Jan 20th, 2025 - A little penguin colony in Australia struggles during years with high penguin divorce rates, but the divorcees could have more offspring in the long run if they find better mates, a new study finds. Little penguins "divorce" their partners to search for better mates, but they waste so much time wooing their new love interests that the colony suffers, a new study has found. There's a common misconception that penguins mate for life — their breeding behaviors are more complicated than that and vary between species. Little penguins ( Eudyptula minor ) often return to the same mate every ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - Scientists have unveiled a novel mosquito control strategy: genetically engineered fungi that spread through mating. This strategy offers hope for reducing malaria in high-risk regions. Research: Transmission of transgenic mosquito-killing fungi during copulation In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports , a team of researchers in Burkina Faso and the United States investigated a novel method for controlling malaria-transmitting mosquitoes using genetically modified fungi that can kill mosquitoes through sexual transmission. The study explored the transmission efficiency, ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - As Donald Trump prepares to take office, he's leaning into his self-proclaimed title of " crypto president ," launching his own official meme coin and working on a potential federal reserve of bitcoin . Crypto holdings are widely regarded as ultra-secure due to the blockchain they are traded on. The high value of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, worth over $100,000 each at the time of publication, could serve as a hedge against inflation or pay down the national debt. Recent advancements in quantum computing could undermine that security — and a whole lot more — two ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - To make progress on one of number theory's most elementary questions, two mathematicians turned to an unlikely source. The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine . A new proof has brought mathematicians one step closer to understanding the hidden order of those "atoms of arithmetic," the prime numbers. The primes—numbers that are only divisible by themselves and 1—are the most fundamental building blocks in math. They're also the most mysterious. At first glance, they seem to be scattered at random across the number line. But of course, the primes aren't ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - Stargazers will be treated to a rare alignment of seven planets on 28 February when Mercury joins six other planets that are already visible in the night sky. Here's why it matters to scientists. Peer up at the sky on a clear night this January and February and you could be in for a treat. Six planets – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – are currently visible in the night sky. During just one night in late February, they will be joined by Mercury, a rare seven-planet alignment visible in the sky. But such events are not just a spectacle for stargazers – they ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - Jan 19, 2025 10 animals whose names begin with the letter V From lush jungles to deep blue oceans, animal names that start with the letter 'V' are found across the world. These are some special, as well as rare creatures of the animal kingdom that have different characteristics and styles of life. These nocturnal mammals feed on the blood of other animals. Using sharp teeth and anticoagulant saliva, they conduct a smooth, painless feeding process for their hosts who do not even suspect their actions. They are found in Central and South America These are some of the world's smallest rabbit ... [Read More]

Jan 18th, 2025 - Respiratory medicine expert David Hui calls for more residents to get jabs, notes only 20 per cent of those aged 50 to 64 vaccinated Reading Time: 2 minutes Hong Kong's winter flu season will peak in early February, a respiratory disease expert has predicted, while 15 deaths in the second week of January have been confirmed to be people infected with influenza. David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong , called for more residents to get flu jabs as the vaccination rate across all age groups fell short of the ideal level, with only 20 per ... [Read More]

Jan 18th, 2025 - The vaquita ( Phocoena sinus ) is the world's rarest marine mammal, with fewer than 10 surviving in the wild. It faces grave challenges, from illegal fishing nets to black-market demand for totoaba swim bladders. Experts worry that this unique creature could disappear before most people even learn it exists. Vaquitas: A species in peril Populations of this small porpoise have plummeted at an astonishing rate since the late 1990s. Vaquitas inhabit the northern Gulf of California, and are restricted to an area of roughly 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers). This small region, combined ... [Read More]