The northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) brings unexpected ecosystem benefits
All Canada Photos/Alamy
Two years after Mount St Helens erupted in 1980, a team of researchers helicoptered in a gopher to the ash-covered landscape. Decades later, the activity of that single gopher burrowing for a single day may have helped the decimated ecosystem regrow by boosting the diversity of soil fungi.
“There’s something to be said about learning lessons from the gophers,” says Mia Maltz at the University of Connecticut, who has used the eruption to understand how forests might recover from other stresses – including wildfires and…
The FBI is getting new technology to see through walls
FBI headquarters in Washington DCShutterstock/Bob Korn The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plans to buy radar technology that can...
Does intermittent fasting improve gut health? Why it’s hard to say
How does intermittent fasting change the gut microbiome?Oliver Leedham/Alamy Stock Photo There is evidence that intermittent fasting alters the gut...
Dementia cases are rising faster in China than the rest of the world
Why are dementia cases soaring in China?hanohikirf/Alamy Dementia rates are increasing more rapidly in China than almost anywhere else in...
The world, the universe and us: We’re relaunching our weekly podcast
We are very proud of our Weekly podcast, which we have been putting out every week for over five years....
