Evolution & Behaviour
Following the traces of fermentation
Yeasts are everywhere. This little bubbly-like single-cell fungus is a superstar of human food culture. Bread, beer, yogurt, cheese, wine and even coffee and cacao require yeast for their preparation. Thanks to Louis Pasteur we know that yeasts are responsible for the process of fermentation... click to read more
Moby, can you hear me whale?
Under the name "whale" lies an important diversity of aquatic mammals. Usually, scientists divide them into three groups. "Baleen whales", also called whales with mustache, is an extant group including the humpback whales and the largest animals that ever lived on earth, the blue whales.... click to read more
Survival of the friendliest
More than forty million Americans cherish their tail-wagging, face-licking, ball-fetching best friends. But not many people would welcome a wolf into their home. What makes dogs so uniquely friendly? Scientists have studied the unique relationship between humans and domestic dogs for decades, but the role... click to read more
Plants have deep roots in time
Plants capture sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen. This seemingly simple process is called photosynthesis. Without it we wouldn't be able to eat and breathe. What framed the benignant greenery, how did plants come to paint the Earth emerald and... click to read more
The belligerence of breeding: female aggression after mating
Sex changes us. In addition to the overwhelming Puberty-Blues kind of way, sex induces physical changes that occur across the entire animal kingdom, from elephants to fruit flies. Yet, there's one glaring aspect of sex that few scientists have studied - female aggression. That's where... click to read more
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