Using Scent Maps, Seabirds Navigate the Ocean
After foraging out in the open ocean, seabirds like albatrosses and shearwaters are able to find the way back to their colonies with astounding accuracy. Exactly how do they pinpoint their tiny,...
Paris science forum plots climate future
“We need to turn around the tide of rising emissions within the next few years, by the latest 2020, so that we actually stay below 2 degrees Celsius [3.6 degrees Fahrenheit] of global...
Cushion plants harbour tiny mountain worlds inside
They look like comfy cushions from the outside, but inside they contain mini-ecosystems, sheltered from the harsh mountain environment around them. One of the best ways for mountain plants to...
Smoking ‘may play schizophrenia role’
Smoking could play a direct role in the development of schizophrenia and needs to be investigated, researchers say. The team at King’s College London say smokers are more likely to develop the...
Climate vice squeezes bumblebee habitat from north and south
Bumblebee habitat in North America and Europe is rapidly being lost. What’s more, the cool-loving insects are succumbing to rising temperatures in the south without shifting north. The fear is...
Deafness could be treated by virus, say scientists
Scientists say they have taken a significant step towards treating some forms of deafness after restoring hearing in animals. Defects in a baby’s DNA are behind roughly half of cases of...
New Horizons: Pluto map shows ‘whale’ of a feature
It unwraps the visible parts of the sphere on to a flat projection, giving another view of the features that have started to emerge in recent days. Evident are the light and dark patches at the...
Climate change hits one in six world heritage nature sites
THE climate is no respecter of beauty. Almost one in six of the UNESCO world heritage sites listed for their natural value are already being battered by the changing climate. This threatens their...
