Birds Make Better Bipedal Bots Than Humans Do
A new machine called BirdBot balances walking efficiency and speed -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.....»»
What a submerged ancient bridge discovered in a Spanish cave reveals about early human settlement
A new study led by the University of South Florida has shed light on the human colonization of the western Mediterranean, revealing that humans settled there much earlier than previously believed. This research, detailed in a recent issue of the jour.....»»
Uncovering the secret communication of marmoset monkeys: They have names
A new study from Hebrew University reveals that marmoset monkeys use specific calls, known as "phee-calls," to name each other, a behavior previously known to exist only in humans, dolphins, and elephants. This discovery highlights the complexity of.....»»
They come from above: Here"s why magpies, magpie-larks and lapwings swoop in spring
If you live in Australia or New Zealand, the coming of spring is a mixed blessing. The days get warmer. Flowers bloom. Birds nest......»»
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states—a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in Colorado......»»
Study finds people are consistently and confidently wrong about those with opposing views
Despite being highly confident that they can understand the minds of people with opposing viewpoints, the assumptions humans make about others are often wrong, according to new research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoP.....»»
Researchers model physics of the pumping technique used to achieve air on a skateboard half-pipe
A team of engineers and mathematicians from ETH Zürich, working with colleagues from The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, and ATR Institute International, both in Japan, has successfully modeled the physics involved when humans pump on skateboa.....»»
Killings of invasive owls to ramp up on US West Coast in a bid to save native birds
U.S. wildlife officials beginning next year will drastically scale up efforts to kill invasive barred owls that are crowding out imperiled native owls from West Coast forests, under a plan finalized Wednesday that faces challenges from barred owls re.....»»
A price on their heads? Implications of international trade for African hornbills in Cameroon
Tropical birds known for their massive bills, hornbills include 32 Asian and 27 African species in the avian family Bucerotidae. Many hornbills have a casque on their upper mandible, which in some species is spectacularly colorful. Many species also.....»»
Widespread culling of crocodiles is not an effective way to stop attacks on humans, study shows
Education and community awareness, removal of problem animals and exclusion areas are significantly more effective in reducing saltwater crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory than a widespread culling program to reduce crocodile numbers, accord.....»»
Communicating consensus strengthens beliefs about climate change, finds 27-country study
Climate scientists have long agreed that humans are largely responsible for climate change. However, people often do not realize how many scientists share this view. A new 27-country study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour finds that co.....»»
Adversaries love bots, short-lived IP addresses, out-of-band domains
Fastly found 91% of cyberattacks – up from 69% in 2023 – targeted multiple customers using mass scanning techniques to uncover and exploit software vulnerabilities, revealing an alarming trend in attacks spreading across a broader target base. In.....»»
This bird species was extinct in Europe. Now it"s back, and humans must help it migrate for winter
How do you teach a bird how, and where, to fly? The distinctive Northern Bald Ibis, hunted essentially to extinction by the 17th century, was revived by breeding and rewilding efforts over the last two decades. But the birds—known for their distinc.....»»
Bird species are disappearing at an alarming rate in Kenya, study finds
Sub-Saharan Africa has a vast amount of uncultivated, arable land—about 2 million km2, accounting for about 50% of the global total. This land is a critical habitat for many animal species, including birds......»»
How is the Anthropocene helping to rethink the contemporary issue of environmental degradation?
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch whereby humans are deemed to be the primary drivers of ecological and environmental change, through activities that lead to environmental degradation. This theory that human activity poses more of a thr.....»»
From recycling to food: Can we eat plastic-munching microbes?
Researchers are trying to turn plastic-eating bacteria into food source for humans. Enlarge (credit: Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images) In 2019, an agency within the US Department of Defense released a call for resear.....»»
Bonobo evidence suggests ancient origin of the "common enemy effect"
In the face of threats from other groups, humans, chimpanzees, and a selection of other species get closer to their own. Now an international team led by Kyoto University has shown that even our more peaceful cousins, bonobos—who have never been ob.....»»
Mosquitoes sense infrared from body heat to help track humans down, study shows
While a mosquito bite is often no more than a temporary bother, in many parts of the world it can be scary. One mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, spreads the viruses that cause over 100,000,000 cases of dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other diseases ev.....»»
Eyes in the sky and on the ground: Enhanced dryland monitoring with remote sensing
While animals in drylands hone their natural senses to find vegetation, humans have developed "external eyes" to track these vital resources......»»
Birds have accents, too: Researchers find cultural change in the dialects of parrots over 22-year period
While distinct languages and dialects are common to human societies, most people are unaware that other species may similarly have culturally significant dialects. New research conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh at J.....»»
Tissue fluidization during skin repair is crucial for wound healing, study reveals
The ability to repair tissue following injuries is essential for the survival of all animals. Following wounding, the skin is repaired by activating, migrating, and dividing skin stem cells. Defects of wound healing in humans lead to chronic wounds t.....»»