Some bacteria are suffocating sea stars, turning the animals to goo
The mysterious culprit behind a deadly sea star disease is not an infection, as scientists once thought. Instead, multiple types of bacteria living within millimeters of sea stars’ skin deplete oxygen from the water and effectively suffocate the animals, researchers report January 6 in Frontiers in Microbiology. Such microbes thrive when there are high levels […]
Cities can help migrating birds on their way by planting more trees and turning lights off at night
Tennessee Warblers (Leiothlypis peregrina) breed in northern Canada and spend winters in Central and South America. Credit: Kyle Horton, CC BY-ND Millions of birds travel between their breeding and wintering grounds during spring and autumn migration, creating one of the greatest spectacles of the natural world. These journeys often span incredible distances. For example, the […]
These snakes wiggle up smooth poles by turning their bodies into “lassoes”
Biologists discovered a previously unknown form of movement that the brown tree snakes use to climb wide objects, like poles. (Bruce Jayne/) When the brown tree snake is determined to climb something, it’s pretty hard to stop it. For decades, the invasive reptiles have slithered up trees to feast upon the forest birds of Guam. […]
Turning the heat down: Catalyzing ammonia formation at lower temperatures with ruthenium
IMAGE: The metal ruthenium, supported with lanthanide oxyhydrides, can efficiently catalyze the synthesis of ammonia at a much lower temperature than the traditional approach. view more Credit: Tokyo Tech Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth. While about 80% of earth is nitrogen, it is mostly contained in the atmosphere as gas, and hence, inaccessible […]
Turning a coronavirus protein into a nanoparticle could be key for COVID-19 vaccine
IMAGE: A close-up view of the RBD particle vaccine (green). view more Credit: Facility for Electron Microscopy Research (FEMR) at McGill University. BUFFALO, N.Y. – A University at Buffalo-led research team has discovered a technique that could help increase the effectiveness of vaccines against the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, […]
Pus caterpillars with stings like a ‘scorching hot knife’ are turning up all over Virginia
A bizarre little insect that looks like a walking toupée and squirts venomous pus from knifelike spines is terrorizing Virginia this year, according to the state’s Department of Forestry (VDoF). The venomous pus caterpillar is the larval form of the southern flannel moth (Megalopyge opercularis), and if you see one you should stay away from it. […]
Turning space images into music makes astronomy more accessible
Put into music, telescope observations of the center of the Milky Way create a tranquil tune, glittering with xylophone and piano notes. The iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, meanwhile, sound like an eerie sci-fi score. And the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A is a sweeping symphony. These musical renditions, or sonifications, were released […]
Black hole caught turning a poor star into spaghetti
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 4:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 13 to reflect that the black hole is 214 million light years from Earth, not 214 light years. A black hole in a galaxy not far from Earth gobbled up a star like it was a big, exploding noodle, and astronomers got a front-row […]
