Blink and you’ll miss these plants shooting their seeds
From Duke University 24/08/23 If you happened upon a witch hazel plant in the forest, you might describe it as a sweet-smelling shrub with crinkly ribbon-like petals. But to Duke University graduate student Justin Jorge, it’s a howitzer. That’s because of the impressive firepower of its fruits. When witch hazels are ready to disperse their […]
Sabertooth tigers: Roars or purrs? The answer lies in bones
From North Carolina State University 22/08/23 When a sabertooth tiger called out, what noise did it make – a mighty roar or a throaty purr? A new study from North Carolina State University examined the data behind the arguments for each vocalization and found that the answer was more nuanced than they thought – and […]
Bees and wasps independently invent the same architectural tricks
From AUBURN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS 28/07/23 At first glance, the hexagonal cells build by honey bees and social wasps may seem similar, but they are significantly different. Honey bees build using wax, whereas wasps use paper. Honey bees build their double-sided combs vertically, whereas wasps build single-sided comb horizontally (i.e., the opening […]