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Syntax discovered in the warbling duets of wild parrots

With a few minutes of searching, anyone can find videos online of chatty birds: macaws talk to their keepers, cockatoos sing to the camera, corvids mimic the jarring sounds of construction sites. Research has shown that some birds can understand and use words in context—so,

Helping lobster hatcheries safeguard genetic diversity

Some lobster mothers produce offspring that are far more likely to survive—in findings that could help safeguard lobster diversity. University of Exeter researchers, working in partnership with the National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) in Cornwall, studied European lobsters that

Hunting dark matter 'stars' that mimic black holes

Hypothetical dark matter stars known as "boson stars" could leave telltale ripples across the cosmos, offering researchers a new way to probe the invisible forces shaping the universe. In 2019, a strange event was observed in the depths of space. Called GW190521, the event sent

Changing the way we warn about natural disasters

With extreme weather events, fires and floods growing increasingly common, general warnings are no longer adequate. Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and others, now call for change—from mass mailings to personalized

Artificial wetlands can protect water quality

On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de València highlights the importance of these ecosystems as key tools for improving water quality, protecting soil and mitigating diffuse

It takes three types of thinking to be smart

Do you know what it means to be smart? It's a more complicated question than it may seem. There are several ways to think about intelligence—as the well-known "book-vs.-street smart" binary illustrates. By most people's definition, a truly smart person would be someone who not

The Tourist Draw of Melting Glaciers

Glacier tourism tends to do more harm than good, and when the glaciers are gone, local economies will have to adapt The post The Tourist Draw of Melting Glaciers appeared first on Nautilus .

Can our pets really say 'I love you'? Science is finding out

Purrs of contentment. Soulful eyes locked on yours over dinner. Valentine's Day? Not for pet owners. For those of us who share our lives with animals, this is a daily—if not exactly romantic—experience. So are the various barks, meows, whines, and other, sometimes adorable,

Science academies failing to put women at the top

National science organizations may have more women members today than a decade ago, but representation at the highest level has failed to keep pace, according to analysis published on International Day of Women and Girls in Science.