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☆ Strange fungus turns cicadas into zombies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But some of these insects won’t succeed in their goal of procreating — instead, they’ll be controlled like zombies into spreading a strange fungus that hijacks cicadas’ bodies and behavior. At some point, the insects are exposed to spores of the fungus Massospora cicadina. Courtesy Angie Macias/WVUDespite having a chalky gumdrop of spores instead of genitals, the infected cicadas still attempt to mate, with gusto. Both male and female cicadas infected with Massospora flick their wings to draw in amorous, soon-to-be-infected males. But attempting to mate is just one part of how infected cicadas spread the fungus.

Persons: procreating —, John Cooley, It’s, ”, Matt Kasson, Angie Macias, ” Cooley, ” Kasson, Kasson, Cooley, “ We’re, “, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Connecticut, West Virginia University, WVU, Midwest Locations: Hartford, Illinois, Chicago

☆ Cicadas 2024: What to expect from the Brood XIII and Brood XIX emergence of cicadas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The 13-year group, known as Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, is the largest periodical cicada brood, stretching across the southeastern United States. The Northern Illinois Brood, or Brood XIII, emerges every 17 years. Periodical cicadas are smaller and mostly black, with bright red eyes and orange-tinged wings and legs. Billions of cicadas are expected this spring as two different broods — Broods XIX and XIII — emerge simultaneously. However, predictions of a cicadapocalypse — in which Brood XIII and Brood XIX show up at the same place at the same time — are probably an exaggeration.

Persons: hasn’t, Thomas Jefferson, —, “, ”, Jonathan Larson, don’t, XIII —, Jason Bergman, ” Larson, We’re, Chris Simon, XIII haven't, Chip Somodevilla, Larson, Cheney Orr, ” Simon, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Southern, Northern Illinois, University of Kentucky, Midwest, University of Connecticut, Reuters Locations: United States, Indianapolis, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky , Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina , Georgia, Alabama , Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Columbia , Maryland, America, Chicago

☆ Why axolotls are everywhere — but a rarity in the one lake they call home
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“They’re teenagers, at least in appearance, until they die.”Mexico's Lake Xochimilco is the only spot where axolotls are found in the wild. Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesWhile the wild axolotls of Lake Xochimilco have dwindled to near-extinction, countless axolotls have been bred for scientific laboratories and the pet trade. However, the axolotls you might find at a pet shop are different from their wild relatives in Lake Xochimilco. That means that the axolotl extinction crisis can’t simply be solved by dumping pet axolotls into Lake Xochimilco. (Plus, the pet axolotls likely wouldn’t fare well with the poor habitat conditions in the lake.)

Persons: Randal Voss, Voss, “, ’ ”, Xolotl, “ ACK, uhl, ” Voss, Hector Vivas, they’re, Luis Zambrano, ” Zambrano, Daniel Cardenas, they’ve, Axolotls, Zambrano, axolotls, ”, ” Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, “, Aztecs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Axolotl, Amphibians Conservation, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Mexican, Xochimilco, Mexico City, It’s, Lake Xochimilco, Mexico, French, Europe, California , Maine , New Jersey, Washington, Minecraft, Chicago

☆ Brood XIII and Brood XIX: What to expect from 2024’s rare double brood emergence of cicadas
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

☆ These small male marsupials give up sleep for sex, then die after intense mating season, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists based in Australia have found that mouse-sized male antechinus trade sleep to leave more time for reproductive activities during mating season, with one male who was monitored halving his sleep time during that period. Non-breeding dusky antechinus spend an average of 15.3 hours of the day asleep, according to the researchers. “Sleep restriction in breeding male antechinus is likely to be an adaptive behavioral response driven by strong sexual selection,” the paper said. To study the semelparous marsupials, researchers examined two antechinus species: dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and wild agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis) both captive and wild. Lesku said researchers would next like to examine how male antechinus deal with restricting their sleep for three weeks.

Persons: ” Erika Zaid, ”, Erika Zaid, Francesca Leonard, Zaid, John Lesku, antechinus, ” Lesku, Erika Zaid “, Volker Sommer, ” Sommer, Lesku Organizations: CNN, La Trobe University, “, University College London Locations: Australia, Melbourne

☆ Ancient DNA reveals genetic roots of multiple sclerosis and other diseases
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

These genetic variants may have subsequently proved beneficial to European populations in making the shift from hunting and gathering to farming. “DNA from hunter-gatherers is present at higher levels in Northeastern Europe, which means the region has an elevated genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Barrie said. Similarly, the ancient genetic information shed light on the evolutionary history of traits such as height and lactose tolerance. And for most traits, MS included, the genetic effects are the result of multiple genetic variants,” he said. “Ultimately, we can’t say that MS came from Bronze Age populations, but these populations’ movements and environments contribute to differences in MS risk today.”

