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Mark PoyntingClimate and science reporter, BBC News Naomi Ochwat Hektoria Glacier in February 2024, flowing into the partly frozen ocean The recent rapid retreat of an Antarctic glacier could be unprecedented, a new study suggests, a finding which could have major implications for future sea-level rise. The researchers found that Hektoria Glacier retreated by more…

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have come closer to understanding one of nature’s most fascinating abilities: the art of disguise. Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and their cephalopod relatives are masters of camouflage, able to instantly shift their skin color to blend into their surroundings. This extraordinary transformation is driven by a natural pigment…

A group of orcas in the Gulf of California has been filmed using remarkable skill to hunt young great white sharks, flipping them onto their backs to reach the nutrient-packed liver. The group, known as Moctezuma’s pod, may be exploiting shifts in ocean temperatures that have changed shark nursery zones. These warmer waters could be…

For billions of years, bacteria have fought an unending battle with viruses, developing a wide range of survival strategies. Now, scientists say these age-old microbial defenses could inspire new antiviral tools for humans. Thomas Wood, a professor of chemical engineering at Penn State, and his team have uncovered a long-overlooked bacterial mechanism that helps protect…

Mitochondria are tiny structures inside cells that generate the energy required for the body to move, grow, and maintain health. Because energy needs change continuously, mitochondria must constantly fine-tune their activity to keep up. This adaptability depends in part on the nutrients available to the cell. Yet until recently, scientists did not fully understand how…