Could wildflowers and bug hotels help avert an insect apocalypse? We just don"t know—yet
Insects are in rapid decline. One study found the global total is falling by 2.5% a year, with insect species going extinct eight times faster than mammals, birds and reptiles......»»
Are eco-friendly hotels inconvenient?
With the possible exception of those people who still seem to think it's OK to throw their McDonald's bag out the car window, most people like to be seen as environmentally conscious—or at least reasonably respectful of the planet......»»
Artificial intelligence brings a virtual fly to life
By infusing a virtual fruit fly with artificial intelligence, Janelia and Google DeepMind, scientists have created a computerized insect that can walk and fly just like the real thing......»»
DJI details efforts to avert the potential ‘$116 billion economic impact’ of US blacklisting its drones
Global drone leader DJI has come under increasingly intense pressure in the US, as successive federal and state measures banning its craft for official use have proliferated amid worsening relations with China – and accompanying security conc.....»»
Airbnb bans creepy surveillance cameras inside rentals starting April 30
Indoor cameras had been permitted in "common areas." Enlarge (credit: Liudmila Chernetska/Getty) Airbnb, like hotels and rival vacation rental site Vrbo, will no longer allow hosts to record guests while they're inside.....»»
Researchers reveal how a virus hijacks insect sperm: May help control disease vectors and pests
A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not have the same combination of bacteria and virus......»»
Study explains how a fungus can control the corn leafhopper, an extremely harmful pest
The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis has become a serious problem for farmers. This tiny insect is now widely distributed in the Americas, from the south of the United States to the north of Argentina. In Brazil, it uses only corn plants as hosts, and.....»»
Billionaires are building bunkers and buying islands—are they prepping for apocalypse or pioneering a new feudalism?
In December 2023, WIRED reported that Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire CEO of Meta and one of the foremost architects of today's social-media-dominated world, has been buying up large swathes of the Hawaiian island Kauai......»»
From crickets in Melbourne to grasshoppers in Cairns, here"s what triggers an insect outbreak
In recent weeks, Melburnians have reported thousands of crickets showing up in large numbers after dark, flying into homes and shops and taking up residence......»»
Ecologist cautions researchers to look more closely at apparent mismatches between birds and their prey
Climate change may speed up the emergence of insects in northern countries at the end of winter. This may cause breeding birds migrating from the south to come too late to benefit from the insect peak if they do not adjust their travel schedules to t.....»»
Unlocking the potential of protease inhibitors for enhanced pest resistance in tea plants
Protease inhibitors are a promising strategy for enhancing herbivore resistance in plants, which is crucial for addressing the significant yield losses in crops such as tea plants due to insect herbivores. Serine protease inhibitors (SERPIN) are one.....»»
Protecting the peppers: Unlocking the potential of the sterile insect technique
For the first time, researchers in Canada have investigated the use of the sterile insect technique for controlling populations of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii, an economically significant crop pest in North America......»»
New study shows similarities and differences in human and insect vision formation
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered profound similarities and surprising differences between humans and insects in the production of the critical light-absorbing molecule of the retina, 11-cis-retinal, also known as th.....»»
Car fumes, weeds pose double whammy for fire-loving native plants
Springtime brings native wildflowers to bloom in the Santa Monica Mountains, northwest of Los Angeles. These beauties provide food for insects, maintain healthy soil and filter water seeping into the ground—in addition to offering breathtaking disp.....»»
Changing the color of commonly used agricultural nets lessens insect damage to Kujo leek fields
Red nets are better at keeping away a common agricultural insect pest than typical black or white nets, according to a new study. Researchers have experimented with the effect of red, white, black and combination-colored nets on deterring onion thrip.....»»
AirPlay-compatible TVs rolling out to hotels starting "later this spring"
LG has confirmed that customers should see AirPlay-compatible TVs in select hotels sometime in the spring.AirPlay in hotelsApple released iOS 17.3 with the AirPlay in hotels feature in January, but hotels have to have a compatible TV to use the featu.....»»
Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
A new study in Nature Communications unveils the hidden world of sensory evolution in fruit flies. By delving into the genes and cells behind their delicate noses and tongues, researchers have discovered surprising secrets about how these tiny insect.....»»
Seaweed "could survive nuclear war, avert famine," says new study
Imagine a catastrophic event that blocked out the sun, such as the eruption of a large volcano, or even a nuclear war......»»
One in five Colorado bumblebees are endangered, new report says
On a cliffside at Mesa Verde National Park in southern Colorado, a fuzzy bee was industriously gnawing at the red sandstone. Making a loud grinding sound, the insect used its powerful jaws to drill tunnels and holes in rocks, where it would build a n.....»»
Commercial Architect: Work, Salaries, Jobs, Education and Ethics
Commercial architects design buildings and spaces for commercial purposes, such as offices, retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, and factories. They create architectural plans, budgets, schedules, and specifications for their clients and oversee the.....»»
To Stop AI Killing Us All, First Regulate Deepfakes, Says Researcher Connor Leahy
AI researcher Connor Leahy says regulating deepfakes is the first step to avert AI wiping out humanity Connor Leahy remembers the time he first realized AI was going to kill us all. It was 2019, and OpenAI’s GPT-2 had just.....»»