Tag: nature

Introducing the poison that inspired Van Gogh and almost killed James Bond: Digoxin

The otherwise innocent-looking flower Digitalis contains the poison that can make your heart stop. That unfortunate effect is also the reason why the poison has been used for treating heart ailments for more than 200 years.

What our online lives can tell us about how much we value nature

Most people like spending time in nature. But how important is it to our wellbeing? A new research project comes a few steps closer in answering that.

The medicines of the future are hiding in Nature's treasure trove

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen are studying bioactive molecules in fungi to find the medicines of tomorrow.

Birdsong is genetically coded

Nature or nurture? Until now, ornithologists assumed that birds passed on their unique songs predominantly via social learning. But a new Swedish study shows that genetics may be a bigger factor.

Buttock hair used to monitor Arctic musk ox

GREENLAND: Musk ox are a key species in the Arctic, but populations are in decline. A new method is helping scientists to monitor these animals in often difficult to reach, remote locations.

Electrons can jump between trees

A new study shows that electrons can jump long distances through wood, which means that timber can transfer a small amount of electric charge.

Half of Amazon Rainforests on the verge of extinction

Up to 57 per cent of all tree species in the Amazon Rainforest are on the verge of extinction, shows new research.

Large animals have removed 80 per cent of forests

Without large animals such as elephants, deer, and bison, much of the world would quickly return to forest, shows new research.

Udzungwa! Photos of a forgotten rainforest

In the past 35 years, scientists have discovered several new species in one of Africa's forgotten rainforests.

Scientists create first cybertype of Avatar millipede species

New method allows for cataloguing and detailed study of virtual specimens.

Wild horses could soon return to Europe

Scientists say we could have wild horse populations running free in just two decades.

New type of infection by ticks leaves no visible symptoms

Scientists warn GPs to be aware of a new strain of bacterial infection from tick bites that leave no characteristic red rash and results in an intermittent fever.

Ants care for their sick to avoid epidemics

Even though ants live and work close together in colonies, their nests are rarely hit by epidemics.

3D technology allows scientists to model Greenland's past

VIDEO: See how the scientists used 3D technology to discover new details about Greenland’s past.

Birds on the Galápagos Islands have developed new eating habits

New study on the eating habits of birds on the Galápagos Islands have surprised scientists.

Birds on the Galápagos Islands have developed new eating habits

New study on the eating habits of birds on the Galápagos Islands have surprised scientists.

Two birds have cheated scientist for decades

Scandinavian scientists have turned the family trees of two birds upside down using genetic analysis.

World’s fastest fish continues to impress

The sailfish is not only the world’s fastest swimmer. A new video reveals that its movements during hunting are the quickest ever seen in a marine animal.

Copenhagen invaded by research fleet

As part of this summer’s science festival ’Science in the City’, a fleet of research ships will be docking in Copenhagen. The public is invited on board to learn about the ins and outs of marine research.

Photos: Eye contact with Savannah animals

A new photo exhibition looks deep into the eyes of Africa’s wild animals.

Hummingbirds can fly with almost no oxygen

The hummingbird’s super-fast wing beats are among the most energy-intensive movements in the animal kingdom. Still, the birds can fly 4,000 metres above sea level, where there is very little oxygen. Scientists have now figured out how this is possible.

Ants in gladiatorial combat reveal unique collaboration

Defenceless ‘farmer ants’ receive help from heavily armed venomous ants when their colony is attacked. This unique collaboration has now been documented through gladiatorial combat between the ants.

Why insects always hide in the dark

It is no coincidence that insect larvae always hide away in dark corners. Scientists have now discovered how the larvae know where it’s best to hide away.

Bison may boost Danish vegetation

A new study sets out to clarify what effect the reintroduction of bison will have on the Danish countryside. The bison may open up for a more diverse flora, says researcher.

Old concrete can purify rainwater

Strange as it may sound, concrete from your old bathroom can help make our environment greener. This is because concrete has a great ability to bind phosphorus, say the scientists behind a new project.

Fight fish disease with fish

Scientists are checking the possibility of limiting the spread of the dangerous fish disease FZT with the help of a very special fish.

