News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
The bridge spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) uses its web to detect the sounds made by insects flying nearby and prepare itself for a potential meal Life 11 February 2022 By Carissa Wong A female bridge spider (Larinioides sclopetarius) Shutterstock/Dan Olsen Some spiders can pick up sounds in the air using their webs as acoustic antennae, and because … Read more
New Scientist’s weekly round-up of the best books, films, TV series, games and more that you shouldn’t miss Humans 2 February 2022 Read Strange Bedfellows accompany many of us through our lives, yet most of us know next to nothing about common sexually transmitted infections. Ina Park aims to change all that in this upbeat … Read more
Josie Ford Va va vacuum Like many people who have difficulty distinguishing science fact from fiction, Feedback is anticipating with trepidation the rise of the sentient machines. We see the story recently reported by the BBC, “Robot vacuum cleaner escapes from Cambridge Travelodge”, as a kind of low-budget prequel. “The automated cleaner failed to stop … Read more
Astronomers have found lots of exoplanets but not much evidence of exomoons, and a new model might explain why Space 1 February 2022 By Alex Wilkins An artist’s impression of an exoplanet Shutterstock / Artsiom P Rocky planets much bigger than Earth might not be able to form large moons like our own, which is … Read more
2021 was another record-setting year, ranking as the sixth hottest year on record. Following a trend, these past eight years have also been the eight hottest years on record, experts revealed Thursday (Jan. 13). In an annual call to discuss climate change and the year’s climate data, experts from NASA and NOAA (the National Oceanic … Read more
It’s a common misconception that evolution has a sense of direction – a notion that biology nerds around the world are constantly trying to correct. But new research reveals there may be a semblance of truth to this misconception, at least more than we ever realized. While it’s not as straightforward as mutation with … Read more
The time is up for hellfire.
Researchers have imagined a lightweight, flying saucer-style rover that can float across the surface of the Moon and other airless planetary surfaces such as asteroids. The ‘flying saucer’ would be powered by the electric field that builds up due to direct exposure to the Sun and its surrounding plasma. In the absence of an atmosphere, this … Read more
This weekend saw the deaths of two of the world’s strongest advocates of protecting the world’s flora and fauna. Edward O. Wilson, 92, an ant researcher at Harvard University who also introduced controversial theories about how societies evolve and function, became a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and, later in life, a powerful conservation advocate, died on … Read more
By Penny Sarchet The gray partridge (Perdix perdix, left) and red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) Shutterstock / Voodison328 (L) Shutterstock / Jesus Giraldo Gutierrez (R) Hello, and welcome to December’s Wild Wild Life, the monthly newsletter that celebrates the biodiversity of our planet’s animals plants and other organisms. To receive this free, monthly newsletter in your … Read more