Researchers have found that waste eggshells can be processed into a fine powder and used to replace part of the cement in mortar without reducing its compressive strength. A study tested calcined eggshell powder at replacement levels ranging from 2.5% to 12.5%. The strongest result came at 10%, where the mortar reached a compressive strength…
For much of the 20th century, the Iberian lynx was disappearing from the Spanish landscape. By 2001, only 62 mature animals were recorded, leaving one of Europe’s most distinctive wild cats perilously close to extinction. Since then, a sustained conservation programme has altered its trajectory. Reintroductions, captive breeding, habitat restoration and efforts to protect its…
Egg-laying Skink (Oligosoma suteri) in New Zealand. Image Credit: Wikipedia A conservation effort in New Zealand took a surprising turn when 30 egg-laying skinks were moved from Green Island to Korapuki Island in 1992. The group consisted of 10 males and 20 gravid females (already carrying eggs). Years later, researchers compared the skinks on both…
Planck in 1918, the year he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on quantum theory (Image: B Lagrelius & Westphal/ The American Institute of Physics ) Long before quantum mechanics became a household term, Max Planck was already thinking carefully about what it actually means to do science. In this quote,…
AI representation/ChatGPT Most people cannot remember their first birthday, their first steps or the days they spent learning to speak. Even though those years shaped the rest of their lives, the memories usually disappear from conscious recall. This is known as infantile amnesia, or childhood amnesia. It refers to the lack of clear, personal memories…
Deep in Ethiopia’s Harenna Forest, a snake that initially appeared familiar has turned out to represent a species new to science. The discovery began with a juvenile female collected from the forest and kept for observation as she grew. The appearance gradually raised questions about whether she belonged to a known egg-eating snake. What followed…
Representative Image of diverse plasticine models resembling prey, under scrutiny by researchers assessing animal interactions (AI Generated Image) For years, ecologists have used soft plasticine models shaped like caterpillars, fruit, bird eggs, snakes and frogs to study interactions between predators and their potential prey. The idea is simple: leave the models in a natural habitat,…
Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) at Alibel Tortoise Park, Mahe, Seychelles (2025). Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Madagascar began rebuilding a giant tortoise population in 2018 with only 12 founder animals at the Anjajavy Reserve in the north-west of the country. The small group faced an important challenge because a population started from so few animals…
Japanese macaque. Image Credit: Wikipedia The relocation of 38 macaques from Japan to Austria in 1996 created a unique opportunity to follow a primate population from its first days in a new environment. The animals were moved from the Minoo-H group in Osaka Prefecture to Affenberg Landskron, a forested enclosure in southern Austria. Over the…
Representative Image of a Swiss glacier covered with sheep’s wool, showcasing environmental innovation in melting ice protection (AI Generated Image) As Switzerland’s glaciers continue to lose ice, researchers are testing an unusual material that could offer a more environmentally friendly way to slow melting in small, protected areas: sheep’s wool. The “Keep It Wool” project,…
