the science of how organisms interact with their environment.
Fish do it, so do reptiles and insects. Mammals – including humans – do it too. The way some birds do it will blow your mind. We’re talking migration. Why do some animals travel around the globe and how do they find their way? And what happens when the habitat they need along the way disappears? Just keep swimming It’s hard to know where to begin when it comes to writing about animal migrations: there […]
Can’t get enough of Pokémon Go? There’s no shortage of people glued to their screens desperate to catch a Snorlax or Vaporeon. At the same time, thousands of people are hooked on Wildlife Spotter: a National Science Week project that involves spotting real animals. Why is the search for these real and imaginary creatures so addictive? When you don’t know what you’re going to get Back in the 1950s, psychologist B. F. Skinner made a fascinating discovery. […]
Late last week, my husband and I briefly ‘became’ billionaires in our quest to conserve some of Australia’s threatened mammals. Well ok, we never really had the cash, but let’s dream for a moment. What could Australians do if we actually had that kind of money to spend on wildlife conservation?
Bees have long been famous for their “waggle dance”, a series of moves telling other bees where good food can be found. But do you know just how intricate this dance is? It turns out bees have a complex language and we know how to eavesdrop onto their conversations.
A 3,300 year old person? Yep, it’s true. Sure, he might have stopped breathing a long time ago, but he’s looking remarkably good for his age. And whilst he no longer has the power of speech, there’s still an awful lot he can tell us about his life all those years ago. Meet Ötzi, the 3,300-year-old iceman.
We've all heard of the Venus flytrap, but the plant kingdom contains many more wonderful examples of meat-eating species. Some plants have been known to feed on insects, frogs, and even birds and small mammals. But if plants are so good at getting energy from the sun, why would these eating habits ever have evolved in the first place?
Dr Jen Martin 