Climate change eats up Arctic insect life

Scientists have found the first clear link between insect populations and rising temperatures in the Arctic.

Fungi and rust can stifle smell of slurry

New study shows how fungal spores and rust can help reduce the stench of slurry in biofilters, which help prevent harmful substances from being released into the atmosphere.

Wolves with mange can heal themselves

Mange parasites can force humans, foxes and even wolves to scratch their skin into pieces. For foxes this can be fatal, but wolves are hardier.

Singing bowhead whales give new insight into behaviour

Of the estimated 12 species of baleen whale, only the song of the humpback and bowhead whale covers both low and high frequency areas. A researcher has looked into this mystery.

Sea snakes break rules of evolution

Evolutionarily speaking, sea snakes are some pretty weird creatures. They have evolved both large and small heads very quickly and apparently without being separated geographically.

Archeologists burn pigs to investigate historical mystery

Archeologists are puzzled by the fact that bone remnants from children and infants are almost never unearthed from ancient funeral pyre sites.

Oceans drive climate change

Researchers say that changes in the climate can be traced in the ocean hundreds of years before there is any trace of it in the atmosphere.

Plant sap is twice as sweet as cola

A new study has looked at how sweet plant juice needs to be to give the plant the optimal energy yield. Ideally, it should be twice as sweet as cola.

Butterflies fly 3,500 km by compass

Monarch butterflies fly from Canada to Mexico using only an internal compass and the landscape to guide them. Now researchers can explain how.

Geophysicist: A Katrina hurricane will strike every two years

Increases in Earth’s average temperature will result in far more hurricanes in the future, new study reveals.

Fish migrate to avoid predators

Tagged fish reveal that animals migrate to avoid being eaten by predators.

Thunderclouds challenge laws of nature

Well-defined and detached clouds such as thunderclouds violate the laws of thermodynamics when it comes to the amount of precipitation.

Greenland’s cultural heritage threatened by climate change

Archaeologists estimate that Greenland has more than 6,000 sites with cultural monuments. Due to climate change, a significant part of these treasures may be under threat.

Tree physics determine leaf size

Danish Harvard researcher has found a link between the height of trees and the limit to how large or small their leaves can get.

Europe’s smallest beetle found in Denmark

Researchers have just found the first Danish specimens of Europe’s smallest beetle. It’s not much wider than a human hair.

Turning toxic vegetable refuse into nutritious animal feed

New research makes it possible to remove growth-inhibiting natural toxins from protein-rich waste products.

Bizarre penis shaved by scientists

The most terrifying penis in the animal kingdom has now been under the laser. Here, scientists found the answer to an evolutionary mystery.

Climate debate is based on religion

Religion plays a major part in the climate debate, for instance in our fight to preserve endangered species that have no practical use to humans, argues theologian in a new book.

Living power cables discovered in Danish bay

Scientists have found bacteria that function as live electric cables at the bottom of the sea.

Getting Arctic raw materials requires a gentle hand

We must be very careful if we want to preserve the Arctic region’s special natural environment and culture while ensuring that the coming raw materials boom doesn’t turn into a disaster.

Alarming loss of biodiversity in protected areas

The natural environment is in a far worse state than feared, according to the most comprehensive study so far of conditions in a large number of protected tropical forests.

Hybrid fungus threatens agriculture

A new breed of fungus appeared less than 500 years ago, when the genes of two different types were accidentally mixed. Such hybrid fungi may be a threat to agriculture.

Bite me: why mosquitoes love some and leave others

Research reveals why some people are constantly under attack from the bloodsucking insects, while others walk free.

Crystals connect like LEGO bricks

Crystals grow as a result of their nanoparticles locating each other and connecting at the exact spot where the atoms fit together.

Colour secrets revealed in fossilised fish-eye

A Swedish palaeontologist and Danish researchers have now proved that prehistoric fossils still have traces of colouring from the animal’s skin, hair or feathers.

Still time to save our plants from climate change

Climate change will cause plant species to disappear more slowly than previously thought. While this gives us time to rescue our plant life, it means we may begin to underestimate the effects of global warming.

Carnivorous killer algae found in Danish waters

We know that fish eat plankton and plankton eat algae. Think again, says researcher, who has spotted a form of algae so ferocious that can they overpower animals 10,000 times their own size.

