Prototaxites: life, but not as we know it

The Devonian period, between 420 and 360 million years ago, is usually known for its diverse ocean life. It’s sometimes even called ‘the Age of Fishes.’ Meanwhile, on land, something big was growing unlike any other life we know. Prototaxites looked like tree trunks, growing up to eight metres tall and one metre across. This … Continue reading Prototaxites: life, but not as we know it →

The secret colours of birds-of-paradise

Many birds are pretty, but birds-of-paradise take decoration to the extreme. The males in this New Guinean family of birds attract their mates using a wide range of colours, accessories and movements. While these displays might look impressive to us, they involve even more than meets the (human) eye. Scientists from the United States tested … Continue reading The secret colours of birds-of-paradise →

Hitchhiking worms leap for the sky

In my second-ever article I wrote about how spiders can use electric fields to fly. Now scientists have discovered that some worms also have this power, and their technique is much more dramatic. Scientists from Japan were studying a type of worm called Caenorhabditis elegans (see-no-rab-die-tus ell-luh-gans), and kept finding them hanging from the lids … Continue reading Hitchhiking worms leap for the sky →

The Ig Nobel prize round-up 2022

As we reach the end of yet another year, it’s time again to do my annual write-up of this year’s Ig Nobel Prizes. Once again, ten prizes have been given out for research that is funny, odd, or just a bit different. And with no further ado, the winners are: Applied Cardiology – Eliska Prochazkova, … Continue reading The Ig Nobel prize round-up 2022 →

Bees can’t fly over mirrors

Honeybees like to keep an eye on their surroundings as they fly around. While this generally helps them to navigate, it also means they get really confused by mirrors. In 1963, a pair of European scientists trained bees to fly across a lake. They noticed that if the lake’s surface was flat and smooth, the … Continue reading Bees can’t fly over mirrors →

Worms scare off prey with warning bites

Choosing what to eat can be tricky, but it’s a decision that even the simplest of animals have to deal with. Scientists recently experimented on a species of worm and saw it make complex food-based decisions. This is despite only having around 300 neurons in its brain, compared to humans’ 86 billion. Pristionchus pacificus and … Continue reading Worms scare off prey with warning bites →

Rhythm of the spider swarm

What’s scarier than a spider? Tens of thousands in one colony. Anelosimus eximius lives in South America, in webs that can cover entire trees. These massive clusters don’t just live together; they also hunt together, all moving in time to a bizarre stop-and-start rhythm. When prey gets caught in a spider’s web, it creates vibrations … Continue reading Rhythm of the spider swarm →

The secrets of old, old age

It’s the 28th century BC. Stonehenge is being built, Ancient Egypt is still new, and in California, a bristlecone pine tree has just started to grow. Fast-forward almost five thousand years, and that tree, nicknamed ‘Methuselah’, is still alive today. It might be the world’s most ancient living organism – but whether it is or … Continue reading The secrets of old, old age →

The Nobel Prize round-up 2021

The 2021 Nobel Prizes were announced in early October, with the ceremony held as usual on the 10th of December – the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. It’s almost been another two months since then, but in case you missed it, here’s who won and why. Physics – Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann & Giorgio Parisi … Continue reading The Nobel Prize round-up 2021 →

The Ig Nobel Prize round-up 2021

The Ig Nobel Prizes are my favourite event in the scientific calendar, so once again here's my summary of this year’s ten achievements “that make people laugh, then think”. Biology – Susanne Schötz, Robert Eklund & Joost van de Weijer Wouldn’t it be great if we could understand what our pets are saying? That’s the … Continue reading The Ig Nobel Prize round-up 2021 →