Human beings have always been drawn towards challenges that appear difficult, uncertain or even impossible. From exploring unfamiliar places to developing new technologies and solving scientific problems, progress often begins with the decision to attempt something that has never been done before. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, once offered…
On August 30, thousands of Bengalureans gathered at Lalbagh and marched towards the iconic rock. It has been standing in what is now Bengaluru for billions of years, long before humans, cities or even the Himalayas existed. Now, one of Bengaluru’s most significant geological landmarks has found itself at the centre of a modern infrastructure…
A fungus infecting goldenrod soldier beetles can alter their behaviour before death and cause changes to their bodies afterwards. Researchers investigating Eryniopsis lampyridarum found infected Chauliognathus pensylvanicus beetles clamped their mandibles tightly onto flower heads shortly before dying. Between 15 and 22 hours after death, the fungus caused the beetles to raise their hardened forewings…
A tomato plant carries thousands of genes that stay largely quiet under normal growing conditions. Send that plant into orbit, however, and a striking number of them switch on or off within weeks. New research examining ‘Red Robin’ tomatoes grown aboard the International Space Station has found that once gravity is taken out of the…
Human blood was used in an attempt to revive exsanguinated dogs. Image Credit: National Library of Medicine In 1816, a young doctor from Barbados carried out blood transfusion experiments that challenged a dangerous medical assumption and helped point the field towards a safer future. ‘John Henry Leacock’ used dogs and cats to investigate whether blood…
A crab shell left behind after a meal might seem destined for the bin, but scientists have found a very different use for it. Engineers at the University of Maryland have turned material derived from discarded crustacean shells into part of a zinc battery, using chitosan to make its electrolyte. The unusual ingredient is tied…
Both McDermott Lake and Sandy Beach Lake had previously supported natural walleye recruitment. Scientists removed about 285,000 warm-water fish from a Wisconsin lake over four years in an attempt to help its declining walleye population recover. The large-scale experiment reduced several fish species and was followed by a sharp rise in yellow perch. However, it…
A new species of fungus capable of manipulating spiders before killing them has been formally identified in caves and disused buildings across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales, marking one of the first confirmed cases of such behavioural control found in a temperate climate. Named Gibellula attenboroughii in honour of the broadcaster Sir…
Representative Image (AI-generated) California’s water problem is often framed around the need for more storage, new infrastructure and expensive construction. But a new study suggests that part of the answer may already be sitting behind the state’s existing dams. By using better weather and water forecasts to decide when reservoirs should release or retain water,…
For a developing frog embryo, gravity is more than the force that keeps it on the ground. It can provide a reference for how the egg is oriented as development begins, helping establish the direction in which the embryo will form. Nasa wanted to find out what would happen if that reference disappeared. During a…
