WEIRD NATURE

Flowers Are Changing Color in Response to Climate Change

As temperatures and ozone levels rise, blossoms are adjusting their UV pigmentation. Pollinators perceive the higher levels of UV-absorbing pigments as a darker hue, which could be confusing when they try to scope out colorful flowers to land on. (Image by PublicDomainPictures from …

Existing drug may help save snakebite victims

By Ben Coxworth 2020 May 07 – Echis carinatus, found mainly in India, is a member of the highly-venomous saw-scaled viper genus.  Dr. Raju Kasambe/C.C. 4.0. – When someone gets bitten by a venomous snake, it’s crucial to administer an antivenom as soon as …

MIT’s new microneedle patch is made just for plants

By Ben Coxworth 2020 Apr 27 – The microneedle patch (red) has been successfully trialed on plants such as tomatoes.  MIT. – When it comes to safer, less painful, slow-release alternatives to the hypodermic injection of medications, “microneedle patches” show a lot of promise. …

How weeds help fight climate change

Most people see weeds as a problem. But one farmer has found they can help make dry, damaged land lush again – not to mention absorb carbon from the atmosphere. By Georgina Kenyon – More than 60 years ago, when he was a …