study shows how ants combat disease in a colony
During their evolution, ants adapted their social organization and developed defense mechanisms to counter disease, according to research from Swiss biologists. All the factors that favor the spread of diseases are gathered in the anthill: a dense population and frequent contacts between individuals. Biologist Nathalie…
The cobweb draws its strength from nanotechnology
Reproducing the properties of cobwebs could create a material of unparalleled strength. Now researchers have began to understand the secrets of their construction. Spider webs have fascinated researchers for many years. Their strength and flexibility are unsurpassed in the animal world and, at equal weight,…
complex life on earth started sooner than previously thought: study
Microbes have been able to oxygenate photosynthesis at least a billion years earlier in Earth’s history than previously thought. This hypothesis put forward by British biologists at Imperial College London has upset the widely accepted theory of the moment of the appearance of complex life…
Imminent arrival of InSight probe on Mars
On Sunday, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) near Los Angelewas preparing, to make the final course adjustments to maneuver the landing gear and allow it to land on Monday on the red planet. If all goes according to plan, InSight, which completes a journey…
Amateurs Find 42 New Planets
A volunteer group of amateur astronomers claims to have discovered 42 new planets. The aptly named Planet Hunters sifted through the data captured by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope. The discovery includes as many as 15 planets that are orbiting in the “Goldilocks” or habitable zone…
the color purple is an indication of extraterrestrial life
Astronomers use the color reflected by the surface of an exoplanet to assess their chances of sheltering life. The pale blue hue of the Earth is the most sought after. Scientists who have studied the distant past of our planet suggest that another, rather unusual,…