Experts say a satellite designed to track methane could be one of our best tools in the fight against climate change in the near future. MethaneSAT will spot large emitters of the greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. MethaneSAT mission to fill …
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North Pacific humpback whale numbers fall by 20%, but some scientists aren’t worried yet
UBC scientist lauds sprawling international study an ‘amazing example of citizen science.’ A sprawling international study of humpback whales in the northern Pacific has found their population has shrunk significantly since 2012 — despite the once-endangered species’ remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction. The new research, published in Royal …
Read More »These are the 1st images of humpbacks having sex, and they’re both males
Photographers Hawaii captured what scientists say is the first documentation of humpback whale sex. ‘It was not what I was expecting,’ says biologist Stephanie Stack When biologist Stephanie Stack first saw the photographs of two humpback whales mating in the warm waters of Hawaii, she says her mind was “completely …
Read More »We have leap years and leap seconds. Do we need a leap minute?
The leap year is the most famous of the leap family, keeping our calendars right every year, while behind the scenes, with little fanfare, the leap second has been doing its part. But global stakeholders believe it’s time for a change — the leap minute. Leap seconds have been added …
Read More »Climate change could cause ‘generational trauma’ in great apes
A warming world will create even more dangerous conditions for ape species across hundreds of African habitats, according to new scientific research. They’re just like us — and wildfires, floods and droughts could drive them to extinction. Great apes in danger of ‘generational trauma’ due to climate change New research …
Read More »You’ve likely never seen a total solar eclipse. Here’s where and how to watch April’s upcoming show
On April 8, the moon’s shadow will glide across a narrow part of Canada, producing one of nature’s greatest spectacles: a total solar eclipse. If you think you’ve seen one before, you probably haven’t, as these eclipse experts reveal the beauty and awe of the experience. A total solar eclipse …
Read More »How documenting the disappearance of the great auk led to the discovery of extinction
In the book, The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction, Gísli Pálsson retraces the journey of two English biologists who went looking for the rare great auk birds in Iceland. What they didn’t find is how the world was first introduced …
Read More »More than 100 possible new marine species discovered in a single deepsea expedition
During a research expedition off the coast of Chile, Erin Easton says her colleagues were constantly calling her over to show her some amazing new sea creature they’d just discovered. ‘It is beyond my wildest dreams of what we could have expected,’ says marine scientist. During a research expedition off …
Read More »India reveals astronauts for its Gaganyaan space mission
On Tuesday, India introduced four crew members for its maiden Gaganyaan space voyage, as it aims to become the world’s fourth country to send a crewed mission into space just months after a historic landing on the south pole of the moon. Country plans to launch a habitable space capsule …
Read More »At least 200,000 species sing in ways that are silent to humans. Listen to one of them now
The sound of the dime-sized treehopper is usually inaudible to humans. Using special equipment, the Secret World of Sound team captured its courtship duet. This little treehopper has a song that humans usually can’t hear – but you can listen to it now Some creatures are so quiet, they appear …
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