Biology

This Worm Can Make Itself Virtually Invisible

This parasitic flatworm is very difficult to detect, owing to a unique camouflage mechanism that’s reminiscent of what the alien does to its prey in The Thing. According to a new study published by researchers at the University of Southampton, the worm camouflages itself with the undigested remains of its prey. Because its prey are…

io9 Mark Strauss

Why Are So Many Bee Colonies Dying Off In Europe?

We know that honeybee dieoffs have been a problem in America, but what about their European cousins? A new report takes the first comprehensive look at just what is happening to the bee colonies in Europe — and the news is very bad indeed. A report from the European Union’s Reference Laboratory put together an…

io9 Ria Misra

What Happens to Bacteria in Space?

In the otherwise barren space 220 miles above Earth’s surface, a capsule of life-sustaining oxygen and water orbits at 17,000 miles per hour. You might know this capsule as the International Space Station (ISS), currently home to six humans—and untold billions of bacteria. Microbes have always followed us to the frontiers, but it’s only now…

Space & Spaceflight Sarah Zhang

This Amoeba Eats Human Intestines, Cell by Cell

It might look positively adorable in this image, but don’t be fooled: this pathogen, known as Entamoeba histolytica, eats human intestines alive, cell by cell. The amoeba—about the tenth of a size of a dust mite—infects 50 million people worldwide and kills as many as 100,000 each year. But new research has revealed why it’s…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

What Will Bioengineered Plants Be Like In The Future?

As we head deeper into the GMO era, it’s fair to wonder just how far we can manipulate the biology of plants. Here are a few possibilities — from spore-spewing super-plants to delicious hamburgatoes. An exponential change perspective, well-known among futures enthusiasts, was applied to time itself by Freeman Dyson in 1997. He taxonomized the…

io9 Daniel Berleant — KurzweilAI

Using Camera Traps To Teach Nicaraguan Kids About Big Cat Conservation

Camera traps are just the coolest. In Nicaragua, scientist Miguel Ordeñana uses them to study carnivores, like jaguars and ocelots. And now the organization that he works with, Paso Pacifico, is teaching local kids to use them as well. Camera traps are rapidly becoming an indispensable part of the field biologist’s toolkit. For one thing,…

Biology Jason G. Goldman

Nanoparticles in Consumer Products Could Be Damaging Your DNA

Masses of products—from cosmetics to clothing—now contain nanoparticles, to kill microbes, lengthen shelf life or provide other wonderful properties. But new research from MIT and Harvard suggests they could also be damaging your DNA. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology have found that that both silver and zinc…

Health Jamie Condliffe

You’ll Never Look At Pond Water The Same Way After Watching This Video

Hidden in pond water is a secret world teeming with swimming, crawling, and bioluminescent life. Daniel Stoupin’s stunning video reveals the incredible diversity of life in a pond. Stoupin has created a number of breathtaking nature videos (most recently his timelapse of ocean coral), and The hidden life in pond water is no exception. He…

io9 Lauren Davis

First Ever Lab-Grown Muscle That Can Heal Itself in Living Creatures

Anyone who’s ever torn a muscle will be grateful for that fact that the fibers can repair themselves. But now, researchers have developed lab-grown muscle that can achieve the exact same thing. Researchers from Duke have finally developed artificial muscle that contracts powerfully and rapidly, integrates into mice quickly—and can even heal itself, both in…

Health Jamie Condliffe

4 Ways Tiny Microbes Changed Life on Earth Forever

This is the microbes’ world—we just live in it. Throughout the history of Earth, microbes have radically reshaped life on the planet, from creating the very air we breath to wiping out almost all life on Earth. Don’t underestimate the power of tiny, tiny microbes populating the Earth trillions of times over. Here are some…

Climate Change Sarah Zhang

Somebody Built a Kangaroo Robot Because Why the Hell Not?

That somebody is German engineering firm Festo. The company, which has a history of turning to nature for inspiration, is also responsible for this mechanical seagull and these claw-tipped Doc Ock arms (which were modeled after an elephant’s trunk). IEEE Spectrum has the details on the roo-bot’s technical specs, which actually sound pretty cool: BionicKangaroo…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

See The Most Detailed Images Ever Taken Of A Crocodile’s Insides

Ever wanted to see inside the body of a crocodile in the highest of resolutions? Now you can, thanks to Ohio University Professor of Anatomy and Paleontology Larry Witmer. To understand dinosaur anatomy, he’s turned to birds and crocodilians, their closest living relatives. The thing about fossils is that there’s so much of the animal…

Biology Jason G. Goldman

Stem Cell Researchers Just Figured Out How to Create New Embryos

A team of researchers from the University of Virginia just made scientific history: They figured out how to turn stem cells into full blown fish embryos. In other words, scientists can now control embryonic development, a key to being able to grow organs and even entire organism from stem cells. “We have generated an animal…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes

How To Know Where Cutting Down Trees Will Do The Least Damage

In the future, we may be able to farm trees in a much more sustainable way — by paying attention to the microbes that grow in forests. A new study reveals which forests can be farmed without the risk of releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A group of Yale researchers wanted to know…

io9 Mark Strauss

During a Transplant Does the Donor’s DNA Integrate Into the Host?

