The bright lights of big cities are wonders of the modern world; intended to help us work, stay safe and enjoy the world around us long after the sun has set. While artificial light has been great for increasing human productivity, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 13, 2023
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24
When it comes to a quick draw, few creatures outgun adult snapping shrimp (Alpheus heterochaelis). They stun passing fish and foes with a simple click of a spring-loaded claw, which squirts a high-speed jet that rips through ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 28, 2023
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174
Malaria is a devastating disease, with 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported in 2021 alone. Malaria causes fever and a flu-like illness that occurs when people are infected with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 30, 2023
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32
At some point in our evolution, humans gave up walking on four limbs, yet all of our ape cousins continue sauntering on four, resorting occasionally to two. Peter Aerts from the University of Antwerp, Belgium, is curious ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 19, 2023
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22
From the common cold to COVID-19, viruses have a massive impact on our day-to-day lives, but infections that occurred millions of years ago have shaped our evolution. This is because viral genes have been incorporated into ...
Evolution
Sep 27, 2022
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217
Bustling with exciting urban opportunities, cities are attractive not only to human residents. Many creatures happily share human settlements, feasting on easy pickings. But what makes some creatures better suited for life ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2022
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426
Most ants dexterously grasp and snip their food with a pair of chopstick-like mandibles. But trap-jaw ants are also capable of crashing their jaws together at blisteringly fast speeds, striking victims in 0.77 μs. Yet, unleashing ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2022
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71
Any animal ascending a mountain experiences a double whammy of impediments: The air gets thinner as it also becomes colder, which is particularly problematic for creatures struggling to keep warm when less oxygen is available. ...
Plants & Animals
May 27, 2022
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225
The later stages of pregnancy can make life difficult as the fetus presses against the diaphragm, making it hard to breathe. But snakes that constrict their victims before swallowing them whole have to overcome the challenges ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 25, 2022
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100
Few human adults gallop; the equine gait tends to be the preserve of little kids mimicking horses or exercise classes. But for camels, lions and giraffes, galloping is a key fixture of their repertoire as they shift up through ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 8, 2022
0
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