Female toxin-producing newts are surprisingly more poisonous than males
Tetrodotoxin, the neurotoxin that makes a blue-ringed octopus deadly, also protects Taricha newts—but we don't understand how they produce it, or what purposes it serves for them......»»
Complete genome and toxin genes of the microalgae from the Oder River disaster decoded
In the summer of 2022, around 1,000 tons of fish, mussels and snails died in the River Oder. Although the disaster was manmade, the immediate cause of death was the toxin of a microalgae with the scientific collective name Prymnesium parvum, often re.....»»
This Windows laptops gets surprisingly close to dethroning the MacBook Air
The Apple MacBook Air M3 has been one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy. Maybe the best. But the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED is a strong challenger......»»
Egg cell maintenance: Long-lived proteins may be essential for fertility
Female mammals—including humans—are born with all of their egg cells. Of a woman's one to two million egg cells, about 400 mature before menopause and can be fertilized. Some egg cells therefore survive for several decades—and need to remain fu.....»»
New study augments distribution and reproduction data for little-known female Oceania fantail rays
Among the cartilaginous fish of the class Chondrichthyes, batoid rays—along with sharks, skates and sawfish—belong to the subclass known as Elasmobranchii. To date, limited literature exists on the reproductive practices of batoid rays, including.....»»
UK says Apple unfairly fired worker who took secret photos of a colleague
A UK employment court has ruled that Apple must pay compensation to an employee it dismissed over alleged harassment of a female colleague.Inside Apple's UK headquarters at the iconic Battersea Power Station (source: Apple)The incident took place at.....»»
How the Lincoln Nautilus surprisingly won me over with its ride, huge screen
How I stopped worrying and learned to love the big screen. Enlarge / In the past, car companies engaged in "horsepower wars." Now it seems they're competing in a screen size war. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin) It's important.....»»
How listening for the right buzz keeps mosquitoes from mating with the wrong species
Researchers from Nagoya University in Japan have uncovered how the yellow fever mosquito and Asian tiger mosquito distinguish their own species from others. Males from these species listen for the specific frequencies of sound made by the flapping wi.....»»
Study finds ways to enhance transcription factor activity
Transcription factors regulate gene expression by binding specific sequences on DNA, which is an essential step to producing messenger RNAs from protein-coding genes. Denes Hnisz's lab, in collaboration with Martin Vingron's lab at the MPIMG, has dis.....»»
New catalysts enable greener ester synthesis
A new catalyst may well catalyze a shift to greener chemistry. Chemists from Yokohama National University have successfully developed innovative catalysts containing two noble metals that demonstrate remarkable efficiency in ester-producing chemical.....»»
In-app subscriptions continue to grow, despite consumer fatigue
The in-app subscription market continues to grow, according to a new report, despite increasing consumer fatigue with the trend to turn everything into a recurring payment. Surprisingly, the most common subscription model is reportedly now a weekly o.....»»
Clicks Keyboard case: Surprisingly great or gimmicky gadget? [Hands on review]
Earlier this year, Clicks announced their Clicks Keyboard case for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. They wanted to bring back the tactility of a physical keyboard to the modern smartphone. As someone who loved using Blackberry Pearl and Bold and the.....»»
Blue and great tits deploy surprisingly powerful memories to find food, finds study
Blue and great tits recall what they have eaten in the past, where they found the food and when they found it, a new study shows. In the first experiment of its kind to involve wild animals, blue and great tits demonstrated 'episodic-like' memory to.....»»
Sexist Myths Are a Danger to Health
To improve outcomes for female patients, all evidence needs to be considered—while outdated myths about the significance of sex differences need to be retired......»»
Tracing the evolution of ferns" surprisingly sweet defense strategy
Plants and the animals that eat them have evolved together in fascinating ways, creating a dynamic interplay of survival strategies. Many plants have developed physical and chemical defenses to fend off herbivores. A well-known strategy in flowering.....»»
Unexpected source of nutrients fuels growth of toxic algae from Lake Erie
Climate change, such as warming and changes in precipitation patterns, affects the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) globally, including those of toxin-producing cyanobacteria that can contaminate drinking water......»»
Q&A: How to make sustainable products faster with artificial intelligence and automation
By modifying the genomes of plants and microorganisms, synthetic biologists can design biological systems that meet a specification, such as producing valuable chemical compounds, making bacteria sensitive to light, or programming bacterial cells to.....»»
Cheap, dirty leftovers can release pure oxygen: Hexagonal manganites show promise for production on an industrial scale
New materials for producing oxygen may challenge traditional production methods. This is exciting news, because pure oxygen is in demand for many areas in industry and medicine......»»
Study reveals maintenance of male-related genes after loss of males in stick insects
Traits are often lost during evolution, either because they are no longer beneficial or because they are too costly to maintain. When this happens, it is generally believed that the genes underlying the trait will eventually degrade as well, making i.....»»
Producing gold nano-particles (and hydrogen) in water without the need for toxic chemicals
In a surprise discovery, Flinders University nanotechnology researchers have produced a range of different types of gold nanoparticles by adjusting water flow in the novel vortex fluidic device—without the need for toxic chemicals. The article, "Na.....»»
Starlinks can produce surprisingly bright flares for pilots
How can sunlight reflecting off SpaceX's Starlink satellites interfere with ground-based operations? This is what a study recently posted to the arXiv preprint server hopes to address as a pair of researchers investigate how Starlink satellites appea.....»»