Birds" dazzling iridescence tied to nanoscale tweak of feather structure
The iridescent shimmer that makes birds such as peacocks and hummingbirds so striking is rooted in a natural nanostructure so complex that people are only just beginning to replicate it technologically. The secret to how birds produce these brilliant.....»»
Dog-like Spot robot gets a gig to scare wildlife
An international airport is deploying a dog-like robot to scare birds and other wildlife from encroaching the runway......»»
After 10 years of work, landmark study reveals new "tree of life" for all birds living today
The largest-ever study of bird genomes has produced a remarkably clear picture of the bird family tree. Published in the journal Nature today, our study shows that most of the modern groups of birds first appeared within 5 million years after the ext.....»»
Tesla dominates 2023 Made In America Auto Index
The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 long-range versions tied for first place in the 2023 Kogod Made in America Auto Index......»»
A frozen chunk of genome rewrites our understanding of bird evolution
An enormous meteor spelled doom for most dinosaurs 65 million years ago. But not all. In the aftermath of the extinction event, birds—technically dinosaurs themselves—flourished......»»
Can savanna emerge in the cold high latitudes and altitudes due to ongoing rapid warming?
Recent studies have shown that rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and consequential warming may compromise the community structure and functioning of the cold tundra ecosystems. However, in addition to carbon uptake, natural vegetation—particula.....»»
Researchers reveal structure and assembly mechanism of unique module in cellulosome
Cellulosomes are multi-enzyme complexes known for their efficient lignocellulose degradation, which is valuable in bioenergy technique development. The diverse composition and intricate assembly of cellulosomes give them exceptional substrate degrada.....»»
Small birds spice up the already diverse diet of spotted hyenas in Namibia
Spotted hyenas are known for hunting (or scavenging) larger mammals such as antelopes and occasionally feed on smaller mammals and reptiles. Being flexible in the choice of prey is a strategy of generalists—and this even extends to small passerine.....»»
The Earth Will Feast on Dead Cicadas
Two cicada broods, XIX and XIII, are emerging in sync for the first time in 221 years. Birds, trees, and dirt are about to get the banquet of a lifetime......»»
Rice husk can be used as a promising sustainable packaging material
Rice husk, the hard-protective layer that envelopes the inner grain of rice, constitutes approximately 20%–25% of the entire rice structure and produces a considerable amount of by-products. In a study published in the journal, Journal of Bioresour.....»»
New genetic analysis tool tracks risks tied to CRISPR edits
Since its breakthrough development more than a decade ago, CRISPR has revolutionized DNA editing across a broad range of fields. Now scientists are applying the technology's immense potential to human health and disease, targeting new therapies for a.....»»
Cows in Texas and Kansas test positive for highly pathogenic bird flu
The risk to the public is low, and the milk supply is safe. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Peter Cade) Wild migratory birds likely spread a deadly strain of bird flu to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, state and federal officia.....»»
Solar eclipse could scramble bird behavior
On April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will race across North America. At the same time, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners will be hurrying to measure the impact of daytime darkness on the movements of birds, bats,.....»»
A nanoscale look at how shells and coral form reveals that biomineralization is more complex than imagined
Exactly how does coral make its skeleton, a sea urchin grow a spine, or an abalone form the mother-of-pearl in its shell? A new study at the Advanced Light Source at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) reve.....»»
Early spring, earlier nesting birds
Did spring arrive early this year? Some people think so. Apparently, some birds do, too. The NestWatch project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology documents when and where birds are nesting......»»
Researchers challenge the limits of molecular memory, opening the door to the development of molecular chips
Some molecules respond to external light pulses by changing their structure and holding certain states that can be switched from one to another. These are commonly referred to as photoswitches and usually have two possible states. Recently, however,.....»»
The best Dragon’s Dogma 2 mods
Dragon's Dogma 2 shines thanks to mods. Whether you want to improve the lackluster performance, or tweak the game's systems, here are the best mods available......»»
Dell’s Inspiron 14 Plus review: one hand tied behind its back
The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2024 is a good midrange laptop by most measures. However, its display isn't as good as some others at around the same price......»»
New method to measure entropy production on the nanoscale
Entropy, the amount of molecular disorder, is produced in several systems but cannot be measured directly. An equation developed by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, now sheds new l.....»»
Research team proposes a novel type of acoustic crystal with smooth, continuous changes in elastic properties
In dim light a cat sees much better than you do, as do dogs and nocturnal animals. That's because the structure of a cat's eye has a tapetum lucidum, a mirror-like layer immediately behind the retina. Light entering the eye that is not focused by the.....»»
Core-shell structural units show outstanding toughening effect for ceramics
Toughening has always been an important research direction of structure ceramics. The addition of secondary phases to the ceramic matrix to prepare composite ceramics is an effective toughening pathway in the field of structure ceramics......»»