When plants are in distress or being fed on by insects, they have been known to send out sensory volatile cues that alert organisms in the area -- such as birds -- that they are in need of help. While research has shown that this occurs in ecosystems such as forests, until now, this phenomenon has never been demonstrated in an agricultural setting.
In a new study, researchers show that the same type of sperm is not always the best for all male birds. Depending on how attractive or dominant you are you might be more successful with longer or shorter sperm.
Researchers have developed a single-atom transistor, the world's smallest. This quantum electronics component switches electrical current by controlled repositioning of a single atom, now also in the solid state in a gel electrolyte. The single-atom transistor works at room temperature and consumes very little energy, which opens up entirely new perspectives for information technology.
Researchers have discovered the unusual evolution of the central star of a planetary nebula in our Milky Way galaxy. The finding sheds light on the future evolution, and more importantly, the ultimate fate of the Sun.
Certain female mosquitoes quickly evolve more selective mating behavior when faced with existential threats from other invasive mosquito species, with concurrent changes to certain genetic regions, according to new research.
Engineers have developed printable metal tags that could be attached to plain objects, like water bottles, walls or doors, and turn them into 'smart' Internet of Things devices. The tags can also be fashioned into paper-thin control panels that can be used to remotely operate WiFi-connected speakers, smart lights and other smart home appliances. The metal tags are made from patterns of copper foil printed onto paper-like materials and disturb WiFi signals when touched.
For ants and robots operating in confined spaces like tunnels, having more workers does not necessarily mean getting more work done. Just as too many cooks in a kitchen get in each other's way, having too many robots in tunnels creates clogs that can bring the work to a grinding halt.
Researchers have reinvented photography optics to capture images based on the timing of reflecting light inside the optics, which opens doors to new capabilities for ultrafast time- or depth-sensitive cameras.
Scientists have found that 4.02-billion-year-old silica-rich felsic rocks from the Acasta River, Canada -- the oldest rock formation known on Earth -- probably formed at high temperatures and at a surprisingly shallow depth of the planet's nascent crust. The high temperatures needed to melt the shallow crust were likely caused by a meteorite bombardment around half a billion years after the planet formed.
The ancient Egyptians developed sophisticated embalming treatments far earlier and across a wider geographical area than had been previously known, forensic tests on a well-known prehistoric mummy have revealed.
Exoplanets can orbit close to their host star. When the host star is much hotter than our sun, then the exoplanet becomes as hot as a star. The hottest 'ultra-hot' planet was discovered last year. A team has now discovered the presence of iron and titanium vapors in the atmosphere of this planet. This detection was made possible by the surface temperature of this planet, which reaches more than 4,000 degrees.
Aging usually improves the flavor of cheese, but that's not why some very old cheese discovered in an Egyptian tomb is drawing attention. Instead, it's thought to be the most ancient solid cheese ever found.
In a cell, death is akin to falling dominoes: One death-inducing molecule activates another, and so on, until the entire cell is shut down, a new study finds.
A team of astronomers has made a surprising discovery: 12.5 billion years ago, the most opaque place in the universe contained relatively little matter.
Scientists have presented research on a curious cosmic phenomenon known as 'whistlers' -- very low frequency packets of radio waves that race along magnetic field lines. The study provides new insights into the nature of whistlers and space plasmas and could one day aid in the development of practical plasma technologies with magnetic fields, including spacecraft thrusters that use charged particles as fuel.
