bodies for thousands of years. But mummies are more than old monsters, and science has shown that mummies offer a plethora of information to the academic community.
The Abominable … Mummy? Read More »
No stranger to a National Geographic photo shoot or a desktop image, landscapes of the southernmost region of South America have an undeniable beauty. But beneath the surface, a complicated ecosystem is at work. North Patagonian Fjords hold substantial populations of cold-water coral (CWC). The scleractinian, or stony, corals predominantly exist in deep ocean regions
Cooler than you: How cold-water coral adapt to evolving fjord conditions Read More »
Considered a disgusting sight among the first surveyors of the Mojave Desert, the Joshua tree is a true symbol of resilience and strength. Its appearance is an aggressive silhouette, providing texture to the smooth Mojave Desert dunes. In fact, despite their look, they are not trees, but rather succulents. These succulents have stood the test
The tree that has withstood time Read More »
June 5, 1981, the United States CDC published a report describing five cases of pneumonia in young gay men. The same day, the CDC received a call warning about a cluster of unusually aggressive cancers in New York. After the Associated Press picked up the story of these strange cases, the CDC received dozens of
With new technology, an HIV vaccine may finally be within reach Read More »