Persons: “, ”, Rasmus Nielsen, It’s, William Barrie, Astrid Iversen, ” Iversen, ε4, ” Barrie, Samira, Asgari, Tony Capra, Capra, wasn’t Organizations: CNN —, University of California, Danish National, University of Cambridge’s, University of Oxford, Icahn School of Medicine, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute Locations: Western Europe, Central Asia, Europe, Berkeley, Kazakhstan, Northeastern Europe, Mount Sinai, New York, Bakar, San Francisco

☆ Research unveils gruesome history of Tasmanian tiger skins in British museum’s collection
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Warning: This article contains disturbing descriptions about the practices of colonial settlers in Tasmania and violence against Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples. “In all, Allport shipped five Tasmanian Aboriginal skeletons to Europe, proudly identifying himself as the most prolific trader in Tasmanian bodily remains,” according to the study. The colonial government allowed settlers to murder Tasmanian Aboriginal people without punishment and, in 1830, even established a bounty for the capture of Indigenous humans and Tasmanian tigers, or thylacines. Some Aboriginal Tasmanian people did survive colonial persecution, Ashby added, though at brutal costs. Their descendants make up today’s Tasmanian Aboriginal community, Ashby said.

Persons: Jack Ashby, Morton Allport, Allport, Ashby, It’s, ” Ashby, Mortan Allport, ”, incentivized Allport, William Lanne, William Crowther, Crowther, Truganini, thylacines, “ We’re, Rebecca Kilner, ” Kilner Organizations: Tasmanian Aboriginal, CNN, Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology, Tasmanian, Allport Library, Museum of Fine Arts, State, of, Royal Society of Tasmania, Royal Society, British Museum, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, University of Cambridge Grappling Locations: Tasmania, United Kingdom, Europe, Belgium, of Tasmania, Great Britain, London, Bass, ”, Brussels, Tasmanian, Cambridge

☆ Climate change drives Bangladesh's worst dengue outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[6/14]Read moreMedical Entomologist Professor Dr. Kabirul Bashar collects adult mosquitoes from the field at night to examine the changes in the behavior of Aedes aegypti in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 6. Bashar, an entomologist and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, has spent much of his career studying mosquitoes and said he had never seen such a severe outbreak in his 25 years of...DHAKA, BANGLADESH

Persons: Dr, Kabirul Bashar, Bashar Organizations: Read, Jahangirnagar University Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

The death toll from Bangladesh's outbreak in 2023 is 1,476 as of Nov. 12, with 291,832 infected, official data showed. "These seasonal pattern changes are creating the ideal situation for breeding of Aedes mosquito. Dengue is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season as the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads the disease, thrives in stagnant water. "This year we have seen different symptoms for dengue fever," physician Janesar Rahat Faysal told Reuters. "I had to deal with two dengue patients, my sister and my niece.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Kabirul Bashar, Bashar, Janesar Rahat Faysal, Sirazus Salekin Chowdhury, Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Mugda Medical College and Hospital, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Hospitals, Jahangirnagar University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, South Asia

☆ Scientists finally solved the centuries-long mystery of where a starfish's head is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers mapped starfish genes to solve the mystery, and it wasn't what they expected. Turns out, starfish genes suggest it contains multiple heads, one at the center and in each limb. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a game of pin the tail on the donkey, scientists have finally pinpointed the head on a starfish. Turns out starfish, aka sea stars, don't just have one head sitting at the center of their bodies. On the other hand, sea stars with five limbs, lack bilateral symmetry and instead have what's called five-fold radial symmetry.

Persons: —, Laurent Formery, Peter Guttman, Formery, Jeff Thompson, he's Organizations: Service, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, Getty, Stanford, University of Southampton Locations: Nature

The museum this fall acquired tens of thousands of reptile and amphibian specimens from Oregon State University, many of which are snakes. The development places the university in a unique position, according to Schneider, the research museum collections manager for the museum's division of reptiles and amphibians. “I’m fairly confident we’ll have the largest snake collection in the world,” he said. The extensive new additions also will allow scientists to conduct new snake and amphibian research, perhaps looking at trait evolution in mothers and their offspring. The "largest snake collection" title would be nice, but Schneider said the true promise of a big collection is new research opportunities.

