The hitchhiking snakes of the Caribbean BBC By Rob Crossan Aruba For a long time no-one could understand how Aruba’s boa constrictors spread across the island so quickly. Then they realised – the snakes could easily travel miles by hiding under car bonnets and hitching a lift. This might be the … Continue reading
Russia: Ice crystals cause ‘triple sunrise’ over city By News from Elsewhere… …media reports from around the world, found by BBC Monitoring Residents in a Russian city have witnessed an optical illusion in the dawn sky, which created a triple sunrise. People in the western city of Chelyabinsk saw what … Continue reading
Northwest Passage voyage of scientific discovery By Mark KinverEnvironment reporter, BBC News A crew of sailors is embarking on a pioneering citizen science expedition through the Northwest Passage between Canada and Greenland. During the voyage, they will collect data on weather conditions, wildlife, phytoplankton levels and microplastic. The eight-strong crew … Continue reading
Bats ‘fly by polarised light’ By Jonathan Webb Science reporter, BBC News Bats use the pattern of polarised light in the evening sky to get their bearings, according to a new study. As well as having unusual echolocation skills and their own magnetic compass, bats are now the … Continue reading
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News Researchers say they have translated the meaning of gestures that wild chimpanzees use to communicate. They say wild chimps communicate 19 specific messages to one another with a “lexicon” of 66 gestures. The scientists discovered this by following and filming communities … Continue reading
By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, Vienna Europe’s Swarm mission to measure the Earth’s magnetic field in unprecedented detail is achieving impressive levels of performance, scientists say. Even though the trio of satellites were only launched in November, they are already sensing the global field to a precision that … Continue reading
By Rebecca Morelle Global science correspondent, BBC News The mystery of a bizarre quacking sound heard in the ocean has finally been solved, scientists report. The noise – nicknamed “the bio-duck” – appears in the winter and spring in the Southern Ocean. However, its source has baffled researchers for decades. … Continue reading
