Scientists name the top plants for bumblebee-friendly gardens

A study of nearly 23,000 interactions between different species of bumblebees and flowers has determined what these environmentally important fuzzy buzzers like to dine on. The information will help professional and amateur conservationists cater to th… Continue reading Scientists name the top plants for bumblebee-friendly gardens

The platypus returns to Australian national park after half a century

A team led by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia has established a new platypus colony in the Royal National Park on the banks of the Hacking River outside of Sydney for the first time in more than half a century.Con… Continue reading The platypus returns to Australian national park after half a century

Device uses a BAT signal to show where sharks are giving birth

The majority of shark species are threatened with extinction, so it’s crucial to protect the “pupping” areas where females give birth to live young. A new satellite-linked device, known as the BAT, lets scientists know the locations of those areas.Cont… Continue reading Device uses a BAT signal to show where sharks are giving birth

Dodo next in line for de-extinction by scientists reviving the mammoth

Not content with aiming to resurrect the woolly mammoth and the thylacine, Colossal Biosciences has now announced the third animal on its de-extinction list – the dodo. This comes on the heels of a substantial new round of funding, with the company als… Continue reading Dodo next in line for de-extinction by scientists reviving the mammoth

Offshore structures could harvest city drinking water from ocean air

It’s a cruel irony that over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, but it’s undrinkable. Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have now modeled the feasibility of a hypothetical system that can capture water vapor f… Continue reading Offshore structures could harvest city drinking water from ocean air

Drone-mounted “bat shield” could help prevent wind turbine collisions

Wind energy is often thought of as “clean” but, in fact, the technology has the blood of thousands – if not millions – of bats on its hands. That’s not only because bats can fly into the giant wind turbine blades and die, but because the turbines creat… Continue reading Drone-mounted “bat shield” could help prevent wind turbine collisions

Stem cells (and mini brains) grown from critically endangered rhinos

The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered and difficult to breed. But now, researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from the genetic material of a male, potentially providing new ways to help conservation efforts. They even use… Continue reading Stem cells (and mini brains) grown from critically endangered rhinos

Egg-shaped sensor relays vital data on endangered sea turtle nests

When endangered sea turtles lay and bury eggs in a nest on a beach, that beach is often closed to the public until those eggs hatch. A nest-monitoring sensor – which looks like an egg – has been created to help predict when such beaches can be reopened… Continue reading Egg-shaped sensor relays vital data on endangered sea turtle nests

Move over, mammoths: De-extinction scientists to target thylacine next

Last year, genetic engineering company Colossal Biosciences unveiled its grand plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth, and now the team has revealed the second species on its de-extinction list – Australia’s lost thylacine. Partnering with a University … Continue reading Move over, mammoths: De-extinction scientists to target thylacine next

Mice cloned from freeze-dried cells could improve species conservation

Climate change is threatening many species with extinction, so we owe it to them to try to help. Japanese scientists have now successfully cloned mice from freeze-dried adult cells, which can be stored easily for long periods of time. Importantly, the … Continue reading Mice cloned from freeze-dried cells could improve species conservation