Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
- Environment
Fungi help rescue crops being harmed by microplastics
Microplastics in the soil hinder plant growth. But two finalists at Regeneron ISEF found that fungi and farm waste can reduce the harm.
- Tech
A device spots and counts honeybees hosting a dangerous parasite
At Regeneron ISEF, three teens debuted an infrared system to detect honeybees carrying mites. It can show beekeepers when a colony needs to be treated.
- Environment
Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits
Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Food web
All the species in an ecosystem and the feeding relationships between them get summed up with this handy picture.
- Health & Medicine
New patch might replace some finger-prick testing of blood sugar
A finalist at Regeneron ISEF created a wearable patch that turns yellow when someone’s blood-sugar level gets high enough to need an insulin shot.
- Animals
People and animals sometimes team up to hunt for food
Dolphins working with people to catch fish recently made a big splash. But humans have a long history of cooperating with other animals.
- Animals
Pokémon ‘evolution’ looks more like metamorphosis
Pokémon “evolve” into larger, more powerful forms within seconds, but this evolution more closely resembles another biological process — metamorphosis.
- Animals
Sleeping glass frogs go into stealth mode by hiding red blood cells
Glass frogs snoozing among leaves blend in by hiding almost all their red blood cells in their liver.
- Animals
Analyze This: Puppies naturally mimic human actions
Unlike cats, whose ancestors hunted alone, dogs evolved from a species that hunted in packs. Being social might explain why pups copy humans.
- Animals
This biologist uses microwave radiation to save endangered species
Pei-Chih Lee works to preserve genetic material that can help researchers learn more about endangered animals, such as pandas and clouded leopards.
- Environment
Sea life may suffer as plastic bits alter metals in water
This interplay between plastics and metals could affect how each affects the environment — and suggests opportunities for controlling their risks.
- Animals
Random hops always bring jumping beans to shade — eventually
It’s not fast, but jumping beans use randomness to maximize their chances of getting out of the sun’s heat.
