Many theories posit the physical and chemical origins of life. In the short film “aBiogenesis”, CGI artist Markos Kay imagines one such theory — the lipid world theory — in Keep reading
Tag: biology
Drag Reduction for Swimming Shrimp
Marsh grass shrimp, despite their small size, are zippy swimmers. They move using a series of closely-spaced legs that stroke asynchronously. Researchers found that the flexibility and stiffness of the Keep reading
Where Fresh and Salty Meet
Waterways twist through the wetlands of Adair Bay in this astronaut-captured image of northwestern Mexico. The estuary marks the transition between the Great Altar Desert and the Gulf of California. Keep reading
Seashore Hunting
Watch sea gulls, plovers, and other birds hunt in the tidal zone, and you may notice them stepping over and over in the same spot. This is part of bird’s Keep reading
Simulating Schools
In nature, fish school for many reasons: protection from predators, increased sensing, and hydrodynamic advantages. To capture this complex behavior, researchers are building their own digital fish, governed by known Keep reading
Why Moths Are Slow Fliers
Hawkmoths and other insects are slow fliers compared to birds, even ones that can hover. To understand why these insects top out at 5 m/s, researchers simulated their flight from Keep reading
Fluid Flow For Digestive Health
During digestion, our intestines use two different patterns of muscle contraction to move food through our bodies. Scientists have long wondered why we have this added complexity. Using numerical simulations Keep reading
“Reconfiguring It Out”
Leaves flutter and bend in the breeze, changing their shape in response to the flow. Here, researchers investigate this behavior using flexible disks pulled through water. The more flexible the Keep reading
Sound Makes Stickier Bandages
Keeping wounds safe and clean is hard when bandages are so prone to coming off. A team of researchers may have found a solution, though, using ultrasound to enhance adhesion. Keep reading
Moths and Beetles in Flight
Watching insects take flight in high-speed video is always mesmerizing. So often their wings look too small and fragile to lift their bulbous bodies, but they manage the feat easily. Keep reading