Ardern in a flap as wren rocks N. Zealand"s bird beauty contest
A tiny mountain-dwelling wren was the surprise winner Monday of New Zealand's controversial bird of the year competition, which even had Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a flap......»»
Vernicia montana"s genome unearths new breeding horizons
A study has unveiled the genetic blueprint of Vernicia montana, a plant renowned for its high-value tung oil and ornamental beauty. The research decodes its chromosome-level genome, providing unparalleled insights into its evolution and setting the s.....»»
Outdated and imprecise: Why it"s time we retired the term "race relations"
There's a term that crops up whenever Aotearoa New Zealand's political debates turn to the Treaty of Waitangi and its contemporary relevance: "race relations.".....»»
When climate reporting fails to create impact
Some of New Zealand's biggest companies submitted their first mandatory climate-related disclosures this year, but a new study shows disclosure doesn't guarantee better behavior......»»
New insights on how bird flu crosses the species barrier
In recent years, public health measures, surveillance, and vaccination have helped bring about significant progress in reducing the impact of seasonal flu epidemics, caused by human influenza viruses A and B. However, a possible outbreak of avian inf.....»»
Review of 400 years of scientific literature corrects the Dodo extinction record
Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird......»»
New research shows agricultural impacts on soil microbiome and fungal communities
New research from Smithsonian's Bird Friendly Coffee program highlights a type of biodiversity that often gets overlooked: soil bacteria and fungal communities. For over twenty years, Smithsonian research has shown that coffee farms with shade trees.....»»
Why the Fiat 500e could be your ideal second EV
The phenomenally efficient Fiat 500e is enjoyable to drive. Enlarge / The Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty. (credit: BradleyWarren Photography) Over two decades of parenting has left me with a healthy appreciation for SUVs a.....»»
Scientists characterize shale cap rocks at tiny scales
A team of researchers is working on a multidisciplinary approach to advancing the exploration of shale rock as a suitable geological seal for resource recovery and underground storage. Given that the pore space in shale rock is predominantly sub-micr.....»»
Scottish and Irish rocks confirmed as rare record of "snowball Earth"
A rock formation spanning Ireland and Scotland may be the world's most complete record of "snowball Earth," a crucial moment in planetary history when the globe was covered in ice, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers......»»
New Zealand official signs extradition order to send Kim Dotcom to US
12 years after Megaupload shutdown, Dotcom will keep fighting extradition to US. Enlarge / Kim Dotcom speaks to the media after a bail hearing at Auckland District Court on December 1, 2014, in Auckland, New Zealand. (credit: Get.....»»
Rocks collected on Mars hold key to water and perhaps life on the planet: Researchers urge bringing them back to Earth
Over the course of nearly five months in 2022, NASA's Perseverance rover collected rock samples from Mars that could rewrite the history of water on the red planet and even contain evidence for past life on Mars......»»
Liked to death? The social media race for nature photos can trash ecosystems—or trigger rapid extinction
Have you ever liked or shared a social media post about nature? It could have been a photo of a rare orchid or an unusual bird. Or you might share a stunning photo of an "undiscovered" natural place......»»
Research shows that glossy black-cockatoos prefer to feed from trees growing in acidic soils
Glossy black-cockatoos are seed-eating birds that feed almost exclusively on the cones of drooping sheoak trees. However, counter-intuitively, they select trees that grow on the poorest soils found on ancient sedimentary rocks......»»
Recovery of rocks that originated in Earth"s mantle could reveal secrets of planet"s history
Scientists have recovered the first long section of rocks that originated in the Earth's mantle, the layer below the crust and the planet's largest component......»»
How feeding birds may be polluting local environments
New research led by an NAU alumnus shows that backyard bird feeders, although put out with the best of intentions, is changing the chemistry of local ecosystems, including introducing a potentially harmful amount of phosphorus into the environment......»»
Researchers calculate up to a billion birds may die in the US each year due to collisions with windows
A team of ornithologists from the Fordham University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the NYC Bird Alliance, Inc, and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology has found evidence that far more birds are killed by window collisions than previo.....»»
The earliest traces of life on Earth—researchers explore carbon in 3.9-billion-year-old Canadian rocks
The isotopic composition of carbon in iron formations from the Saglek-Hebron Complex in Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador) has been seen as evidence of the earliest traces of life on Earth. But a new study by the University of Ottawa, Carleton Universit.....»»
Bird Flu Cases in People Are Being Undercounted
Dairy workers in Texas show signs of prior, undetected bird flu infections in a new study.....»»
Chang"e 6 brought rocks from the far side of the moon back to Earth—what this sample could hold
China achieved a historic feat by bringing back the first-ever sample from the lunar far side in June 2024. It's moon lander, Chang'e 6, used a robotic scoop and drill to collect approximately 5 pounds (2 kilograms) of rocks and soil. These samples c.....»»
Three forgotten women who wrote fairytales that subverted the Grimms" gender norms
Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty—these well-known stories and others, first published by the Brothers Grimm in Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales, 1812), have become shorthand for what we collectively think of as fairytal.....»»