WEIRD NATURE
Yes, it’s a real word. Here’s the science (and etymology) behind it. In hot weather, squirrels have been known to sprawl flat on the ground in a position known as a ‘sploot’. Photograph: Eric Kayne/Getty Images – Matthew Cantor @CantorMatthew Last modified on …
New research estimates that the Arctic may be warming four times faster than the rest of the world. Netta Arobas/Shutterstock – By Jonathan Bamber, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Bristol Published: 2022 Aug 11 – The Earth is approximately 1.1℃ warmer …
A coyote on a golf course in Scottsdale, Ariz., 2011 Jun 19. Dru Bloomfield/Flickr, CCBY – By David Drake, Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and Extension Wildlife Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Bret Shaw, Associate Professor of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison …
The James Webb Space Telescope has produced a stunning new view of what’s known as the Cartwheel Galaxy. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. – By Nick Lavars 2022 Aug 02 – It didn’t take long for the images from the James Webb Space Telescope to …
Blistering heatwaves are just the start. We must accept how bad things are before we can head off global catastrophe, according to a leading UK scientist. Record high temperatures and extreme weather events are being recorded around the world. Photograph: Ian Logan/Getty Images– …
A new set of chemical reactions could help explain the origins of life on Earth. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2022 Jul 29 – Exactly how non-living molecules sparked into life is one of the most puzzling mysteries of science. Now scientists at Scripps …
VFTS 243 is a binary system of a large, hot blue star and a black hole orbiting each other, as seen in this animation. ESO/L.Calçada, CC BY – By Idan Ginsburg, Academic Faculty in Physics & Astronomy, Georgia State University Published: 2022 Jul …
Plastic in the depths: Scientists spent decades on the trail of a mystery toxin killing salmon en masse. A recent breakthrough revealed the culprit. Tyre wear particles are considered by environmental scientists to be one of the most significant sources of microplastics in …
The pictures from 2000, 2021 and 2022 offer a new view into its dramatically low water levels, now at just 27% capacity. Lake Mead supplies water to nearly 25 million people across the American west. Photograph: NASA – Gabrielle Canon @GabrielleCanon Last modified …
The universe could end in a myriad of ways. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2022 Jul 22 – Everything has to end eventually – but does that include the universe itself? And if so, how? And when? It might be hard to imagine a …