2019 was an even busier year than last year! I spent nearly two whole months traveling for business, gave 13 invited talks and workshops, and produced three FYFD videos. I Keep reading
Tag: biology
Surfing Honeybees
Honeybees have superpowers when it comes to their aerodynamics and impressive pollen-carrying, but their talents don’t end in the air. A new study confirms that honeybees can surf. Wet bees Keep reading
Seeing Past the Surface
Satellite imagery has revolutionized remote sensing and our ability to observe the world around us. But peering past the surface of water has always been next to impossible. We might Keep reading
Whale Feeding
Whether in groups or as individuals, humpback whales are canny hunters. They herd prey together by encircling them and releasing bubbles that form a “net” that bars escape. Then, the whales Keep reading
Sliding Down a Pitcher Plant
Carnivorous pitcher plants supplement their nutrient-poor environments by capturing and consuming insects. The viscoelastic fluid inside them helps trap prey, but fluid dynamics plays a role elsewhere on the plant as well. Keep reading
Escaping the Limits of Viscosity
For large creatures, it’s not hard to feel the evidence of someone else swimming nearby. But to tiny swimmers water is incredibly viscous and hard to move. These creatures have Keep reading
If You Teach a Goose to Fly
Scientists do all manner of odd things in the name of science. To teach bar-headed geese – birds capable of flying at the altitude of Everest – to fly in Keep reading
The Impressive Take-Off of Pigeons
One reason that peregrine falcons are such amazing fliers is that their prey, pigeons, are no slouches in flight, either. Able to take off vertically and accelerate to 100 kph in two Keep reading
Feathered Fighter Jets
Peregrine falcons are built for speed. They’ve been clocked at more than 380 kilometers per hour when diving. This video from Deep Look examines some of the features that make these birds of Keep reading
How Ant Stingers Work
Anyone who’s felt the sting of a fire ant knows it only takes an instant for this species to deliver a painful blow. Scientists are uncovering why that is using some of Keep reading