Ecologists have long known that standing dead trees, commonly referred to as snags, are an important habitat element for forest dwellers and act as a driver of biodiversity. They’re so important that in some managed forests, snag creation is part of the conservation tool kit — i.e., crews sometimes convert a percentage of live trees …
Fossils of kelp along the Pacific Coast are rare. Until now, the oldest fossil dated from 14 million years ago, leading to the view that today’s denizens of the kelp forest — marine mammals, urchins, sea birds — coevolved with kelp. A recent amateur discovery pushes back the origin of kelp to 32 million years …
Pacific kelp forests are far older that we thought Read More »
Scientists recently revealed the latest National Seismic Hazard Model, showing that nearly 75% of the United States could experience a damaging earthquake, emphasizing seismic hazards span a significant part of the country. Scientists recently revealed the latest National Seismic Hazard Model, showing that nearly 75% of the United States could experience a damaging earthquake, emphasizing …
New map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in US Read More »
A mouse study designed to shed light on memory loss in people who experience repeated head impacts, such as athletes, suggests the condition could potentially be reversed. The research in mice finds that amnesia and poor memory following head injury is due to inadequate reactivation of neurons involved in forming memories. A mouse study designed …
Amnesia caused by head injury reversed in early mouse study Read More »
Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) didn’t last long after it landed on the surface of the moon, but it released two rovers – one that hops and one that rolls – that took images on the lunar surface Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) didn’t last long after it landed on the …
Japan’s rolling and hopping lunar rovers send back images of the moon Read More »
Observations of the microquasar SS 433 provide clues to how these small black holes accelerate electrons to produce high-energy jets Observations of the microquasar SS 433 provide clues to how these small black holes accelerate electrons to produce high-energy jets Observations of the microquasar SS 433 provide clues to how these small black holes accelerate electrons …
Mysterious black hole jets may be the source of powerful cosmic rays Read More »
Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s most powerful AI models Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s most powerful AI models Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s …
Silicon Valley’s top AI models are terrible at rebus wordplay puzzles Read More »
Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s most powerful AI models Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s most powerful AI models Rebus puzzles provide wordplay challenges involving both images and text, and they can confound Silicon Valley’s …
Silicon Valley’s top AI models are terrible at rebus wordplay puzzles Read More »
Antechinus males only live for one breeding season, so they give up 3 hours of sleep a night during this short period before dying of exhaustion Antechinus males only live for one breeding season, so they give up 3 hours of sleep a night during this short period before dying of exhaustion Antechinus males only live …
Tiny marsupials sacrifice sleep for sex during the breeding season Read More »
Experiments with a robotic dinosaur suggest feathers may have evolved to startle prey into fleeing from hiding places, a strategy used by some modern birds Experiments with a robotic dinosaur suggest feathers may have evolved to startle prey into fleeing from hiding places, a strategy used by some modern birds Experiments with a robotic dinosaur suggest …
Robot dinosaur tests surprising theory about the evolution of feathers Read More »