Depending on the type of donation, the DNA stays for a short time, a long while—or maybe even forever. Chimerism and Microchimerism Scientists have known for years that a single organism can have cells that are genetically distinct. Sometimes, this occurs because two sets of fertilized eggs fuse into a single organism that retains both…

Health Melissa - TodayIFoundOut.com

What Happens To Wildlife After A Tsunami?

After a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Chile yesterday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. While it’s still too early to know how the wildlife along that stretch of Pacific coastline fared – let alone how our own species fared – we can look to previous tsunamis…

Biology Jason G. Goldman

We Finally Know Why Zebras Have Stripes

Why does the zebra have stripes? It’s not a riddle — scientists say they’ve actually found an answer. And no, it’s not camouflage for hiding under a slatted roof. The stripes actually serve as an insect repellent. The study, published today in Nature Communications by a group from the University of California Davis led by…

io9 Ria Misra

This Is Why You Feel Pain

When you’re in severe pain, it swallows up your entire world. But the neurological process of feeling pain comes down to just a few neurochemical pathways. Now, scientists are unraveling the mystery of the chemistry underlying our “pain sensor,” and one day this could ease our suffering. Over on Quanta, Emily Singer has a terrific…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Japan Ordered To Stop Killing Antarctic Whales For “Science”

Japan has been ordered by the UN’s International Court to stop whaling in the Antarctic after a four-year-long battle over whether the whales were dying for science or for — emphasis on the quotation marks —”science”. Much of the court’s decision turned on the issue of whether or not the whaling was really being undertaken…

io9 Ria Misra

Anthropomorphic Animals Make It Harder To Learn Science

“Yum, these grass and plants are delicious!” Mother cavy thinks as she eats her breakfast. “I will feed some to my baby cavies too!” she says. The baby cavies love to play in the grass! But they’ve gotten all dirty! “Time for your bath,” Mother cavy says. Mother cavy and her babies like to spend…

Biology Jason G. Goldman

This Worm Can Make Itself Virtually Invisible

Why Are So Many Bee Colonies Dying Off In Europe?

What Happens to Bacteria in Space?

This Amoeba Eats Human Intestines, Cell by Cell

What Will Bioengineered Plants Be Like In The Future?

Using Camera Traps To Teach Nicaraguan Kids About Big Cat Conservation

Nanoparticles in Consumer Products Could Be Damaging Your DNA

You’ll Never Look At Pond Water The Same Way After Watching This Video

First Ever Lab-Grown Muscle That Can Heal Itself in Living Creatures

4 Ways Tiny Microbes Changed Life on Earth Forever

Somebody Built a Kangaroo Robot Because Why the Hell Not?

See The Most Detailed Images Ever Taken Of A Crocodile’s Insides

Stem Cell Researchers Just Figured Out How to Create New Embryos

How To Know Where Cutting Down Trees Will Do The Least Damage

During a Transplant Does the Donor’s DNA Integrate Into the Host?

What Happens To Wildlife After A Tsunami?

We Finally Know Why Zebras Have Stripes

This Is Why You Feel Pain

Japan Ordered To Stop Killing Antarctic Whales For “Science”

Anthropomorphic Animals Make It Harder To Learn Science

Iran Threatens to Attack U.S. Tech Companies Starting April 1

Amazon Clears Out Netflix-Licensed Nebula Capsule 3 Mini Projector at 32% Off, Dolby Audio Home Theater for Less

Anker 160W Laptop Charger Briefly Returns to Black Friday Pricing in a Last-Minute Amazon Spring Sale Deal

The New ‘Backrooms’ Trailer Is Packed Full of Endless Dread

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo Falls Under $25, a Budget Bundle Deal in the Final Hours of Spring Sale

Liquids Crack With an Audible Snap, Study Finds

Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Is a Late Spring Sale Deal at a Record Low on Amazon

The New ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Is Filled With Krypto, Lobo, and ’60s Soul

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

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