SCIENCE

Geminid meteor shower set to light up skies. Here’s how you can see it – National

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Geminid meteor shower set to light up skies. Here’s how you can see it – National

Stargazers are getting ready to witness one of the “most active and reliable meteor showers” of the year light up the skies this week. The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak on Thursday but could be visible starting Wednesday night. The annual spectacle brings a flurry of so-called “shooting stars” streaking through the skies, … Read more

Vervet monkeys follow different social ‘norms’ and respond to ‘peer pressure,’ new long-term study shows

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Vervet monkeys follow different social ‘norms’ and respond to ‘peer pressure,’ new long-term study shows

People living in different communities follow different social customs or norms. In some places, for instance, it might be standard practice to greet each person you see on the street, while in others that simply isn’t done. In some cases, such differences may even vary from one neighborhood to the next. Now researchers reporting in … Read more

Fish display distinct individual behaviors when swimming to find food, finds study

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Fish display distinct individual behaviors when swimming to find food, finds study

Experimental setup for testing behavioral responses to olfactory stimulation in individual, 6 weeks old, Astyanax mexicanus larvae. Credit: eLife (2023). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.92861.1 Fish from the same species can evolve their sense of smell and display individual foraging ‘personalities’ to successfully find food in different habitats, according to new research. In the study, published today as … Read more

Flowers ‘giving up’ on scarce insects and evolving to self-pollinate, say scientists | Wild flowers

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Flowers ‘giving up’ on scarce insects and evolving to self-pollinate, say scientists | Wild flowers

Flowers are “giving up on” pollinators and evolving to be less attractive to them as insect numbers decline, researchers have said. A study has found the flowers of field pansies growing near Paris are 10% smaller and produce 20% less nectar than flowers growing in the same fields 20 to 30 years ago. They are … Read more

It’s not just electricity — Bitcoin mines burn through a lot of water, too

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It’s not just electricity — Bitcoin mines burn through a lot of water, too

Bitcoin mines aren’t just energy-hungry, it turns out they’re thirsty, too. The water consumption tied to a single Bitcoin transaction, on average, could be enough to fill a small backyard pool, according to a new analysis. Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use. … Read more

NASA collected a sample from an asteroid for the first time — here’s why it matters

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NASA collected a sample from an asteroid for the first time — here’s why it matters

NASA completed its first-ever sample return mission from an asteroid today, with a science capsule containing material from an asteroid landing after having traveled on a 1.2 billion-mile journey from the asteroid Bennu. The capsule was released from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it passed by Earth this morning, entering the atmosphere at around 27,000mph.  The … Read more

The Toxic Truth About Your Christmas Tree

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The Toxic Truth About Your Christmas Tree

This story originally appeared on High Country News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Perhaps no single Christmas custom is more ubiquitous than putting up the Christmas tree. It originated in eastern Europe more than 500 years ago, when people decorated evergreen trees with roses or apples as symbols of Eve and the … Read more