Catching flies

Three plant scientists now propose that roots growing this way and that in their dark and dangerous soil world may fit a definition for what’s called swarm intelligence.

A coalition of environmentalists have filed a groundbreaking lawsuit in Ecuador against the oil giant BP for violating Ecuador’s constitution which recognizes "the rights of Nature" across the globe. Plaintiffs include Nnimmo Bassey, the president of Friends of the Earth International and the Indian scientist Vandana Shiva.

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While it's not surprising that pets should be getting fatter along with their owners, or even that rats might be getting bigger by eating calorie-rich human garbage, Kuk said, the increase in body weight in controlled lab animals is unexpected.

But there is one arena where Canada disappoints: fixing the global fisheries crisis. This particular Canadian shortcoming has come into view this week in Paris as delegates to the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas debate how to save the giant Atlantic bluefin tuna, one of the most valuable and charismatic fish in the sea.

Northland's marine mammal expert Ingrid Visser said surfers were safe around orcas as the mammals were there for the same thing - to go surfing and have a good time. She could tell they had been getting as much of a buzz out of it as the humans because adult males, usually stoic members of the group, would "cavort" like youngsters, racing around at full speed.