In the news

  (11/06/2019) Brazil wins legal fight over 100-million-year-old fossil bounty: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01781-8 (13/06/2019) Some Canadian lakes still store DDT in their mud: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/some-canadian-lakes-still-store-ddt-their-mud?tgt=nr (13/06/2019) Bermuda land snail: An animal “back from the dead”: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48527398 (14/06/2019) Many of the world’s rivers are flush with dangerous levels of antibiotics: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/world-rivers-dangerous-levels-antibiotics?tgt=nr   Book of the Week (brilliant idea Tom!) […]

International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22nd) – https://www.un.org/en/events/biodiversityday/   Evolution filled a vacant niche, with the *same* species https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/evolution-brings-extinct-island-bird-back-existence   Are chimps that different to us? https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/captive-chimps-learn-a-digging-behavior-once-thought-unique-to-humans-and-other-hominins/   The perils of harnessing hydropower https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01498-8   Lots on Twitter today for #EndangeredSpeciesDay   Managing exam anxiety https://www.southampton.ac.uk/edusupport/mental_health_and_wellbeing/online_workshops/04-managing-exam-stress.page  

The big news, hopefully you’ve seen this everywhere – Humans are driving one million species to extinction https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment. There have been mixed responses on social media, look at #IPBES on Twitter. In particular, Andy Purvis from NHM explaining to Toby Young how 1 they estimated 1 million, and that it is a good estimation. It […]

Why zebras are stripey https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/why-do-zebras-have-stripes-flies/583114/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2019-02-20T19%3A00%3A05&utm_content=edit-promo   Small ermine moths produce ultrasound as defence against bat predation https://medium.com/@GrrlScientist/deaf-moths-use-ultrasound-to-warn-hungry-bats-theyre-poisonous-38d465ab6253?source=friends_link&sk=db4b5414dbd82953812540a956351504   National plan monitoring scheme is looking for volunteers to survey 1km squares across the UK https://www.npms.org.uk/content/how-get-involved   Scientists rise up against statistical significance https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00857-9  

Fur map of the world (thank you, Mark!) https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fur-fashion-map   The modern synthesis https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130880-400-the-odd-couple-how-evolution-and-genetics-finally-got-together/?utm_medium=SOC&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1549971298   Darwin left medical school to pursue natural history https://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/about/notable-alumni/charles-darwin   Listen to episodes of Radio 4’s Darwin: in our time https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g9zb3/episodes/player?ns_campaign=bbc_radio_4&ns_mchannel=social&ns_linkname=radio_and_music&ns_source=twitter   Women scientists whose contributions were hidden in footnotes https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/womens-history-in-science-hidden-footnotes/582472/   In Biological Sciences we have no problem recruiting […]

The Royal Society of Biology is asking 1st year students about their experiences of A level Biology – “If you are an undergraduate student in your first year of university please complete our survey (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/post16_bio19?dm_i=I1,61VC2,M95SFG,NQV28,1) on your experience of biology in school. The information you provide will help to inform the work of the Biology Curriculum […]

Growing the perfect Christmas tree https://www.wired.com/story/the-science-of-growing-a-perfect-christmas-tree/   Christmas animals https://www.thefield.co.uk/country-house/christmas-animals-22866   Antarctica ice loss https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07714-1   Crafting to help with lab/field skills – an interesting idea to enhance dexterity https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07676-4   Ignoring women at the expense of science https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/12/women-science-sexism-research/   Get involved in the Willow Tit survey 2019 https://www.birdguides.com/news/can-you-help-to-monitor-britains-declining-willow-tits/   Why you should stop eating […]

Sound absorbent wings and fur assist moths in their arms race with bat predators https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sound-absorbent-wings-and-fur-help-some-moths-evade-bats   Dynasties – I am sure that you are all avidly watching Dynasties. The accompanying Twitter debate is interesting too. Read it to see comments on the assistance provided to penguins a couple of weeks ago – should observers ever […]

How Lymes Disease Became The First Epidemic Of Climate Change: https://aeon.co/essays/how-lyme-disease-became-the-first-epidemic-of-climate-change   EU finally bans three bee-killing neonicotinoids for any outside use (Thank you Magnus!): https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/eu-agrees-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-04987-4 Extreme weather could be ‘catastrophic’ for bats – this is very concerning. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43812484 Fascinating new evidence has looked at how birds got their beaks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43981165   Methane emissions […]

Hampshire bat group have sent me a list of upcoming meetings that you may be interested in attending: Saturday 10 November at the Ark Centre in Basingstoke. More details about the programme are available here: http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/seconference.html And you can book your place here: https://bats.eventhq.co.uk/attendees/add/event:south-east-bat-conference-2018 Saturday 1st Dec is the BHS/ ARC Scientific meeting in Bournemouth, which is open for […]