Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  1. Animals

    Honeybees fend off deadly hornets by decorating hives with poop

    Bees usually collect pollen and nectar. Scientists were surprised to find that Asian honeybees also gather animal dung to defend their hives.

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  2. Agriculture

    Dew collector brings water to thirsty plants

    This invention grabs water from the air at night. All it needs is the sun’s warmth the next day to release that moisture to growing plants.

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  3. Animals

    Africa’s poisonous rats are surprisingly social

    Scientists confirm that the African crested rat can safely cover itself in poison and also find that the rodents may live in pairs — or even family groups.

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  4. Brain

    Loneliness makes our brains crave people

    An area of the brain that lights up when hungry people see food also revs up when lonely people see social activities.

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  5. Animals

    Utah mink is first known case of the coronavirus in a wild animal

    A wild mink appears to have picked up the novel coronavirus from farmed animals. Such spread in the wild does not appear common.

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  6. Animals

    Scientists Say: Lachryphagy

    Some insects land on the eyeballs of larger animals. They are seeking out the salt and proteins in the animal’s tears.

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  7. Plants

    How to grow your own science experiment

    Does fertilizer help plants grow better? You might expect it to, but how can you know? This experiment will help you test it yourself.

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  8. Chemistry

    Here’s how to make flip-flops biodegradable

    Innovative flip-flops made from an algae-based plastic decompose in soil or compost. The comfy shoes also avoid use of fossil fuels.

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  9. Oceans

    Analyze This: Shipwrecks provide a home for bottom-dwelling fish

    Fish have found a habitat in a submarine and freighter that sunk to the seafloor during World War II.

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  10. Animals

    Around the world, birds are in crisis

    Human activities around the world are threatening bird species. Numbers of even some of the most common species are starting to fall.

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  11. Life

    Ogre-faced spiders listen closely to snatch bugs from the air

    Ogre-faced spiders can hear prey sneaking around behind them. Low frequencies can trigger a blind, backwards attack.

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  12. Plants

    Please do not touch the Australian stinging tree

    Stinging-tree leaves look soft and inviting, but one touch delivers agony. Structurally, the plant's painful chemical looks a lot like spider venom.

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