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Bryan Lessard

Dr Bryan Lessard was first introduced to the curious world of flies during his undergraduate studies at the University of Wollongong, learning about the behaviour, classification and applications of the winged insects to forensic entomology. With his interest peaked, he enrolled in a PhD at the Australian National University in Canberra to continue his research on flies, this time describing over 18 species new to science and using DNA to solve the mystery behind the evolution of gondwanan horse flies. In the hopes of generating buzz in taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying organisms, he described a horse fly with a golden abdomen after the performer Beyoncé, 'Plinthina beyonceae'. This “bootylicious” ambassador for biodiversity became a viral sensation and sparked a global conversation on the importance of flies. Dr Lessard now works as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO in Canberra. Here he continues to research the evolution of soldier flies, most famous for the black soldier fly 'Hermetia illucens' that powers compost bins and could become the next superfood of the 21st century.

Food for thought: feeding our growing population with flies

Sep 02, 2016 05:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Scientists have predicted that by 2050 there will be 9.6 billion humans living on Earth. With the rise of the middle class, we are expected to increase our consumption of animal products by up to 70% using the same limited...

Economy

US Stock Futures Fall as Treasury Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. stock futures fell Thursday as rising Treasury yields and higher oil prices pressured Wall Street, while investors prepared for a closely watched meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi...

Mexico-US Trade Talks Delayed to October as Tariff Negotiations Continue

The fourth round of Mexico-US trade talks is unlikely to take place next week and could be postponed until October as both countries navigate a busy diplomatic schedule, according to a senior Mexican trade official. Luis...

Australia Unemployment Hits Five-Year High Despite Strong Jobs Growth

Australias labour market delivered mixed signals in August as employment growth comfortably exceeded expectations, while the unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in nearly five years amid increased participation...

Asian Stocks Fall as Bond Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Asian stocks mostly declined on Thursday as surging global bond yields weighed on risk appetite, while investors awaited a closely watched meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping....

Gold Prices Fall as Treasury Yields Rise on Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices edged lower on Thursday, extending pressure from the previous session as rising Treasury yields, stronger oil prices and a firm U.S. dollar fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve may continue raising...

Politics

Kremlin Says No Decision Yet on Putin-Trump December Summit

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russia has not yet decided whether President Vladimir Putin will attend a December G20 meeting in Miami, where a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place. Moscow...

OpenAI Agent Breaches Australia Medicare Data Portal

An OpenAI artificial intelligence agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government Medicare statistics portal, prompting a federal investigation and renewed concerns about the cybersecurity risks posed by...

Taiwan Thanks US for Support Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Taiwans government on Thursday expressed gratitude for continued US support and said it remains in close communication with Washington as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US...

Netanyahu Takes Aim at Mamdani as Israel Election Nears

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his United Nations address on Thursday to criticize New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as the Israeli leader faces international pressure and a closely watched...

Russian Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills Two, Damages Maternity Hospital

Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing two people and damaging residential buildings, medical facilities and other infrastructure across the Ukrainian capital, according to...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

BlackBerry Shares Rise as Q2 Earnings, Revenue Beat Estimates

BlackBerry shares climbed more than 2% in premarket trading Thursday after the cybersecurity and software company reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter results and issued an upbeat full-year revenue outlook....

Apple Extends Qualcomm Patent Licensing Deal

Qualcomm said Thursday that Apple has extended its patent-licensing agreement with the U.S. chip designer, maintaining a key part of their relationship even as the iPhone maker works to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm...

Tencent Launches TenPayGo Payment App for Foreign Tourists in China

Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a new mobile payment app designed to make digital transactions easier for international travelers visiting China, as the technology giant looks to benefit from growing inbound tourism ahead...

China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts

Chinas livestream shopping industry is entering a slower phase, but Li Jiaqi, the influential presenter known as the Lipstick King, believes artificial intelligence will complement rather than replace human hosts. Li, who...

Meta Unveils Muse Charm AI Device, Expands Smart Glasses Lineup

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) unveiled a palm-sized device designed specifically for its Muse artificial intelligence agent on Wednesday, alongside an expanded lineup of smart glasses and new AI capabilities. CEO Mark...