Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Goats can tell if you are happy or angry by your voice alone      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Goats can tell the difference between a happy-sounding human voice and an angry-sounding one, according to researchers. A new study reveals that goats may have developed a sensitivity to our vocal cues over their long association with humans.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Poultry scientists develop 3D anatomy technique to learn more about chicken vision      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Poultry scientists are unraveling the complexities of bird brains and finding less expensive ways to do it. The scientists mapped the intricate neurological pathways that control vision in chickens with detailed 3D models of the connections between the eyes and four regions of the brain.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Staggering structure in 19 nearby spiral galaxies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The James Webb Space Telescope observed 19 nearby face-on spiral galaxies in near- and mid-infrared light as part of its contributions to the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) program.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Researchers spying for signs of life among exoplanet atmospheres      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The next generation of advanced telescopes could sharpen the hunt for potential extraterrestrial life by closely scrutinizing the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets, new research suggests.

Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Back from the dead: Tropical tree fern repurposes its dead leaves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plant biologists report that a species of tree fern found only in Panama reanimates its own dead leaf fronds, converting them into root structures that feed the mother plant. The fern, Cyathea rojasiana, reconfigures these 'zombie leaves,' reversing the flow of water to draw nutrients back into the plant.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Astronomers spot 18 black holes gobbling up nearby stars      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have identified 18 new tidal disruption events (TDEs) -- extreme instances when a nearby star is tidally drawn into a black hole and ripped to shreds. The detections more than double the number of known TDEs in the nearby universe.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

First-ever sighting of a live newborn great white      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Great whites, the largest predatory sharks in the world with the most fatal attacks on humans, are tough to imagine as newborn babies. That is partially because no one has seen one in the wild, it seems, until now.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

Astronomers unravel mysteries of planet formation and evolution in distant planetary system      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

TOI-1136, a dwarf star located more than 270 light years from Earth, is host to six confirmed exoplanets and a seventh as yet unconfirmed candidate. The system has provided a rich source of information on planet formation and evolution in a young solar system. Researchers used a variety of tools to compile radial velocity and transit timing variation readings to derive highly precise measurements of the exoplants' masses, orbital information and atmospheres.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Stars travel more slowly at Milky Way's edge      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists discovered stars near the edge of the Milky Way travel more slowly than those closer to its center -- a surprise suggesting our galaxy's gravitational core may have less dark matter than previously thought.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

'Old smokers' and 'squalling newborns' among hidden stars spotted for first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

'Hidden' stars including a new type of elderly giant nicknamed an 'old smoker' have been spotted for the first time by astronomers. The mystery objects exist at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy and can sit quietly for decades -- fading almost to invisibility -- before suddenly puffing out clouds of smoke, according to a new study.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Faint features in galaxy NGC 5728 revealed      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study describes the best method to improve images obtained by the James Webb Science Telescope (JWST) using a mathematical approach called deconvolution.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Cellular scaffolding rewired to make microscopic railways      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers were able to control the growth of thin, branching networks that support cellular structure and help cells function. The networks, called microtubules, can exert force and precisely transport chemicals at a subcellular level.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

These male marsupials give up sleep for sex      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

All animals need sleep. When humans or animals don't get enough, it can lead to trouble paying attention, irritability, and other ill effects. In a new study, researchers have made the surprising discovery that a small Australian marsupial called an antechinus will sacrifice hours of sleep per night to make more time for sex during the mating season.

Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Astrophysical jet caught in a 'speed trap'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The microquasar SS 433 stands out as one of the most intriguing objects within our Milky Way. A pair of oppositely directed beams of plasma ('jets') spirals away perpendicularly from the binary systems disk's surface at just over a quarter of the speed of light. The H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia has now succeeded in detecting very high energy gamma rays from the jets of SS 433, and identifying the exact location within the jets of one of the galaxy's most effective particle accelerators.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Tiny ant species disrupts lion's hunting behavior      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Data gathered through years of observation reveal an innocuous-seeming ant is disrupting an ecosystem in East Africa, illustrating the complex web of interactions among ants, trees, lions, zebras and buffaloes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

The underground network: Decoding the dynamics of plant-fungal symbiosis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The intricate dance of nature often unfolds in mysterious ways, hidden from the naked eye. At the heart of this enigmatic tango lies a vital partnership: the symbiosis between plants and a type of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. New groundbreaking research delves into this partnership, revealing key insights that deepen our understanding of plant-AM fungi interactions and could lead to advances in sustainable agriculture.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Facial recognition app for dogs developed to help in fight against rabies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new mobile phone-based facial recognition application for dogs has the potential to significantly improve rabies vaccination efforts in endemic areas like Africa and Asia, according to a new study. A team used the app to test its effectiveness at a rabies vaccination clinic in rural Tanzania where they microchipped, vaccinated and registered dogs. The technology proved remarkably accurate during a subsequent visit to surrounding villages once poor images and improperly recorded information were removed from its database. Using the app, operators identified 76.2% of vaccinated dogs and 98.9% of unvaccinated dogs.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Microbiology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils
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New pieces in the puzzle of first life on Earth      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Microorganisms were the first forms of life on our planet. The clues are written in 3.5 billion-year-old rocks by geochemical and morphological traces, such as chemical compounds or structures that these organisms left behind. However, it is still not clear when and where life originated on Earth and when a diversity of species developed in these early microbial communities. Evidence is scarce and often disputed. Now, researchers have uncovered key findings about the earliest forms of life. In rock samples from South Africa, they found evidence dating to around 3.42 billion years ago of an unprecedentedly diverse carbon cycle involving various microorganisms. This research shows that complex microbial communities already existed in the ecosystems during the Palaeoarchaean period.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

New video camera system captures the colored world that animals see, in motion      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new camera system allows ecologists and filmmakers to produce videos that accurately replicate the colors that different animals see in natural settings.