Creating the Doomsday Yawn
» One professor's quest to create a Doomsday Yawn. Also: can humans transmit yawns to other animals? (via tir) [ 09/28/07 ]
rebecca's pocket
.: archive --> Nature
Nature
Manmade earthquakes?
» National Geographic reports that new research shows that over 200 earthquakes, mostly in the last 60 years, were caused by human activity. Christian D. Klose of Columbia University has identified mining, oil and gas production, and reservoir construction as the culprits. (via rc3oi) / (3) Comments / [ 01/09/07 ]
Eye of Science: Microscopic photography gallery
» Eye of Science is an online gallery of microscopic photography, ranging from crystals (I love the snowflakes—Image 5), botany, medicine, technology, and more. Click on the image links and then wait a moment. Many of the images cycle through a series of the same substance. (via dbdw) [ 01/02/07 ]
Ovulating women show skin, dress fashionably
» A new study shows that women who are ovulating tend to dress more provocatively or more fashionably than at other times of the month. [ 10/10/06 ]
Promiscuous Bees Make Healthy Hives
» By increasing the genetic diversity in their broods, promiscuous queen bees create healthier hives. I will admit to some curiosity about inseminating a Queen bee. [ 09/28/06 ]
Female finches manipulate birth order and growth cycles to protect their children
» A new study shows that when female house finches are exposed to mites, they produce hormonal changes that cause them to lay eggs containing male babies last—males are more vulnerable to mites than females. The hormones also accelerate the development of the males while they're still in the egg so that they can leave the nest sooner. "Mothers essentially hid their sons in the eggs." Alexander V. Badyaev, The University of Arizona assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. (via abatc) [ 09/21/06 ]
Bluegills detect toxins in city water supplies
» San Francisco, New York, and Washington have installed the "Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System" developed for the Army to detect toxins in the water supply before it can reach the populace. It's most sophisticated sensor? Bluegills. / (2) Comments / [ 09/19/06 ]
Bottlenose dolphins recognize names
» Bottlenose dolphins use signature whistles as referential signals — ie, names. They respond to relatives' names, and will refer to a third dolphin when communicating with each other. [ 05/11/06 ]
Eaglecam babies
» Eaglecam Update: The note above the image says that three eaglets have hatched, but I see only one. (Requires IE and Windows Media for the live feed.) / (3) Comments / [ 05/04/06 ]
Bees' decision making skills better than most committees
» A new study shows that honeybees have a collective decision-making process that incorporates an open forum of ideas, frank "discussions" and friendly competition. "The bees' method, which is a product of disagreement and contest rather than consensus or compromise, consistently yields excellent collective decisions." Thomas Seeley, Professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell. / (1) Comments / [ 05/02/06 ]
Antweb uses Google Earth to map world's ants
» Have you heard of Antweb? It's a project from the California Academy of Sciences that uses Google Earth to create an interactive map of the earth's ant population. [ 04/26/06 ]
Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006
» The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006. (Or, buy the book.) [ 04/03/06 ]
Eagle Cam
» A great way to waste time online: the Bald Eagle Cam. Update: They moved the EagleCam. Here is the new URL. / (5) Comments / [ 03/30/06 ]
Sumo and Jellyfish News:
» "A slimy jellyfish weighing as much as a sumo wrestler has Japan's fishing industry in the grip of its poisonous tentacles. Vast numbers of Echizen kurage, or Nomura's jellyfish, have appeared around Japan's coast since July, clogging and ripping fishing nets and forcing fishermen to spend hours hacking them apart before bringing home their reduced catches." (via dm) [ 01/19/06 ]
Ants can teach each other
» A pair of Bristol University researchers believe they have documented the first proof of teaching in non-human animals — ants. "Teaching isn't merely mimicry. It involves the teacher modifying its behavior in the presence of a naive observer at some initial cost to itself." Nigel Franks, Professor at Bristol University. [ 01/18/06 ]
