Ecology & Zoology

If you want to create a micro-aircraft that flies with the maneuverability and energy efficiency of an insect (and you know you do) decoding the aerodynamic secrets of insect flight is key because…

You may recall classical Linnean taxonomy with the mnemonic "Kings Play Chess On Funky Green Squares" (or one of the racier alternatives) or perhaps you simply committed it to memory: Kingdom, Phylum…

In a recent LiveScience article the following statement was made: "And while metacognition can involve self-awareness, the "I" part of the equation isn't a necessary ingredient, Smith said.…

So there's this big art competition in Grand Rapids, MI. Artists make art, show it in one of numerous venues, and everyone who wants to can cast a vote. The piece winning the most votes lands the…

Parasites... why the freak did god think it was ok to invent parasites!? They are the creepiest freak-o-zoidal things I have ever heard of. Sometimes silently plaguing mankind and animal kingdom…

"How smart are squid?" I get this question a lot, and I always hedge the answer. The obvious dodge, of course, is to say: what does "smart" really mean and how would you quantify it in a cephalopod…

(And by "we" I mean "other people in my lab, not me.") Humboldt squid showing up off Washington State wasn't just a blip on the radar--apparently they're still there, and the local fishermen are…

It's not all balloons and ponies in bee colonies, despite what you may have learned.   Bees are well known for high levels of cooperation but new research in Molecular Ecology says there is a…

The Cephalopod International Advisory Council is convening in Vigo, Spain even as I write. Yes, I wish desperately that I were there right now! At least I can follow along by wistfully reading the…

Rolling Stone began a recent article with this provocative lede: "The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it's everywhere. The world's most powerful investment bank is a great…