leaves

Artificial leaves: Bionic photosynthesis as good as the real thing

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Converting sunlight into liquid fuel through artificial photosynthesis would be a huge environmental victory – and the latest prototypes look surprisingly effective Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson Graham Carter Our insatiable appetite for energy has got us into a mess, with the burning of fossil fuels releasing greenhouse gases that are heating the … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Russian attack leaves European space missions in doubt

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The European Space Agency is due to launch its Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover on a Russian rocket this September, while satellites belonging to a company part-owned by the UK government are set to catch a Russian ride on 4 March Space 25 February 2022 By Jonathan O’Callaghan An artist’s impression of the Rosalind Franklin rover, … Read more

Baboons: A tough infancy leaves females less sociable as adults

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Baboons are sociable primates, but females that had a tough early life – because of the loss of their mother or a lack of food – find socialising harder Life 2 February 2022 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Olive baboons (Papio anubis) Alexa Duchesnneau and Sam Patterson Female baboons that had a harder life as youngsters tend … Read more

Scientists Spent 4 Years Identifying a New Wasp That Only Leaves Its Home For 2 Days

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Parasitic gall wasps don’t get out much. For the vast majority of their year-long lives, from eggs to larvae, pupae to adults, these tiny insects are entombed in cocoon-like crypts on the leaves, flowers, and stems of oak trees.   When spring rolls around, there’s no time to waste, not even for food. The wasps … Read more

Plant science: The way that leaves flutter can reveal when plants need more water

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Leaves vibrate at a different frequency depending on whether soy plants are under water stress Life 7 December 2021 By Bas den Hond Leaves on a soy plant Igor Stevanovic / Alamy When leaves flutter in the breeze, the frequency of their vibrations may indicate whether the plant is dehydrated. This finding could lead to … Read more