Offshore wind farms: policymakers are more influenced by reports that accentuate negative impacts – new study

A new study highlights how different literature portrays the pros and cons of offshore wind. Comprehensive assessment frameworks could create more consistency in the future.

Claire Szostek, Marine Ecologist, Plymouth Marine Laboratory • conversation
Feb. 22, 2024 ~7 min

Gut bacteria may explain why grey squirrels outcompete reds – new research

New research suggests the gut bacteria of red and grey squirrels differ significantly, potentially explaining the decline of the native red and the success of its grey counterpart.

Craig Shuttleworth, Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, Bangor University • conversation
Feb. 21, 2024 ~6 min


Wildlife selfies harm animals − even when scientists share images with warnings in the captions

The caption may say that only scientists and trained professionals should handle wild animals, but viewers remember the image, not the words.

Andrea l. DiGiorgio, Lecturer and Post Doctoral Researcher in Biological Anthropology, Princeton University • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 ~9 min

We’ve found out how earless moths use sound to defend themselves against bats – and it could give engineers new ideas

The ermine moth’s wing structures are fascinating because they rely on a mechanism we teach our engineering students to avoid

Rainer Groh, Senior Lecturer in Digital Engineering of Structures, University of Bristol • conversation
Feb. 6, 2024 ~8 min

How bats ‘leapfrog’ their way home at night - new research

Maths plays a crucial role in new research which finds that bats “leapfrog” their way home at night.

Fiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of Sussex • conversation
Feb. 5, 2024 ~7 min

Why monkeys attack people - a primate expert explains

Tourists can do a number of things to avoid dangerous encounters with monkeys.

Tracie McKinney, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology, University of South Wales • conversation
Jan. 31, 2024 ~6 min

Otters, beavers and other semiaquatic mammals keep clean underwater, thanks to their flexible fur

The bottoms of boats and docks can accumulate lots of dirt, but semiaquatic animals like otters avoid having ‘fouled’ fur. Their secret could one day help keep underwater infrastructure clean.

Andrew Dickerson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee • conversation
Jan. 11, 2024 ~4 min

The chickadee in the snowbank: A 'canary in the coal mine' for climate change in the Sierra Nevada mountains

These tiny songbirds have extraordinary memories for the tens of thousands of spots where they hide food. But that doesn’t help when heavy snow blocks their access.

Benjamin Sonnenberg, Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno • conversation
Jan. 4, 2024 ~10 min


Spiders really may be more scared of you than you are of them

An expert on why spiders are misunderstood and their fascinating survival strategies.

Sara Goodacre, Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Genetics, University of Nottingham • conversation
Jan. 4, 2024 ~8 min

What makes a good bird name?

North American ornithologists are seeking to replace all bird species named after people - but what should they be called instead?

Andrew Gosler, Professor of Ethno-ornithology, University of Oxford • conversation
Jan. 3, 2024 ~7 min

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