Your sustainable lifestyle could strain distant countries

Urban sustainability usually only has a local effect – and attempts at making cities sustainable could actually have negative effects on distant countries. New study sheds light on the hidden pitfalls.

Lack of oxygen led to first mass extinction

The first mass extinction of animal life on Earth was previously blamed on a rise in the oxygen concentration in the oceans as a result of a cooler climate. But a new study shows the catastrophe was really caused by a massive decrease in oxygen.

Computer model predicts tomorrow’s nature

Researchers have developed a computer model that can look into the future. The model’s virtual world makes it possible to explore how man-made changes in nature will impact on animal life in the future.

Your guide to sex in the wild

Oysters do it, humans do it and fish do it – even plants do it. We all have sex to ensure the survival of our species. Here's a look at the evolution of this blissful activity.

Personality crucial for endangered species

Endangered animal species need to have their personalities analysed – a prerequisite for scientists to adapt their preservation work to the needs of the individual species.

Climate towers in the Faroes?

An eminent UK engineer has asked the British government to start constructing towers that can spread seawater into the atmosphere. He says the Faroe Islands are an ideal location. Nonsense, says Danish researcher.

Diverse herrings are super survivors

New research reveals how herring genes vary with the environment. The discovery could make it easier to protect the herring stock against future challenges such as climate change.

Green spaces boost your health

Living close to a green area is likely to make you a healthier and happier person, says report.

Urban design makes birds hit the high C

Birds raise their pitch to drown out traffic noise and to make themselves understood in the urban landscape.

The North Pole is on thin ice

While the world’s political leaders have left the negotiating table again without an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, the Arctic has greater problems than ever – 75 percent of the sea ice has disappeared.

Ants in supercolonies defy evolution

Some invasive ants create supercolonies which eliminate other ants in an area. But the supercolonies cannot continue to exist, since evolution doesn’t allow for this social behaviour.

Marine reptiles closer to extinction

The number of marine reptiles has fallen sharply in recent years and most species are now threatened with extinction. Man is the culprit, frightening the reptiles and destroying their breeding grounds, say researchers.

Top 10: The best copies of Nature (Part 2)

Continuing yesterday's roundup, here are five more examples of how new technologies can be created by copying the science of Mother Nature.

Top 10: The best copies of Nature (Part 1)

Here's the first five of ten examples of how new technologies can be created by copying the science of Mother Nature.

Protecting Greenland’s animals from oil spills

Researchers have prepared a new online atlas that shows the areas in Greenland that are most vulnerable to oil spills. The atlas will protect the island’s animals.

Water drops reveal all life in a lake

A new DNA detection method can very effectively tell us which animals live in a lake. See some of these interesting animals in our picture gallery.

Historically large glacier losses in 2000s

The sharp reduction of a Greenlandic glacier in the 2000s was historically large and was caused by short-term climate changes, new research reveals. It also shows the first definite link between climate change and glacial melting.

Rams and hedgehogs can make cars safer

Car bumpers can be made far more efficient by studying animals that have developed ways to deal with heavy impacts.

Origins of animal life remain a mystery

For 520 million years, a goldmine of fossils has remained untouched beneath northern Greenland, hiding secrets about the development of animal life on our planet. A new expedition to the area may reveal these secrets.

Bats have the fastest muscles of all mammals

Researchers have found extremely fast muscles in bats. They are the fastest muscles ever found in mammals.

Winds extend the life of the Arctic icecap

The wind plays a much more important role in climate change than previously thought, say Danish researchers, who have mapped the summer ice in the Arctic Ocean going back thousands of years

Warm sea currents caused the melting of Greenland’s ice

It was the sea temperature, rather than the air temperature, that determined how fast Greenland’s ice cap melted at the end of the last ice age. This discovery is important for today's research into ice melt

Global warming won't make plants grow any faster

Climate change will likely not result in increased plant growth as once thought. A new Danish research project shows that future periods of drought will limit growth – and that is bad news for the climate.

New telescope to find life in space

Danish researchers have designed a new telescope technology which they claim is 300 times more effective than the current ones.