Leeches use their whole bodies to entomb and eat ultra-fast worms
Blackworms are ultra-fast swimmers, and they tangle up into worm balls to protect themselves from predators – but leeches have an ingenious method of catching them called “spiral entombment”
Could Mars become habitable with the help of glitter-like iron rods?
Terraforming Mars would make the planet more like Earth and better able to sustain life as we know itDETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Releasing glitter-sized iron rods into Mars’s atmosphere…
Bird deaths from building strikes may be double past estimates
After surviving building collisions, around 60 per cent of birds die in rehabilitation careJeffrey Ji/Shutterstock More than 1 billion birds in the US may die from colliding with buildings each…
The science is clear: repeatedly whipping a horse won't help it learn
After the release of a shocking video showing Olympic rider Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse, it is time for equestrians to educate themselves on the science of horse training, says…
Critics of the International Space Station are missing the point
The International Space Station (ISS) is reaching the end of its life, with agencies around the world planning for its demise in around 2030. This orbiting behemoth has been continuously…
The best livestream so far this year? A corpse flower slowly blooming
Amorphophallus TitanumDerek Powazek When you think of livestreaming, if indeed you reflect on it at all, you probably imagine a gamer screaming about shooting the final boss. Or a conspiracy…
What becomes of the broken-hearted? Scientists investigate
Science of love “Losing and ending a romantic relationship is one of the most painful losses adults experience,” begins a BAS (bountifully acronymed study) by researchers in Germany and Iran,…
Living on Earth review: Ambitious story of how life shapes Earth ends superb trilogy
Australia’s red-winged parrot feeding in fields in the Northern TerritoryRoland Seitre/naturepl.com Living On EarthPeter Godfrey-Smith (William Collins (UK, out now); Farrar, Straus and Giroux, (US, 3 September)) IN 2016, Peter Godfrey-Smith…
The surprising connections between maths and poetry
Bill Kotsatos/Polaris/eyevine People like to position maths as cold, hard logic, quite distinct from creative pursuits. Actually, maths often involves a great deal of creativity. As mathematician Sofya Kovalevskaya wrote,…
Heart of an Oak review: Intimate nature documentary is an ode to a tree
Heart of an Oak follows this 210-year-old tree and its inhabitants through the seasonsIcon Film Distribution Heart of an OakLaurent Charbonnier and Michel SeydouxIcon Film Channel; selected UK cinemas The…
