Several fish species can change sex as needed. Other species adapt to their surroundings by living long lives — or by living shorter lives and having lots of offspring. The ability of animals and plants to change can sometimes manifest in apparently extreme ways.
Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food chain but are notoriously difficult for scientists to account for — a little like trying to identify and count motes of dust in the air. A truly independent underwater vehicle shows it can do the job.
Do we have a dominant brain hemisphere? Do we use our whole brain? Can we train our brains to be smarter? Does our ability to learn depend only on our genetic inheritance?
Twenty-five years ago, African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) disappeared from Serengeti National Park. A firestorm of debate followed when one researcher claimed that handling by scientists was the cause. New research refutes that claim and offers another explanation.
Travelling to Mars will require astronauts to grow their own food. NTNU is creating the planters for cultivating veggies in space. Now that researchers have finished lettuce-growing experiments, they’ll be embarking on bean trials.
Flock status is crucial for small birds struggling to survive the winter. Those with the lowest status face tough odds.
Several countries are warning of massive insect deaths. Right now we don’t know how matters stand in Norway. But that’s about to change.
Climate change in the Arctic means more winter rain, and consequently more rain falling on snow. The result can be a buildup of ice under the snow, which can wreak havoc with arctic ecosystems.
An enzyme that normally repairs damaged DNA may be the key to a new treatment for inflammatory diseases.
Livestock grazing affects the landscape. What effects does it have on the vegetation?
Can offshore wind power be combined with good seabird management? Using GPS to track seabirds, a research project has come up with a surprising answer.
Why does the egg size of house sparrows vary so much? Isn’t it always an advantage to be big?
Plants have to defend themselves against drought, enemies and disease. But different threats demand different responses. So how do plants know what’s attacking them?
The moss world will never be the same. The moss Norwegian researchers thought they knew has played a trick on them. In return, researchers are calling on the Norwegian public to name a new species.
The fungus kills frogs, toads and salamanders, and now we know where it emerged. The pet trade may be to blame.
Natural history collections aren’t just dusty financial sinkholes. Actually, they can be gold mines for industry.
Tinder users don’t have more sexual partners than other similarly minded people. Women tend to use the app to feel better about themselves, whereas men are more focused on sex.
Picking up a plastic bag from the beach makes a bigger difference than you might imagine.
A lot of birdwatchers like the bullfinch. They’ve probably noticed that the female can chase off the more colourful male from the bird feeder. That makes this species different.
Almost all research on plastic contamination in water systems focuses on oceans. But the biggest problem is plastic that ends up in freshwater ecosystems, according to an NTNU biologist.
Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed exclusively on blood. The way they manage to do that offers us some remarkable insights into evolution.
Excess CO2 in the atmosphere is making the oceans more acidic. Some studies show that’s bad news for fish, including commercially important species. But not all fish respond the same way.
Small birds like tits don’t just see that another bird is dangerous. They can also differentiate between species and determine just how much of a threat they are.
Women regret casual sex more than men do – but less so if they take the initiative and the sex was good.