Biology

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Fly hunter has discovered 30 new species

DNA analysis allows new species to be described all the time. Researcher Xiaolong Lin has recently published a description of eight new non-biting midge species, but has found many more.

A “health centre” for juvenile salmon

The condition of the water in salmon hatcheries can tell us a great deal about when and why outbreaks of disease occur. Now, SINTEF researchers are about to expose the water’s secrets, both to prevent suffering in fish and to save the aquaculture industry a great deal of money.

Infidelity can be forgiven – but at a cost

Most people who have been unfaithful do not believe it when their partner says they forgive them. And the fact that men often don’t realize that emotional infidelity is a problem just feeds the conflict.

How can people and predators coexist?

Predators and people have lived side by side since time immemorial in the Serengeti National Park region in Tanzania. But strong population growth is leading to greater conflicts.

Stress in the nest can have lifelong effect

Why do some sparrows hatch six chicks while others don’t hatch any? How does upbringing affect the remainder of their lives? Physiological stress in the nest can actually affect birds’ DNA and possibly their lifespan.

Human Evolution in the Sea at Bioko

Did some of our human features evolve while our ancestors were living in water? The aquatic ape theory has been disregarded by paleoanthropologists, but it deserves another chance.

Avian songsters

Bird songs have many functions, but their main purpose is to attract a mate. Some of the best avian singers are described below.

Earth to ISS: Norway calling

Norway has direct contact with the ISS space station. Now CIRiS – the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space – is opening a new control room.

Climate change, ocean diversity and women in science

Science has made great strides since Svante Arrhenius, the Swedish Nobel Laureate who in 1896 first determined that carbon dioxide from human activity could warm the planet. The same progress hasn’t been made in increasing the number of women in the sciences.

Cooled patients are treated differently

What is the best form of first aid for a cold, injured body? Mountain medicine researchers are now co-operating to find the answer. At present there is actually no “best practice” for treating this type of patients.

Putting Bluefin tuna back on the menu — by farming them

The Japanese eat one in ten of the world’s fish, and 80 per cent of the planet’s prized —and critically threatened — Bluefin tuna. Tuna aquaculture pioneered at Kindai University in Japan offers hope for both fish lovers and the fish.

One-night stand regrets

Women regret saying yes to casual sex much more often than men do. Men – almost exclusively – regret saying no. Why?

The magical reindeer nose

Every schoolchild knows about Rudolph the Reindeer and his magic red nose. But Rudolph’s real-life counterparts really do have a magic nose. The colder it is, the better it is in keeping the animals warm and hydrated.

Echinacea

Re-ordering plant taxonomy

Advances in our understanding of the developmental history of plants is turning botanical gardens worldwide on end.

Researching the dark side of microplastics

Minute particles of plastic, called microplastics, are everywhere. An international research team is now about to investigate how toxic microplastics are to marine animals such as plankton, crabs and fish, and to find out if such plastics accumulate in the food chain.