Animals & Plants

How do birds breathe so efficiently?

New findings offer potential to enhance flow engineering. Birds breathe with greater efficiency than humans because of the structure of their lungs --looped airways that...

Los Angeles palm trees may be a major source of air pollution

Mexican fan palms, native to the deserts of northwestern Mexico, are a widely-planted ornamental throughout the Los Angeles basin. They are contributing substantially to the...

Dog vs. machine: Who’s a better bomb detector?

What's better at finding a hidden bomb -- a dog or an electronic chemical detector? In this episode, the Reactions team travels to the U.S....

Cuttlefish can pass the ‘snacking test,’ study finds

A popular TikTok challenge has evolved in which kids resist eating snacks; a new study finds that cuttlefish can do the same. According to the...

Mantis shrimp inspires new breed of light sensors

Inspired by the eyes of mantis shrimp, researchers have developed a new kind of optical sensor that is small enough to fit on a...

How did dogs get to the Americas?

The history of dogs has been intertwined, since ancient times, with that of the humans who domesticated them. But how far back does that history...

Dogs can sniff out COVID-19 in human sweat, shows study

New study adds to a small but growing consensus that trained medical scent dogs can effectively screen individuals who may be infected with the...

Scientists find the cure for No. 1 killer of citrus trees

New research affirms a unique peptide found in an Australian plant can destroy the No. 1 killer of citrus trees worldwide and help prevent...

First people to enter the Americas likely did so with their dogs

The first people to settle in the Americas likely brought their own canine companions with them, according to new research which sheds more light...

Squid-inspired robot swims with nature’s most efficient marine animals

Scientists at the University of Southampton and University of Edinburgh have developed a flexible underwater robot that can propel itself through water in the...