Persons: — Greg Schneider, Schneider, ”, Lynne Houck, Stevan Arnold, ” Schneider, “, Hernán, Dan Rabosky Organizations: University of Michigan Museum, Oregon State University, Oregon State, Michigan, Smithsonian, American Museum of, University of Kansas, Michigan's, Michigan's Department of Ecology, Museums Center Locations: Mich, U.S, Michigan, Washington, New York, Oregon, Michigan's Department

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The first two leopard cubs born in captivity in Peru began climbing trees inside their cages at a Lima zoo Wednesday in their first appearance before the public. The cubs’ parents, Leo and Mali, are 3 years old and were brought to Peru in 2021 from a municipal zoo in Leon, Mexico. The zoo plans to hold a contest for the public to decide what to call them. Panthera pardus leopards — the newborns' species — are classified as a vulnerable species on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The four are the only leopards known to be living in Peru.

Persons: Leo, ”, Giovanna Yépez, — Organizations: Parque, International Union for Conservation of Nature Locations: LIMA, Peru, Lima, Mali, Leon , Mexico, las Leyendas

☆ Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A nurse provides treatment to a dengue-infected patient at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The death toll from Bangladesh's worst dengue outbreak on record has topped 1,000 this year, official data showed, with hospitals struggling to make space for patients as the disease spreads rapidly in the densely-populated country. The current death toll is nearly four times more than the whole of last year, when Bangladesh recorded 281 dengue-related deaths. However, a lack of proper prevention measures has allowed the dengue-carrying mosquito to spread all over Bangladesh, said Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University. “From 2000 to 2018, dengue is only happening in Dhaka city, but in 2019 it is transferred into different cities.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, “, …, ” Sanwar Hossain, Kabirul Bashar, ”, Abdullah, Ruma Paul, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Hospital, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Jahangirnagar University, “, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA, Mugda, South Asia

☆ Bangladesh’s worst ever dengue outbreak a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate crisis, WHO expert warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Dengue-infected people are treated at the Mugda Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 7. The global number of dengue cases has already increased eight-fold in the past two decades, according to WHO. As the climate crisis worsens, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever will likely continue to spread and have an ever greater impact on human health. Mahamud said the climate crisis and this year’s El Nino weather pattern – which brings warmer, wetter weather to parts of the world – are worsening the problem. Calling these outbreaks a “canary in the coalmine of the climate crisis,” Mahamud said “global solidarity” and support is needed to deal with the worsening epidemic.

Persons: Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Tedros, “, ”, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, ” Tedros, ” Kabirul Bashar, Raman Velayudhan, Abdi Mahamud, Mahamud, ” Mahamud Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, WHO, Mugda Medical College, Hospital, Reuters, Dhaka –, ” WHO, “, South America Locations: Bangladesh, El Nino, Dhaka, Nino, Peru, Florida, Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Africa, Chad

☆ This Tiny Snake Has a Big Mouth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Snakes can’t really unhinge their jaws, but for some, that doesn’t get in the way of swallowing absurdly large prey. For instance, Burmese pythons, like the invasive ones making their way north in Florida, have been known to consume 70-pound deer and 100-pound alligators. But new research indicates that, relative to their size, the snakes that can gulp down the largest meals are harmless, three-foot-long egg eaters. “This particular group of snakes may be No. 1 when it comes to big mouths in the snake kingdom,” said Bruce Jayne, a biology professor at the University of Cincinnati and the author of a paper on the subject published this month in the Journal of Zoology.

Persons: doesn’t, ”, Bruce Jayne Organizations: University of Cincinnati, Zoology Locations: Florida

☆ As Dead Dolphins Wash Ashore, Ukraine Builds a Case of Ecocide Against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Marc Santora | More About Marc Santora | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The victim was found along a stretch of beach near the port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine early this summer, cause of death unknown. They are washing up dead in droves on the shores of the Black Sea. “Dolphins are not only cute creatures,” Pawel Goldin, 44, a doctor in zoology who specializes in marine mammal populations at the Ukrainian Scientific Center of Ecology of the Sea, said before the necropsy. “They are keystone creatures for the marine ecosystem. If dolphins are in a bad condition, then the entire ecosystem will be in a bad condition.”

Persons: ” Pawel Goldin Organizations: “ Dolphins, Ukrainian Scientific Center of Locations: Odesa, Ukraine

☆ Scientists tickle rats to learn about brain activity during play
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To learn more about the neuroscience behind this widespread behavior, he and his colleagues played with and tickled rats and observed the rodents’ brain activity. Researchers studied how playing and being tickled affected rats’ brain activity. Key brain areaTo learn more about how playing and being tickled affect rats’ brain activity, the researchers devised a series of experiments. The researchers played “hand chasing games” with their rat subjects and gently tickled them, while tiny, wireless neural probes recorded the rats’ brain activity. Furthermore, in trials where the scientists inhibited activity in this part of the brain, the rats were less inclined to play or laugh when tickled.

