In the depths of the Grand Canyon, scientists were trying to give native fish a better chance of survival, by taking other fish out of the Colorado River. A four-year fish-removal experiment conducted between 2003 and 2006 dramatically changed the composition of fish being caught in one section of the river. According to a 2011…
Seven Indigenous Siekopai women in Ecuador’s Amazon are using ancestral knowledge, modern technology and community-led conservation to give vulnerable river turtles a better chance of survival. Known as the Tari Nomiowa’i, or “Turtle Women”, the group patrols the banks of the Aguarico River in search of charapa turtle nests, carefully collects eggs threatened by flooding,…
India’s digital payment journey has evolved from passwords, PINs and OTPs to fingerprints and facial authentication, making transactions faster and more seamless. Now, with AI, the next step could be completely hands-free payments, where systems recognise users, assess transactions and authenticate payments almost invisibly.The country may allow AI agents to make small UPI payments without…
A fungus infecting goldenrod soldier beetles can alter their behaviour before death and cause changes to their bodies afterwards. Researchers investigating Eryniopsis lampyridarum found infected Chauliognathus pensylvanicus beetles clamped their mandibles tightly onto flower heads shortly before dying. Between 15 and 22 hours after death, the fungus caused the beetles to raise their hardened forewings…
A crab shell left behind after a meal might seem destined for the bin, but scientists have found a very different use for it. Engineers at the University of Maryland have turned material derived from discarded crustacean shells into part of a zinc battery, using chitosan to make its electrolyte. The unusual ingredient is tied…
A new species of fungus capable of manipulating spiders before killing them has been formally identified in caves and disused buildings across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales, marking one of the first confirmed cases of such behavioural control found in a temperate climate. Named Gibellula attenboroughii in honour of the broadcaster Sir…
Representative Image (AI-generated) California’s water problem is often framed around the need for more storage, new infrastructure and expensive construction. But a new study suggests that part of the answer may already be sitting behind the state’s existing dams. By using better weather and water forecasts to decide when reservoirs should release or retain water,…
For a developing frog embryo, gravity is more than the force that keeps it on the ground. It can provide a reference for how the egg is oriented as development begins, helping establish the direction in which the embryo will form. Nasa wanted to find out what would happen if that reference disappeared. During a…
The habitat concept emerged from research undertaken during the Indian leg of Shukla’s astronaut training in Bengaluru NEW DELHI: Indian astronaut and ISS-returned Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has shared details of his academic research project exploring how future Indian astronauts could live on Moon, Mars and other extraterrestrial destinations, proposing a concept called Bharatiya Habitable…
Human blood was used in an attempt to revive exsanguinated dogs. Image Credit: National Library of Medicine In 1816, a young doctor from Barbados carried out blood transfusion experiments that challenged a dangerous medical assumption and helped point the field towards a safer future. ‘John Henry Leacock’ used dogs and cats to investigate whether blood…
