Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  1. Animals

    Here’s what bats ‘see’ when they explore the world with sound

    High-speed cameras, fancy microphones and slick software are helping scientists get the best look yet at what bats perceive through echolocation.

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  2. Plants

    The faster trees grow, the younger they die

    As climate change spurs forest tree growth, it also shortens trees’ lives. That results in a quicker release of climate-warming carbon back into the atmosphere.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    Some Neandertal genes may up the risk of severe COVID-19

    Most of the affected people descend from communities in South Asia or live in Europe today.

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  4. Animals

    Whales get a second life as deep-sea buffets

    When a whale dies and sinks to the seafloor, it becomes a feast for hundreds of different types of creatures.

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  5. Fossils

    This ancient reptile’s last meal may have truly been a killer

    An ichthyosaur’s eyes were too big for its stomach. And that may have led to this ancient reptile’s death.

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  6. Humans

    Changing climates can take cooling tips from warm regions

    When summer heat waves hit northern cities, people might look to keep cool using tropical building strategies — and forgotten architectural wisdom.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Trio wins 2020 Nobel for discovery of hepatitis C

    It took 50 years from discovery of hepatitis C to its cure. For their pivotal work in this area, three men will take home a 2020 Nobel Prize.

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  8. Animals

    A wasp nibbled a baby bird for breakfast

    Scientists found an injured baby bird in a nest they were studying. The culprit wasn’t another bird or a reptile. It was a wasp.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    A glowing new way to measure antibodies

    Researchers invent a way to detect and measure antibodies with glowing proteins. Antibodies can mark exposure to various diseases.

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  10. Animals

    One tiny sea parasite survives 200 times atmospheric pressure

    Known as the seal louse, this tiny insect can survive deep oceanic dives on its mobile home, a marine mammal.

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  11. A dirty and growing problem: Too few toilets

    As the famous book says, everybody poops. That’s 7.8 billion people, worldwide. For the 2.4 billion with no toilet, the process can be complicated.

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  12. Animals

    Whale blowholes don’t keep out seawater

    Whales’ blowholes aren’t as protective as scientists had thought. They not only can let in water but also pollutants.

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