Study finds parrots use their heads as a 'third limb'

No vertebrate (fish, mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian) has ever had an odd number of limbs. Despite this "forbidden phenotype," some animals seem to use other body parts as a third or fifth "limb" to move from one place ...

Image: Hubble views an infant star's outburst

An energetic outburst from an infant star streaks across this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This stellar tantrum—produced by an extremely young star in the earliest phase of formation—consists of an ...

The risks of low-speed impacts with liquids

When a solid object hits a liquid, the impact produces shock waves: a process that has long occupied engineers due to its implications for design of hydraulic systems or motors. KAUST researchers now show that impacts at ...

Illuminating a biological light switch

Using an innovative new imaging technique, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have revealed the inner workings of a family of light-sensing molecules in unprecedented detail and speed. The work could inform new strategies ...

How a floating fern withstands rain

The tropical floating fern Salvinia molesta has developed sophisticated structures to allow water to roll off its leaves quickly—even during heavy rainfall. This relieves the pressure on the leaves floating on the water ...

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