The origins of those sexual organs: a fishy tale much more primitive than we thought

Jul 19, 2018 14:10 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Fossil discoveries from the Devonian rocks of Scotland and Australia first revealed that the earliest jawed fishes, the placoderms, reproduced using copulation in much the same way as sharks and rays do today. They also...

Here's a funny thing: can comedy really change our environmental behaviours?

Jul 19, 2018 13:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Someone (possibly George Bernard Shaw) once said: If you want to tell people the truth, youd better make them laugh or theyll kill you. While comedy can certainly soften a message, can it really change our...

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight: the science of beautiful sunsets

Jul 18, 2018 05:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

A red sky at night is a shepherds delight! A red sky in the morning is a shepherds warning. Perhaps this saying came to mind if you caught a spectacular sunrise or sunset recently. Since biblical times and probably...

How an alien seaweed invasion spawned an Antarctic mystery

Jul 17, 2018 14:31 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Two small pieces of seaweed found by a Chilean scientist on an Antarctic beach set in train research that may transform our understanding of ocean drift and reveal what the future holds for Antarctic ecosystems affected by...

It's a busy night sky this July, so make sure you look up

Jul 14, 2018 10:51 am UTC| Nature

The next fortnight will be a real treat for stargazers - there are five planets to see in the evening sky, Mars is looking the best weve seen in 15 years, and on the morning of July 28 there will be a total lunar...

Not all marine fish eat plastics

Jul 12, 2018 06:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Gulf Stream, which curves along the southern shore of Newfoundland, is saturated with plastics. Fish that feed from the surface waters, where plastics tend to accumulate, are in an ideal position to ingest...

Coldplay conundrum: how to reduce the risk of failure for environmental projects

Jul 10, 2018 05:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

New Zealands government has committed to planting one billion trees as part of a transition to a low-emission economy, in line with its commitments under the Paris Agreement. The One Billion Trees Programme promises to...