Persons: Michael Brecht, they’re, Brecht, it’s, ” Brecht, “, ”, everyone’s, —, one’s, we’ve, Alexa Veenema, Veenema, ” Veenema, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Bowl, Humboldt University, Michigan State University Locations: Berlin, Chicago

☆ A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Scientists have revived a worm that was frozen 46,000 years ago — at a time when woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and giant elks still roamed the Earth. This a major finding,” he said, adding that other organisms previously revived from this state had survived for decades rather than millennia. Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost. The worm was found in the Siberian permafrost. But still, they didn’t know whether the worm was a known species.

Persons: Teymuras Kurzchalia, Kurzchalia, ”, Anastasia Shatilovich, Panagrolaimus kolymaenis, kolymaenis, —, Philipp Schiffer, Schiffer Organizations: CNN —, elks, Max Planck, Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Physicochemical, PLOS Genetics, of Zoology, University of Cologne, CNN Locations: Dresden, Science, Russia, Germany, Cologne

☆ What you need to know about ticks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

There are more than 800 species of ticks found around the world, and 84 that have been documented in the United States. The most common ones are blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks, but they feed on lots of animals besides deer), lone star ticks, American dog ticks and brown dog ticks. Both male and female ticks feed on blood by inserting their barbed, straw-like mouthparts into the skin of their host (unlike mosquitoes, which only bite if they’re females preparing to lay eggs). However, only female ticks drink to the point that they become engorged. Yes, they can be a public health concern, but we don’t want you to let ticks keep you indoors,” she said.

Persons: ”, Kait Chapman, Thomas Mather, ” Chapman, Lyme, they’ll, “, Mather, Chapman, permethrin, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Nebraska, University of Rhode, Vector, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States, Lincoln, University of Rhode Island, Lyme, Chicago

☆ The women behind the Manhattan Project that Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer' completely ignored
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Nolan's "Oppenheimer" fails to highlight the women who helped make the Manhattan Project possible. Here are the stories of just six of the hundreds of women that made essential contributions to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Hornig first arrived at Los Alamos after Manhattan Project officials tapped her husband to join the effort. Los Alamos National LaboratoryCharlotte SerberCharlotte Serber first went to Los Alamos with her husband, a physicist, in 1942. Los Alamos National LaboratoryMaria Goeppert MayerTheoretical physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer contributed to the development of nuclear fission while working at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and visiting Los Alamos from time to time.

Persons: Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Lilli Hornig, Charlotte Serber, Nolan, Hornig, Lilli Hornig's, Alamos National Laboratory Charlotte, Serber, Charlotte Serber's, Alamos National Laboratory Floy Agnes, Naranjo Stroud, Lee Floy Agnes, Lee, — Lee, Louis Slotin, Joan Hinton Joan Hinton, Hinton, Harry Daghlian, Joan Hinton, Reuters Elizabeth Graves Elizabeth Graves, Graves, Henry Barschall, Elizabeth Graves, Alamos National Laboratory Maria Goeppert Mayer, Maria Goeppert Mayer, Sarah Lawrence, Mayer, Edward Teller, Sharon McGrayne, Marie Curie Organizations: Manhattan, Service, Manhattan Project, Trinity Test, Hornig, Alamos National Laboratory, Sun, University of New, University of Chicago, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, University of Wisconsin, Los Alamos, Trinity, New York Times, Reuters, US Department of Energy, Columbia University, Sarah, Sarah Lawrence College Locations: Wall, Silicon, Los Alamos , New Mexico, Los Alamos, United States, Berlin, Germany, New Mexico, Japan, Santa Fe, University of New Mexico, Santa Clara Pueblo, Hiroshima, Nagaski, China, Beijing, Alamos, Los, —

☆ Scientists identify which butterflies are most at risk as the climate warms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jenna Schnuer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But when things really heat up, they adjust their body temperature in relation to the air temperature through strategies called thermal buffering and thermal tolerance. Thermal buffering includes physical acts like moving into a cooler, shadier area or slanting wings out of the direct path of sunlight. “These are molecules that many animals, butterflies and humans included, produce to protect themselves from high temperatures,” Ashe-Jepson said. For the thermal buffering test, the researchers caught, tested and released 1,334 butterflies representing 54 species from six butterfly families. To test thermal tolerance, a smaller group of the captured butterflies was put to work one more time.

