A herder runs livestock in Kenya. (Credit: Marion Smith/shutterstock)
Dung, poop, number 2 — we’ve all dealt with the troublesome solid waste that biological entities produce. But it can have its uses too, beyond just giving sewer planners something to do.
In particular, the use of animal feces as manure has a long and fruitful history. It’s an all natural way to replenish soil after growing crops, and hey, gotta put that stuff somewhere, right?
But it turns out dung has been ...read more
VISTA images of the Carina Nebula show an infrared view we can’t see with our eyes. Eta Carinae appears as the bright ball of light just above the “v” of dark material at center; the Keyhole Nebula is to the right of Eta Carinae’s glow.(Credit: ESO/J. Emerson/M. Irwin/J. Lewis)
The Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is a massive star-forming region within the Milky Way. Officially discovered by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 1750s, the nebula stretches ov ...read more
(Credit: Sergey Lavrentev/Shutterstock)
Once bees get a taste of pesticides, it seems they can’t help coming back for more.
For years, common agricultural pesticides, like neonicotinoids, have been shown to have detrimental effects on bee colonies. Though the results aren’t always consistent, the bulk of evidence shows that pesticides are bad for bees. Exposed bees can have difficulty reproducing, die younger and aren’t as attentive to their nests when the chemicals show up i ...read more
Photo: flickr/Elvert Barnes
[Note from the authors of “Seriously, Science?”: After nine years with Discover, we’ve been informed that this will be our last month blogging on this platform. Despite being (usually) objective scientists, we have a sentimental streak, and we have spent the last few days reminiscing about the crazy, and often funny, science we have highlighted. Therefore, we have assembled a month-long feast of our favorite science papers. Enjoy!]
It’s ...read more
Barnard the goat, one of the animals tested in the study, stands in a field of flowers at the Buttercups Sanctuary. (Credit: Christian Nawroth)
Put on a happy face. That works for creating a positive impression on other people. Research also shows that dogs and horses prefer a smile to a frown.
But what about domesticated farm animals, such as goats, pigs and cows? Turns out domesticated pigs and cattle are smarter than we give them credit for, studies have shown. They may even have complex in ...read more
Naked mole rat pups being tended by workers. (Credit: Neil Bromhall/Shutterstock)
As in marriage, business and volleyball, good communication is essential for the health of any society. That’s doubly true when you’re the sole ruler of a thriving colony of dozens of pink, wrinkly and decidedly unconventional mammals.
To pass directives to their workers, naked mole rat queens have internalized — and then externalized, as it so happens — this tenet of societal well-b ...read more
The Horn of Africa seen from the International Space Station in January 2015, taken by ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. NASA.
So, another school year starts Thursday (for me) and I thought I’d offer a list of 5 things all college students should know about the Earth, whether they take a geology classes or not (but you really should take at least one).
#1 The Earth is 4.54 billion years old (give or take a few million years)
This is “long history”. About 4.54 billion ...read more
(Credit: Ruslan Kokarev/shutterstock)
A version of this article originally appeared on The Conversation.
When those first fat drops of summer rain fall to the hot, dry ground, have you ever noticed a distinctive odor? I have childhood memories of family members who were farmers describing how they could always “smell rain” right before a storm.
Of course rain itself has no scent. But moments before a rain event, an “earthy” smell known as petrichor does permeate th ...read more
Credit:NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
If you think your commute is bad, try traveling over a billion miles to get to work.
After almost two years of space travel, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft finally has a clear view of its jobsite — a near-Earth, carbon-rich asteroid named Bennu.
The craft’s PolyCam camera captured its first image of Bennu on August 17 from a distance just 1.4 millio ...read more
(Credit: Carnegie Mellon University)
Robots made of … paper? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute have developed a pretty neat way to bring plain old paper to life.
The team used an inexpensive 3D printer to apply a thin layer of conducting thermoplastic, a material that becomes pliable when warm, but regains its original, hardened shape when cool.
When the researchers apply an electrical current, the melting thermoplastic makes the paper bend ...read more
