Nine new and exotic creatures for the pulsar zoo
Researchers using MeerKAT in South Africa have discovered nine millisecond pulsars, most of them in rare and sometimes unusual binary systems, as the first result of a targeted survey. An international team with significant contributions from AEI (Ha.....»»
How wild is the Bengal cat genome?
If you're wondering who holds the title of domestic cat royalty, look no further than the stunning Bengal breed. They take the prize for the most popular breed in The International Cat Association (TICA) registry due to their unique, exotic appearanc.....»»
Pangolins in Africa: Expert unpacks why millions have been traded illegally and what can be done about it
Pangolins are fascinating creatures known for their unique appearance and distinctive scales. They are mammals belonging to the order Pholidota and are native to Africa and Asia. Due to their primary diet of ants and termites, pangolins are often ref.....»»
The surprising key to magpie intelligence: It"s not genetic
If you've ever had the pleasure of encountering Australia's iconic magpies, you know these birds are intelligent creatures. With their striking black and white plumage, loud warbling voices and complex social behaviors, magpies possess a level of avi.....»»
Exploring exotic behaviors in population-imbalanced fermionic systems
Over the past 20 years, many physicists have studied ultra-cold fermionic systems contained in magnetic or optical traps. When an external magnetic field is applied to a two-species fermionic system, the particles can pair together to form composite.....»»
Study illuminates the protective role of fluorescence in neon-colored sea anemones
For the first time, a team of researchers at Stanford University and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography has uncovered a direct genetic link between fluorescence and color in sea anemones—those soft and tentacled tide pool creatures.....»»
Threatened in their homeland, feral Mexican parrots thrive on LA"s exotic landscaping
During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda Ramirez was alarmed by the sudden squawks, warbles, and screeches of troops of parrots flying overhead at great speed in tight, precise formations......»»
New technique may help scientists stave off coral reef collapse
In a bit of biological magic, some tiny, jellyfish-like creatures learned eons ago how to weave seawater into durable, life-sustaining, rocky coral reefs, which provide billions in economic benefits......»»
Sharks, turtles and other sea creatures face greater risk from industrial fishing than previously thought
My colleagues and I mapped activity in the northeast Pacific of "dark" fishing vessels—boats that turn off their location devices or lose signal for technical reasons. In our new study published in Science Advances, we found that highly mobile mari.....»»
These tiny worm-like creatures in the soil can destroy pests but they can also kill crops—an expert"s guide to nematodes
Whether you're a gardener growing food for your household, a small-scale farmer or a commercial producer, soil matters. You cannot really tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy soil just by looking at it. But there are organisms in the soi.....»»
Building bionic jellyfish for ocean exploration
Jellyfish can't do much besides swim, sting, eat, and breed. They don't even have brains. Yet, these simple creatures can easily journey to the depths of the oceans in a way that humans, despite all our sophistication, cannot......»»
Scientists discover exotic quantum interference effect in a topological insulator device
In a novel experiment, physicists have observed long range quantum coherence effects due to Aharonov-Bohm interference in a topological insulator-based device. This finding opens up a new realm of possibilities for the future development of topologic.....»»
How bats survive Norwegian winter nights
You have probably seen bats flying at dusk. They suddenly appear on summer evenings, when other flying creatures have settled down for the night. However, they are not a common sight in Norway, because there aren't that many of them. In addition, bat.....»»
Smallest star ever observed is part of an exotic binary system
A large international team of astronomers has discovered the smallest known star to date, and found that it is paired with another, somewhat larger star. Their paper is published in the journal Nature Astronomy,......»»
Exotic cats" ability to recognize familiar human caregivers" voices
In a recent PeerJ study, Professor Jennifer Vonk from Oakland University presents compelling evidence that exotic cats possess the remarkable ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar human voices......»»
Desert ants: Earth"s magnetic field calibrates their navigation system
They are only a few centimeters tall and their brains have a comparatively simple structure with less than 1 million neurons. Nevertheless, desert ants of the Cataglyphis genus possess abilities that distinguish them from many other creatures: The an.....»»
Bizarre snake-like worm"s secrets revealed in CT scans
Amphisbaenians are strange creatures. Like worms with vertebrae, scales, a large central tooth and sometimes small forearms, these reptiles live underground, burrowing tunnels and preying on just about anything they encounter, not unlike a miniature.....»»
Chinese astronomers find radio pulsar in a supernova remnant
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), astronomers from the Nanjing University in China and elsewhere, have detected a radio pulsar in a supernova remnant known as CTB 87. The finding is reported in a paper published.....»»
The best Far Cry games, ranked
The Far Cry series excels in placing you in exotic locations with compelling villains, but which are the best? We have ranked every Far Cry game to find out......»»
Chile"s biggest botanical garden like "smoker"s lung" after wildfire
Once a lush oasis bursting with native and exotic plants, Chile's biggest botanical garden has been left grayed and charred after a wildfire blazed through last week, also killing a nursery manager and members of her family......»»
Scientists discover that clownfish count stripes to distinguish friend from foe
Anemonefish (also known as clownfish) are feisty little creatures, enthusiastically defending their anemone homes from intruders. And while it is sometimes fine to share with anemonefish of other species, it is never cool to cohabit with intruders of.....»»