For centuries, flamingos were recognised by their vivid pink feathers, yet the reason behind that striking colour remained uncertain. Early naturalists could describe what they saw, but they could not explain why young flamingos emerged from the nest in muted shades before gradually becoming brighter as they matured. The answer only began to take shape…
Arika Kundu, 13, uses peanut shells to help remove pesticide residues from produce. A 13-year-old Indian-American student from Minnesota has invented a method to reduce pesticide residues on fresh fruits and vegetables by using peanut shells, something that is usually thrown away.Arika Kundu, a seventh-grade student at Minnetonka Middle School East in Shorewood, Minnesota, developed…
For more than 160 million years, dinosaurs dominated life on Earth. They survived shifting continents, volcanic eruptions, changing climates and countless evolutionary challenges, becoming the planet’s undisputed apex animals. Then, around 66 million years ago, their reign ended with astonishing speed in geological terms. Today, scientists overwhelmingly agree that the extinction was triggered by a…
A wind farm is usually thought of as a place where moving air is turned into electricity. Yet the flow does not simply continue on its way once it has passed through the turbines. It changes, rises and mixes with layers of the atmosphere above, leaving behind an invisible trail that can stretch far beyond…
Japan’s 600-year-old Daisugi technique offers a unique way to produce timber without cutting down entire trees Timber is one of the biggest reasons trees are cut down all over the world. However, in Japan, a country focused on sustainability, an ancient forestry technique called Daisugi harvests timber without cutting the tree.The method began around 14th…
Peter Beck never earned a university degree or landed the aerospace job he hoped would launch his career. Instead, the New Zealand engineer turned rejection into an opportunity that reshaped his future. After an unsuccessful trip to the United States in 2006, where attempts to gain experience with organisations including NASA and Boeing fell short,…
Every year, as the seasons change, millions of birds undertake one of nature’s greatest journeys. Some travel only a few hundred kilometres, while others fly thousands without recognising political borders or national boundaries. Instead, they follow ancient migration routes known as flyways, natural aerial corridors shaped by geography, climate and the availability of food and…
Image Credit: Fireballs Aotearoa A spectacular fireball passed over the night sky of New Zealand’s North Island with extreme speed, at approximately 10.26 pm on Tuesday, 28 July 2026. It was accompanied by thunderous rumbles and sharp sonic booms that shook windows and alarmed the livestock in the region. From Auckland down to the Wairarapa,…
The first place people consider when thinking about the source of the oxygen that humans breathe is usually the big rainforest areas like the Amazon. Although forests play a very important role in storing carbon and conserving biodiversity and climate, the oceans provide a greater share of the oxygen in the atmosphere than forests. Almost…
A nesting olive ridley sea turtle on Playa Pejeperro in Costa Rica with a common remora attached to its shell (Credit: Megan Bullock) A mother sea turtle crawled onto a Costa Rican beach to lay her eggs, carrying an unexpected passenger that refused to let go even after leaving the ocean.Gripping tightly to the turtle’s…
