General science thread

Quote:

Ironclad Beetle:
This beetle, native to Southern California, is renowned for its extreme crush resistance.
Exoskeleton:
The beetle's exoskeleton is remarkably tough, with interlocking plates that act like a jigsaw puzzle, distributing stress and preventing crushing.
Strength:
Studies have shown that the beetle can withstand forces approximately 39,000 times its body weight, according to Berkeley Lab News Center.
Adaptations:
The beetle's exoskeleton is an adaptation that evolved to protect it from predators and harsh desert conditions, according to Nature.
Elytra:
The beetle's elytra, or outer wings, are also fused together to provide additional protection, forming a crush-resistant shield.

Quote: rxwine

Ironclad Beetle:
This beetle, native to Southern California, is renowned for its extreme crush resistance.
Exoskeleton:
The beetle's exoskeleton is remarkably tough, with interlocking plates that act like a jigsaw puzzle, distributing stress and preventing crushing.
Strength:
Studies have shown that the beetle can withstand forces approximately 39,000 times its body weight, according to Berkeley Lab News Center.
Adaptations:
The beetle's exoskeleton is an adaptation that evolved to protect it from predators and harsh desert conditions, according to Nature.
Elytra:
The beetle's elytra, or outer wings, are also fused together to provide additional protection, forming a crush-resistant shield.

Quote:

Given a choice between two sea snail shells, hermit crabs know which will make a better home. That is, unless their thinking has been muddled by ingesting microplastics. Then, they struggle with a decision that could be crucial for survival.
They aren't alone: across the animal kingdom, it appears, tiny bits of plastic change behaviours and mess up cognition. Exposure to these particles makes mice more forgetful and less social. Bees have trouble learning. Zebrafish act more anxious.

Quote:

Xuanhe Zhao at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have developed a power-free water-collecting device that is about 0.5 metres tall and 0.1 m across. It is composed of a glass panel that contains an absorbent hydrogel, a jelly-like substance made from long-chain polymers, and lithium salts that can store water molecules.
The hydrogel, which was folded into an origami-like structure to increase its surface area, absorbs water at night. This then evaporates when the sun shines on the glass panel in the day. The device’s interior is coated in a cooling material, where the evaporated water collects and drips into storage below.

Zhao and his team tested their device for one week in Death Valley, where humidity can reach as low as 5 per cent. For comparison, London’s year-round average is around 70 per cent. The researchers found that the device extracted up to 160 millilitres of water per day, enough to fill a small glass (Nature Water, doi.org/prfd).

They estimate that eight of these panels could supply an average adult’s daily drinking water needs, which may be particularly useful in arid areas.

Quote: odiousgambit

anybody else notice that those places covering science news have now gone to the total clickbait approach

here's a headline today: "The sky will go dark — NASA warns of astronomical event not seen in 12,000 years" ... a 'warning' you see. Don't bother checking it out, it's an upcoming eclipse. An especially long one!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!

Quote: odiousgambit

anybody else notice that those places covering science news have now gone to the total clickbait approach

here's a headline today: "The sky will go dark — NASA warns of astronomical event not seen in 12,000 years" ... a 'warning' you see. Don't bother checking it out, it's an upcoming eclipse. An especially long one!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!