Persons: —, ”, Esme Ashe, Jepson, ” Ashe, “, Ashe, Akito Kawahara, they’ll, ” Kawahara Organizations: CNN, University of Cambridge, Smithsonian Tropical Research, McGuire, University of Florida Locations: United Kingdom, Panama, Biodiversity, Gainesville

☆ Spider mite males ‘undress’ their partners to mate ASAP
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Spider mites are tiny arachnids, distant cousins of spiders, smaller than the tip of a standard ballpoint pen. Living together in dense colonies can make for fierce competition in finding a mate, especially because female spider mites only use the sperm from the first male with which they mate. Males will guard females that are nearly mature, so that as soon as the females are set to mate, the males will be ready. While farmers and gardeners often revile spider mites as plant-eating pests, many biologists use them as model organisms. “I hope they are fascinated about what type of sophisticated behaviors have evolved, even in such tiny animals as spider mites,” he said.

Persons: Dr, Peter Schausberger, ”, Schausberger, —, doesn’t, ” Schausberger, Tomasz Klejdysz, Yukie Sato, ” Sato, There’s, that’s, Rebecca Schmidt, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Vienna, University of Tsukuba, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Locations: Japan, Chicago

☆ Rare octopus discovery made 2 miles below the ocean surface
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —On a rocky outcrop almost 2 miles beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean off Costa Rica, researchers have documented an active octopus nursery. The discovery of an active community of octopus moms and babies solved a mystery that had perplexed scientists. We saw babies being born.“The researchers also found one other smaller octopus nursery on a low-temperature hydrothermal vent on an as-yet-unnamed seamount. Scientists believe this octopus is potentially a new species of Muusoctopus, a genus of small to medium-size octopus. The scientists also plan to return to the site in December to collect octopus eggs from devices they deposited recently to find out why the creatures like to brood there.

Persons: “, ”, Beth Orcutt, Jorge Cortés, ” Orcutt, Janet Voight, Ocean Institute Voight, Orcutt, Bare, Voight Organizations: CNN, Bigelow Laboratory, Ocean Sciences, University of Costa, university’s Center for Research, Marine Sciences, Ocean, Chicago’s Field, Ocean Institute Locations: Costa Rica, Maine, University of Costa Rica, Dorado, Costa, Pacific Coast, Monterey , California

☆ How to repel mosquitoes, according to science
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s the lowdown on how mosquitoes hunt us, what attracts them, and what scientists recommend for keeping them at bay. The science of mosquito bitesMost of the time, mosquitoes drink plant nectars and juices, and even help pollinate flowers. “How attractive you think you are to mosquitoes might not necessarily correlate with how attractive you actually are to the mosquitoes,” McMeniman said. The itchiness and discomfort from mosquito bites come later when the perpetrator is no longer at risk of getting swatted. No silver bullet exists to protect yourself from mosquito bites, but get a good bug spray and reapply it as needed.

Persons: “ We’re, ”, Conor McMeniman, ” McMeniman, Olivier Morin, “, We’re, there’s, Rick Bowmer, Kristen Healy, Healy, ” Healy, they’ve, McMeniman, tantalizing, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Getty, Louisiana State University, American Mosquito Control Association, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Baltimore, It’s, AFP, coexisting, Chicago

☆ Contraceptive injections for cats show promise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Now, scientists have announced a potential new method of feline contraception that’s shown early promise: long-lasting contraceptive injections that prevent ovulation. “That’s what led us to start collaborating with Bill (Swanson).”The Cincinnati Zoo, Swanson says, is home to the widest array of wild cats in North America, including lions, tigers and tiny sand cats. Three cats were a control group, while six received injections of the gene of the hormone in question, hitched to a mild virus. The three control-group cats all became pregnant, but none of the six cats in the experimental group did. “We’re really focused on adopting these cats out,” said Swanson, who’s adopted three cats from earlier studies.

Persons: ”, Bill Swanson, “, David Pépin, Pépin, ” Pépin, Bill, Swanson, ” Swanson, Michelle, Betty, Abigail, Nancy, Dolly, Barbara, Rosalyn, Jacque, Mary, We’re, can’t, we’ll, it’s, Pierre Comizzoli, It’s, ” Jacque, Jacqueline, Jackie, Kennedy Onassis, who’s, they’ve, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, Nature Communications, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Animals Foundation, Michelson, Conservation Biology Institute, Kennedy Onassis . Cincinnati Zoo Locations: Massachusetts, Boston, Angeles, North America, Cincinnati, Chicago

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