When recounting an episode of the children’s TV show Pingu, people from Italy made an average of 22 gestures per 100 words, compared with 11 for Swedish people. People of different nationalities appear to vary in their use of hand gestures, according to a study that seems to reinforce the idea that Italians, in particular, […]
New Scientist
We now know why we find some jokes funny – thanks to Seinfeld
Scientists have a better understanding of how we enjoy jokes after monitoring people’s brain activity while they watched the sitcom Seinfeld. What starts as a simple knock-knock joke can light up different regions of your brain, depending on whether you find the gag funny or just understand it. Scientists gained a better appreciation of this […]
Emergence of huge cicada generation in 2021 led to a caterpillar boom
The emergence of ‘Brood X’ periodical cicadas in the US in 2021 gave birds a new food source, leading to knock-on effects throughout forest ecosystems. When big broods of cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years, birds are treated to a smorgasbord of fresh food – and this sudden glut has cascading effects on other […]
Underground fungi absorb up to a third of our fossil fuel emissions
Researchers estimate that plants transfer more than 13 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide each year to mycorrhizal fungi, which grow around their roots. The relationships between plants and the fungi that colonise their roots are responsible for locking away a huge amount of carbon underground – maybe equivalent to more than one-third of global emissions from […]
How to avoid deer fly bites, according to science
An experiment with a sticky fly trap in a Canadian forest suggests you will get more deer fly bites if you walk around than if you sit still If you are being pestered by deer flies in the woods of North America this summer, don’t run away – try sitting quietly instead. An experiment shows […]
Rise in urban beekeeping may be crowding out native bee species
In Montreal, Canada, the diversity of wild bee species has fallen in areas where honeybee colonies have proliferated. Efforts to “save the bees” by encouraging urban beekeeping over the past decade may have been good for honeybees, but wild, native bees appear to be paying the price. Researchers in Montreal, Canada, surveyed wild bee populations […]
Sea life recovered from Permian mass extinction faster than we thought
A diverse set of fossils from China shows that a complex marine ecosystem existed 251 million years ago, shortly after a mass extinction wiped out most complex life on Earth. An exceptional assemblage of marine fossils from China seems to show that life in the oceans recovered surprisingly quickly after the biggest mass extinction in […]
Human waste could help tackle a global shortage of fertiliser
Tests on cabbage plants suggest fertilisers derived from human urine and faeces are safe and could help bring down food prices. Fertilisers derived from recycled human urine and faeces are just as safe and effective as conventional ones, according to tests on cabbage plants. Using human waste in this way could help alleviate the fertiliser […]
Urban lizards have gene mutations that help them adapt to city life
Anole lizards living in three cities in Puerto Rico have mutations in genes linked to immune function, limb and skin development, which may help them thrive alongside humans. Lizards in three cities in Puerto Rico have evolved a similar set of genetic changes to help them adapt to urban life. The Puerto Rican crested anole […]
Canada geese return twice as quickly if you try to shoo them away
Geese chased out of a park in Chicago returned to the area twice as quickly on days when they were harassed, compared with days when they left of their own accord. Canada geese can be a nuisance – but harassing them to leave an area may backfire. These birds, which often take up residence in […]