Santanu

The insect that carries its own bomb: How the bombardier beetle turns chemistry into a weapon against its predators

Santanu1 month ago05 mins

Bombardier beetles possess a unique defense mechanism involving explosive chemical sprays. These insects mix chemicals to create a hot, noxious spray for protection. Their specialized internal structures allow them to survive these powerful self-inflicted explosions. Bombardier beetles can fire their chemical bombs multiple times before needing to escape. These fascinating insects have evolved remarkable adaptations…

Scientists discover three new stomach bacteria after 21 years of research that may be linked to chronic stomach disease in pygmy sperm whales |

Santanu1 month ago05 mins

Pygmy Sperm Whale’s Deep Dive (AI-generated image) Pygmy sperm whales are among the least studied large mammals in the ocean, spending nearly their entire lives far offshore, diving deep to hunt squid and fish, and rarely surfacing long enough to be observed alive. Most of what scientists know about the species comes instead from whales…

Lithops werneri: The tiny Namibian plant that survives by disguising itself as a pebble. Fewer than 200 now remain in the wild |

Santanu1 month ago05 mins

Representative Image of Lithops werneri camouflaged among grey stones in Namibia’s Erongo Mountains (AI-generated image) In a small patch of Namibia’s Erongo Mountains, a tiny succulent grows so convincingly disguised as a pebble that most people would walk straight past it without a second glance. This plant, Lithops werneri, survives by mimicking the grey, weathered…

California’s winter monarch migration has collapsed from millions in the 1990s to 12,260 butterflies in 2025; the third-lowest count ever recorded |

Santanu1 month ago05 mins

This winter’s survey of the western monarch butterfly revealed over 12,000 individuals, a small rise from last year. Despite this slight increase, conservationists remain alarmed as numbers are still critically low. Ongoing challenges such as habitat loss and environmental stressors severely impact the butterfly population. Conservation initiatives are actively working on restoring habitats and engaging…

Scientists identify an insect-eating plant that just proved Charles Darwin’s 150-year-old theory right

Santanu1 month ago06 mins

A breakthrough in plant science has validated Charles Darwin’s historic conjecture surrounding carnivorous Saxifraga species. Researchers discovered that these plants ensnare small gnats with sticky hairs, emitting fragrances that lure their prey. Chemical tests confirmed that insects provide essential nutrients upon capture, as showcased by isotope labeling. This pivotal finding sheds light on the complex…

In 2021, Australian scientists cloned one seed of the Queen of Sheba orchid. Five years later, it produced 1,000 plants and its first flower

Santanu1 month ago04 mins

How cloning one seed of the Queen of Sheba orchid changed its fate Science and innovation can do wonders that are even beyond the cource of nature. The future of an entire species sometimes depends on something so small it’s almost invisible. Wondering what and how? Well, conservation scientists in a Kings Park (Western Australia)…

In 2003, China planted small islands of native trees along a degraded river; 20 years later they held only 19–30% of an intact forest’s diversity and biomass

Santanu1 month ago05 mins

Tropical forests have been heavily degraded because of human activities. (Representational photo) Planting trees across vast areas may not be the only way to restore damaged tropical forests, according to a new study. Instead, small patches of native trees can gradually help degraded forests recover.The study was carried out by Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG)…

In 1950s, the US built a neighbourhood upon 22,000 tons of buried toxic waste, then children began returning home with burns exposing the worst environmental scandal of the country

Santanu1 month ago04 mins

Originally designed to be a groundbreaking canal project, this site succumbed to a fate of pollution as industrial and municipal waste accumulated over decades. The catastrophic rainfall in 1976 triggered the release of these harmful chemicals into nearby homes, displacing numerous families. This incident catalyzed the formation of the Superfund program, dedicated to remedying toxic…

Why vultures don’t get sick from eating rotten meat; the remarkable adaptations that make them nature’s ultimate clean-up crew

Santanu1 month ago03 mins

Wondering how vultures can eat a carcass and not get sick? Well vultures may have one of the toughest diets in the animal kingdom but their bodies are built to cope. These birds can feed off carcasses that would make most animals dangerously sick, because their digestive systems are specially adapted to destroy harmful bacteria,…

Wolfsbane and larkspur can paralyse in tiny doses; scientists found six enzymes that could help turn their chemistry into future medicines

Santanu1 month ago04 mins

Some of the world’s most dangerous plants may also be among its most useful. Researchers have now identified a key set of enzymes in wolfsbane and larkspur that could help scientists recreate difficult-to-synthesize natural compounds in the lab, opening new doors for future medicines.These plants are notorious because even tiny doses can cause neurotoxicity and…

Underwater sensors caught a rare event off Cornwall: one porpoise became trapped in a net while two animals exchanged possible distress calls

Sea otters returned to a polluted California estuary in 1984; eelgrass expanded 600%, while marsh-edge erosion later slowed by 69% on average

Brazil restored a former cattle landscape with native trees; decades later, lowland tapirs returned after disappearing for 100 years |

Quote of the day by Isaac Newton: “Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things” |

A Scottish river project set out to revive oysters that once covered an area the size of Edinburgh; now, 60,000 have been returned |

In 2015, Canada sank a 113-metre retired warship off British Columbia; five years later, monitoring had recorded more than 170 marine species on the wreck

Human hair, receipts, fishing nets, and eggshells were among 17 waste materials tested to create stronger, lower-carbon cement building products |

Meet Franklin Howley-Dumit Serulle, the amateur naturalist whose online insect photo helped reveal a new hoverfly species |

Meet Naidely Valeria Vidaurre-Quesada, the scientist who helped uncover a ghost shark species hiding in Costa Rica’s dark waters |

From 2012 to 2022, nearly 30,000 commercial vessel arrivals brought 430 sq km of submerged hull surface to Alaska; biofouling habitat grew 50%, increasing invasive-species risk

The insect that carries its own bomb: How the bombardier beetle turns chemistry into a weapon against its predators

Scientists discover three new stomach bacteria after 21 years of research that may be linked to chronic stomach disease in pygmy sperm whales |

Lithops werneri: The tiny Namibian plant that survives by disguising itself as a pebble. Fewer than 200 now remain in the wild |

California’s winter monarch migration has collapsed from millions in the 1990s to 12,260 butterflies in 2025; the third-lowest count ever recorded |

Scientists identify an insect-eating plant that just proved Charles Darwin’s 150-year-old theory right

In 2021, Australian scientists cloned one seed of the Queen of Sheba orchid. Five years later, it produced 1,000 plants and its first flower

In 2003, China planted small islands of native trees along a degraded river; 20 years later they held only 19–30% of an intact forest’s diversity and biomass

In 1950s, the US built a neighbourhood upon 22,000 tons of buried toxic waste, then children began returning home with burns exposing the worst environmental scandal of the country

Why vultures don’t get sick from eating rotten meat; the remarkable adaptations that make them nature’s ultimate clean-up crew

Wolfsbane and larkspur can paralyse in tiny doses; scientists found six enzymes that could help turn their chemistry into future medicines