Illustra Media Showcases the Wood Wide Web
March 28, 2023
The ways that plants communicate through underground fungal networks is illustrated in a dazzling new short film.
VIEW HEADLINES ONLY
Evolutionary Rates Vary by Millions
October 31, 2022
When an organism changes rapidly, that's evolution. When an organism never changes for millions of years, that's evolution.
Flip Flops in Plant Ancestry
March 13, 2020
Are green algae the ancestors of all land plants? Do paleontologists even know that these fossils are green algae?
How Did Primitive Organisms Learn Physics?
August 26, 2017
Inspiring cases of ballistics, civil engineering and architecture can be found in some of the simplest of living organisms.
A Bird, a Mushroom, and a Fly Fossilized Fast
June 9, 2017
Exceptional preservation of soft tissues required rapid fossilization. Did they really die a hundred million years ago?
How Flamingos Stand on One Foot
May 26, 2017
Mysteries of the universe unfold: how can flamingos sleep while standing on one foot? And why is it good to know?
Bubbles Scream Life
May 1, 2017
It might be a fungus. It might be half a billion years older than previously thought. It might rewrite the evolutionary history of complex life, including humans. What is it?
Tick Talk: Mammal Blood Found in Amber
April 5, 2017
Can intact blood be preserved for 15 to 45 million years, give or take 50 million?
Weekend Biomimetics Showcase
March 11, 2017
The focus in biology these days is on design. Here's evidence.
Inspiring Life Tricks
November 14, 2016
These tricks are enough to make an inventor run to the patent office.
Smart Scientists Borrow Natural Designs
August 3, 2016
Scientists and engineers are back in school, learning from the best teachers: plants and animals.
For the Love of Trees
July 23, 2016
You don't have to be a proverbial tree-hugger to love trees and wonder at all the things they can do, and do for us.
Why Is a New Theory of Coal Formation Needed?
January 22, 2016
When a new theory comes along, better examine why the old one needed replacing.
Instant Islands and Ecology
May 19, 2015
A new volcanic island near Japan recalls the rapid colonization of Iceland's Surtsey island in 1963.
"Natural Evil" May Be Broken Good
February 16, 2015
Things in nature we consider nasty are sometimes good systems that have broken.