An adult female Lord Howe Island insect. (Credit: Rohan Cleave, Melbourne Zoo)
Lord Howe Island stick insects are back for good. Nearly a century ago, they were exiled from their homeland by invasive rats and thought extinct, only to be rediscovered in 2001, confined to a lonely rock spire in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The insects looked different though. They were skinnier and had lost some of their spines, raising questions about their origins.
Now, a new genetic analysis confirms that ...read more
(Credit: Shutterstock)
Paying a higher price for something is typically associated with positive benefits. When you shell out more for a thing, you feel it’s faster, stronger, softer or cleaner. You know that premium you paid was worth it.
But when it comes to medication, the association between high price and added benefits is sort of flipped on its head: A medication perceived to be expensive was associated with more negative side effects. That, at least, is a key finding in a new stud ...read more
A view of the crater at Agung on September 27, 2017. The increased steam and gas emissions can be seen on the right side of the crater. The dark scar on the slopes of the volcano come from a forest fire earlier in the month. Image by Planet Labs.
We have likely entered the most dangerous period in the waiting game at Agung in Indonesia. It has been over 2 weeks since the volcano began to show signs of unrest and it has done very little other than shake and produce a small steam-and-gas plume. Up ...read more
Researchers have created the world’s most accurate clock by combining strontium atoms, a “quantum gas,” and various lasers. (Credit: G.E. Marti/JILA)
Time, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, is a fundamental part of the universe. Albert Einstein showed us it was inextricably linked to the “stuff” of the universe, so the better we can understand and measure it, the better we can study everything else. So how do you study time?
With better clocks! And re ...read more
(Credit: Simon Rowell Photography)
The bee population has it rough right now, and neonicotinoids are partially to blame. According to research, this class of insecticide is contributing to the population decline of bees, and even showing up in honey.
These pest control chemicals, which are chemically similar to nicotine, can cause growth disorders, neurological and cognitive disorders, impact the efficiency of the immune system, and more in bees — even at low concentrations. On top ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
