Environment
Peregrine attack strategies could take down rogue drones
Members of the Oxford Department of Zoology have tracked peregrine falcons in the field as they attacked dummy prey – and discovered that they use the same control strategies to catch them as modern projectile weapons. This suggests a new way to tackle the problem of rogue drones. Principle investigator Professor Graham Taylor said “Falcons…
Humidity Aspect Set to Worsen the Effects of Climate Change
It is understood that climate change will lead to increased humidity, but why should we care? The reason is that heat stress, which is set to become a prominent and pressing issue as global temperatures rise, is compounded by humidity. Materials provided by The Earth Institute at Columbia University explain that it is more difficult…
Mussels Inspire Self-Healing Plastics
They’re strong, flexible and tough – mussels have proved they’ve got muscle. Recently they’ve inspired researchers to create a new plastic which could potentially heal itself. Plastics are made of polymers – long, repetitive chains of atoms which can stretch and then relax back to their original shape. Designing a polymer is a trade-off between…
Drink like a fish
Goldfish are popular thanks to, amongst other attractions, being one of the most low maintenance pets available. Less well known, however, is their astounding resilience. For years, researchers have puzzled over how some types of goldfish manage to survive for months in ice-covered lakes and ponds – most vertebrate species would die from the lack…
8.3 billion tonnes and counting: our plastic obsession revealed
Let’s play a little game. Look around you and take note of how much plastic you can see. Is there a water bottle on the side? Perhaps there’s some food packaging littering your floor. Maybe even a polypocket with some dubious notes from a hungover tutorial. Now guess how much of that stuff there is…
Approval of GM maize that kills rootworm larvae using RNAi
A new pesticide which halts gene expression in one of North America’s most damaging pests is the first of its kind to be approved by the EPA. Final regulatory approval has been granted to a genetically modified corn known as SmartStaxPro in North America. SmartStaxPro has been engineered to produce DvSnf7, a pesticide that kills…
Sunflower slants
It has long been known that plants grow directionally, curving and following sunlight to maximise rates of photosynthesis: twelve year olds across the country have demonstrated this in classroom experiments. Now, however, it seems that some plants might not just follow sunlight individually, but whole groups seem to organise into patterns of bending. Scientists in…