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Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

Breeding scheme to produce backcross males and (b) possible inheritance patterns of self-sacrificial mating traits. Credit: Biology Letters (2026) Male Australian redback spiders perform an acrobatic somersault during mating that sends their abdomen directly toward the female’s fangs. Scientists have now found that this deadly self-sacrifice behavior comes from a surprisingly simple genetic region.In a…

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Quote of the day by Richard Feynman: "What I cannot create, I do not understand."

What I cannot create, I do not understand.

Image: Princetoniana Museum Two people can read the same explanation of something and walk away with completely different levels of confidence in what they actually know. One nods along, follows the logic, and quietly assumes that following along counts as understanding. The other insists on rebuilding the idea from scratch, alone, without notes or references,…

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Astronomers discover a possible ‘black hole star’ in the early Universe, with a supermassive black hole hidden inside dense gas

Astronomers discover a possible ‘black hole star’ in the early Universe, with a supermassive black hole hidden inside dense gas

Astronomers discover a possible ‘black hole star’ in the early Universe, with a supermassive black hole hidden inside dense gas (PC: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT) Astronomers have identified an unusual object from the early Universe that may represent a possible early stage of a supermassive black hole. It is called MoM-BH*-1, and was observed using Nasa’s…

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Australian-designed backpack uses insulation and weatherproof materials to create an emergency bed for people experiencing homelessness

Australian-designed backpack uses insulation and weatherproof materials to create an emergency bed for people experiencing homelessness

For someone sleeping on the street, a backpack may be little more than a way to carry the few belongings they have left. But the Backpack Bed turns that familiar object into something far more meaningful: a portable place to sleep. Designed for people experiencing homelessness, the emergency shelter combines mobility with protection, allowing users…

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Quote of the day by Pythagoras: "The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and.."

Quote of the day by Pythagoras: “The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and..”

Quote of the day by Pythagoras: “The soul of man is divided into three parts: intelligence, reason, and..” (Image: AI Generated) Human beings are driven by a complicated mix of thoughts, desires and emotions. We can reason through difficult problems, become passionate about something we love and still experience impulses that are difficult to explain….

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Why has Britain's grass turned yellow? Scientists warn about the future of the island after 'driest month ever'

Why has Britain’s grass turned yellow? Scientists warn about the future of the island after ‘driest month ever’

Britain’s fields, parks and lawns were thriving areas of fresh greenery, just before summer arrived. Then, everything was burnt to a crisp, with a yellow and golden hue and now landscapes as old as thousands of years have been revealed as green outlines against yellow backgrounds.July was the driest month ever recorded in England and…

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Alaska’s tundra looks like frozen ground, but beneath it lies ancient carbon a climate warning worth $43 trillion

Alaska’s tundra looks like frozen ground, but beneath it lies ancient carbon a climate warning worth $43 trillion

Inside Alaska’s tundra (Image: Alaska Organisation) From above, Alaska’s tundra can look like an ordinary expanse of soil, moss and low vegetation. Beneath that surface, however, lies permafrost, ground that has remained frozen for long periods and contains vast quantities of ancient organic material. As temperatures rise, that frozen material can thaw and begin decomposing,…

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A robot explored the waters beneath 5 Scottish wind turbines and found 121 types of marine life, including possible young deep-water corals

A robot explored the waters beneath 5 Scottish wind turbines and found 121 types of marine life, including possible young deep-water corals

A robotic submersible descended beneath 5 giant floating wind turbines off Scotland, moving around steel structures, cables and anchors that sit as much as 80 metres below the surface. Its high-definition camera recorded a surprisingly busy underwater community at the Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, about 25 kilometres east of Peterhead. Across 41 structures and associated…

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