When faced with pathogenic fungi, bees line their hives with more propolis – the waxy, yellow substance seen here.
Research from North Carolina State University shows that honey bees “self-medicate” when their colony is infected with a harmful fungus, bringing in increased amounts of antifungal plant resins to ward off the pathogen…
Continue reading… “Bees ‘Self-Medicate’ when infected with some pathogens”
Denver Zoo’s poop-powered tuk-tuk.
One thing a zoo has plenty of is poop. And the Denver Zoo is no exception. They decided the best way to deal with it was to convert a little three-wheeled truck to use zoo poop as fuel. (Video)
Continue reading… “The Denver Zoo’s truck powered by poop”
Anticipation of blood-shed. How is there not a word in our language for that?.
Quote of the Day: “What a nice night for an evening.” – Steven Wright
Continue reading… “Top 10 Photos of the Week”
What are these strange creatures capable of?
Talk about a long scientific experiment*. Japanese researchers have bred an unusual line of fruit fly called “Dark-fly” which has been kept in constant darkness for 57 years (1,400 generations). They’ve sequenced the Dark-fly’s genome and are now figuring out the genomic alterations linked to adaptation to living in the dark.
Continue reading… “Dark-Fly: A Line of Fruit Fly Bred in the Dark for 57 Years (1,400 Generations)”
The Pinon pine could suffer from high levels of artificial noise.
Noise from cars, machines and other forms of human activity could affect the growth of wild flowers, trees and animals nearby, say scientists.
Continue reading… “Man-made noise disrupts plant growth”
Small deposit. Big return.
Elephants in captivity are becoming too inbred, so a German researcher has amassed a sperm bank of wild elephant semen for zoos to draw on. There’s just one small problem – sperm is not a commodity bull elephants give up lightly. Zoos across the world are facing a growing crisis – the dwindling gene pool of their elephants. In fact, one rather drained male called Jackson has sired many of the captive calves born in the United States in the last ten years. That’s why, every couple of years, Thomas Hildebrandt of Berlin’s Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) takes to the South African skies in a helicopter over the savannah, searching for bulls. Once a potentially fertile specimen has been identified, the helicopter swoops down and Hildebrandt fires a narcotic dart to stun the animal.
There then follows a simple five-minute procedure, known as electro-ejaculation…
Continue reading… “Scientist seeks deposits for elephant sperm bank”
It was all fun and games until he had to start eating giant regurgitated worms.
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Quote of the Day: “I’m a heroine addict. I need to have sex with women who have saved someone’s life. Hmmm, I’m gonna fix that last joke by taking out all the words and adding new ones.” – – Mitch Hedberg
Continue reading… “Top 10 Photos of the Week”
The genetically modified fish were originally bred to help detect environmental pollutants.
The latest must try food craze to hit America is sushi that glows in the dark. The sushi was inspired by genetically modified fish first bred for scientific research, a video showing how to make the glowing sushi has become a huge hit online. (Pics and video)
Continue reading… “Glow in the dark sushi the latest food craze to hit America”
Are genetically engineered mosquitoes the best way to go?
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, just held a meeting about potential trials involving the release of genetically modified male mosquitoes into the delicate ecosystem of the Florida Keys. The stated purpose of the trials is to investigate controlling the spread of dengue fever.
The company behind the technology, British firm Oxitec, explains that sterile males would be released to compete with wild males for female insects, which would then have no offspring and reduce the population of the next generation…
Linus the Long Haired Wonder Horse put on quite a show!
Have you ever seen a horse with such a luxurious mane? Linus the Wonder Horse was born in 1884, the result of careful breeding for long hair. Linus was exhibited with a circus act, with promotional materials declaring he was of the “Oregon Long-Haired Wild Wonder horse” breed. His mane was 14 feet long, and his tail 12 feet long!
Continue reading… “Linus the long haired wonder horse”
New species of frog in the jungle — New York’s concrete jungle.
Biologists are amazed at having uncovered a new species of frog in the jungle — New York‘s concrete jungle.
Continue reading… “New frog species discovered in NYC”
Mass suicide in the phone industry. If only they had a way to call for help!
Quote of the Day: “A recent police study found that you’re much more likely to get shot by a fat cop if you run.” – Dennis Miller
Continue reading… “Top 10 Photos of the Week”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.