The sex appeal of female anglerfish and its potentially dramatic impact on diversification. www.science.org/content/arti...
Erik Stokstad
@erikstokstad.bsky.social
Staff writer at Science Magazine covering environmental and natural resource research & issues. Plant biology. Social insects. Biodiversity. https://www.science.org/content/author/erik-stokstad
OK you can curl your tongue. But can you sip nectar with it? 🐦🧪
These birds suck—literally
Scientists spot first example of suction feeding in the avian world
science.org
Happy 50th anniversary to DC's Metro. So glad to have this public transit system.
On the anniversary of a dark day for U.S. science, please raise a glass for everyone who has come out stronger and encourage those who are still recovering. Here are five stories. 🧪 🔬 💪 www.science.org/content/arti...
These scientists saw a future in public service—until Trump’s ‘massacre’ hit
Last year’s mass firings of “probationary” federal workers sent researchers’ lives into turmoil
science.org
Before you move in permanently with the ants, just be sure about it. #never-look-back #symbiosis 🐜🪲🔬https://www.science.org/content/article/these-beetles-wear-chemical-invisibility-cloaks-and-will-die-if-they-re-removed
These beetles wear chemical ‘invisibility cloaks’—and will die if they’re removed
Coatings used by symbiotic residents of ant colonies may represent an evolutionary dead end
science.org
Ever wonder what it’s like to wake up after midnight and rescue a cobra from a train full of panicked passengers? www.science.org/content/arti... 🐍
Talk about a brain drain. The PhDs who left U.S. federal STEM or health jobs last year had >106,636 years of experience. More grim statistics compiled here: www.science.org/content/arti...
“Totally unexpected.” Blister beetles imitate the smell of flowers to lure bees. www.science.org/content/arti... 🪲🌸 🐝
Bee-hunting beetles are the first animals known to fake the smell of flowers
Study of parasitic blister beetles reveals a new form of chemical deception
science.org
Whatever Prototaxites was, it wasn't the Godzilla of Fungus. (Or any kind of fungus.) www.science.org/content/arti...
Bizarre 400-million-year-old fossil was an unknown life form
Enigmatic organism known as Prototaxites cannot be fungus, new analysis finds
science.org
Don't mess with Karenia cristata. She's bad news, like her sister in Florida. #HAB 🐟 🌊 🔬 🦠 www.science.org/content/arti...
Australia’s unprecedented toxic algal bloom has a surprise culprit
A relatively unknown species is producing a notorious neurotoxin, devastating sea life
science.org
A reminder that @science.org is a learned society journal, owned & published by the non-profit @aaas.org. It's green open access, with no article processing fees for authors - compatible with all major funder mandates. All subscription revenue is reinvested in science, not paid to shareholders. 🔭⚛️🧪
How to protect your children by covering them in fungus (if you’re a stinkbug) www.science.org/content/arti...
These stinkbugs coat their eggs in fungi to protect them from parasitic wasps
An unusual relationship could shed light on how insects choose their partners
science.org
Buckle up for a crazy deep-dive into the sex life of Iberian harvester ant queens. They clone and mate with males of another species. www.science.org/content/arti... 🐜🔬🧬
Ant queen lays eggs that hatch into two species
Bizarre discovery of interspecies cloning “almost impossible to believe,” biologists say
science.org
Good news about a ghastly disease in sea stars, those charismatic and ecologically vital marine creatures. www.science.org/content/arti...
Mysterious killer of sea stars finally identified
Discovery of a bacterium could reveal more about massive die-off, perhaps aid recovery
science.org
A cultivated mushroom has gone feral. It seems to outcompete native fungi and might end up harming wildlife habitat. www.science.org/content/arti...
A mushroom that escaped from kitchens could be harming North American wildlife
The golden oyster mushroom has gone rogue, displacing native fungi that live in dead trees
science.org
I'm delighted to present this Science special issue on Plants and Heat! Through a series of Reviews and Perspective articles, covering topics from cell signalling to ecology there is something for everyone here. (1/8)
Science Magazine@science.org · last yr.As the world warms, plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings find ways to respond to the heat. In a new special issue of Science, researchers examine how heat affects plants at multiple scales, from the molecular level to the biosphere. scim.ag/44cSw3Z
Happy 150th anniversary to the metric system. ⚖️ 📏 www.bipm.org/en/bipm-anni...
150th anniversary - BIPM
bipm.org
Herring live up to 20 years. Unpredictable things happen when the older generations are overharvested. 🐟 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...
Herring had a spawning ‘culture.’ Overfishing obliterated it
Younger generations lost their way after older fish were killed
science.org
This week in Science, researchers delve into the #mathematics that shapes growing rose petals. 🌹 Explore our latest issue—featuring a new print design: scim.ag/42DasUT
Heat waves hurt rice yields, but they also damage grain quality--making it chalky. This gene could help. 🌾 #PlantBiology #agriculture www.science.org/content/arti...
‘Major breakthrough’: A natural gene variant protects rice from heat waves
Discovery could help crop breeders preserve grain quality and harvest size as climate changes
science.org
A rare and courageous experiment in conservation. “I was gutted that it didn’t work.” 🌎 🦈 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...
Paying fishers to release sharks could backfire
Proposed conservation strategy led to more hammerhead shark deaths than usual, study finds
science.org
"the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth." Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders 🌎🦋🌱♻️🧪
EPA had not targeted research grants for termination—until now. www.science.org/content/arti...
EPA orders staff to begin canceling research grants
Agency targets programs that award up to $40 million annually
science.org
“I started hyperventilating,” recalled the squid expert. You might not, but this video may just take your breath away. A young colossal squid really is a beautiful creature. www.science.org/content/arti...
Swell! A chance finding reveals how plants nourish seeds--and a new way to enlarge them. www.science.org/content/arti...