Scientists examining amber from Goethe’s personal collection discovered three hidden fossil insects, including an extinct ant preserved in extraordinary detail. Advanced 3D imaging allowed researchers to see not only the ant’s outer features but also structures inside its body. The findings offer new clues about the species’ biology and suggest it likely built large nests in trees.
Hidden beneath Arctic waters, beluga whales have long kept their family lives a mystery. By analyzing DNA from more than 600 belugas in Alaska’s Bristol Bay over 13 years, researchers uncovered a surprisingly flexible mating system: both males and females regularly have offspring with different partners over their lifetimes.
Globally, agriculture faces mounting pressures. These are driven by climate change, land degradation, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and the demand for food from a growing population.At the same time, productivity is uneven. For example, maize yields in the US often exceed 10 tons per hectare. These high yields are driven by mechanisation, improved seed varieties, irrigation and efficient input use, supported increasingly by precision agriculture technologies. In contrast, yields in
Have algorithms and AI flattened popular culture the way industrial farming flattened the prairie? alffoto/iStock via Getty Images PlusWhen “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” aired its final episode on May 21, 2026, critics lamented more than the end of a television program.It was a nightly ritual that millions of Americans participated in, with Bloomberg media reporter Lucas Shaw describing its cancellation as one more sign of “the decline of monoculture.”Eulogies for “the monoculture” have a
In recent years, with the huge advancements in technology, it’s only natural that agriculture is changing as well. Today, farmers can turn to modern devices to make decisions instead of ...
The Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) Horse Trials to be held on 13th & 14th June 2026 will once again host classes from BE90 and BE100, including GO BE and Open sections for both levels and a BE100 Open Under 18 plus Novice and Open Novice classes, again with an Open Novice Under 18 section. Run by BEDE Events, the cross country courses designed by Stuart Buntine runs over gently undulating permanent pasture and is designed to be a fair test for the less experienced horse. The courses ar
Globally, about one in five people in jobs live in poverty. A key reason lies in how global supply chains are organised. From agriculture to tourism, many jobs are embedded in systems that keep wages low, even as they generate value for international markets.This has brought renewed urgency to the living wage debate. In 2024, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) formally endorsed general principles for defining and calculating living wages across different national contexts, including gui
A massive global analysis found that nitrogen pollution can either speed up or dramatically slow the natural "breathing" of forest soils, depending on the ecosystem's condition. The results reveal hidden tipping points that could affect how forests store carbon and cope with climate change.
Deer keds rely on flight and vision to find a host, but everything changes once they land. After shedding their wings forever, these parasites reduce the activity of key vision-related genes by about half. Scientists believe they are effectively trading sharp eyesight for extra energy that can be used for feeding and reproduction.
Researchers found that social behavior begins in the brain before it becomes visible as movement. In zebrafish, a coordinated pattern of activity spread across the brain several seconds before the animals approached another fish. A higher brain region called the pallium played a key role, and fish with stronger neural signals were generally more social.
I believeThere is no separationEvery moment is like arrows that meet in mid-airBut sometimes I feel like my head is on fireBehold it burningListenBuddha said, “Everything is burningAll of the senses, the mountains and the fire”This is itThe fire sermon
A major mouse study found that some inherited traits are passed down through epigenetic changes that break the classic rules of genetics. Researchers discovered hundreds of cases where these chemical DNA marks behaved unexpectedly, including some that seemed to emerge out of nowhere. They also identified the first known naturally occurring paramutation in a mammal, hinting that environmental influences may play a larger role in inheritance than scientists realized.
A world-famous conservation program that helped save Sweden’s endangered wolverines is now struggling as funding stagnates and local trust erodes. Researchers say the decline offers a cautionary lesson: protecting wildlife requires long-term commitment, not just early success.
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Before he became one of Australia’s most loved cricketers, Adam Gilchrist was given the opportunity to travel through BBM. That experience helped shape his confidence, perspective and future. Today, BBM continues that legacy through the Global Footprints Scholarship program, supporting young people in agriculture, horticulture and trades to gain international experience and bring new ideas home to Australia. Support the next generation this EOFY. bbmaustralia.org.au/donate #BBM #GlobalFootpr
Great apes appear to build friendships much like humans do. By studying grooming behavior, researchers discovered that chimpanzees and bonobos form close inner circles along with wider networks of weaker social connections. Chimpanzees focus on a few trusted partners and become more selective with age, while bonobos maintain a more egalitarian social style.
A surprising new discovery suggests that tiny microbes living inside fish may be helping shape the chemistry of the world’s oceans. Scientists found evidence that bacteria in the guts of marine fish work alongside their hosts to produce calcium carbonate, a mineral that plays an important role in ocean health and carbon storage. For years, researchers believed fish handled this process on their own, but the new findings point to a hidden partnership between fish and microbes.
Scientists have uncovered a surprising navigation system in pigeons: iron-filled immune cells in the liver that may act like tiny magnetic sensors. Birds deprived of these cells struggled to find their way home under overcast skies, indicating they rely on Earth’s magnetic field for guidance. The discovery could solve a decades-old mystery about animal navigation and reveal an unexpected connection between immunity and sensing the environment.
Scientists have discovered Labrujasuchus expectatus, a bizarre crocodile relative that looked more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than anything resembling a modern crocodile. It walked on two legs, had tiny arms, and sported a toothless beak—an unexpected combination for a member of the crocodile lineage.
A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precise movements.
