From Science Magazine. Northern elephant seals are invaluable partners in oceanographic research. By mounting sophisticated sensors on these large, round marine mammals, scientists gather crucial data on hard-to-access marine ecosystems. 00:00 Intro to UC Santa Cruz northern elephant seal research program 01:21 Monitoring seal health and foraging 02:03 Seals as smart sensors 03:14 Instruments to…

From Science Magazine. The amazon River maybe altered forever by #climatechange Photographer Dado Galdieri offers insight on how he approached covering the drought in the amazon for a news feature in the February 16, 2024 issue of Science. Footage: Patric Vanier and Dado Galdieri Music: Ruben Lozano/Pond5

From Science Magazine. After training in thousands of simulated environments, this bipedal robot named Digit could walk stably and adaptably in the real world.

From Science Magazine. Ten seconds before it charges, a marlin "turns on" its stripes. Then, when the attack is done, the marlin dials the contrast back down. Layers of colorful cells in their skin rapidly change shape to create the strong pattern. Read the article: https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-marlin-flash-bright-stripes-deadly-strike Footage: Alicia Burns Script: Sierra Boucher

From Science Magazine. When stressed, this comb jelly reverts to a larval form, then matures again when favorable conditions return. PHOTOS: Joan J. Soto-Anjel and Pawvel Burkhardt; Maria Pia Miglietta; Ganímendes/Wikimedia Commons STORY: E. Pennisi/Science

From Science Magazine. New studies combining genetics and neuroscience offer clues Centuries of selective breeding of Siamese fighting (betta) fish (Betta splendens) have produced the elaborate colors and patterns that have made them popular pets. But their early domestication was focused on a different signature trait: aggression. In this video, Andrés Bendesky and his team…

From Science Magazine. This jumping spider mimics the movements of ant species in its environment to avoid being eaten. The spider’s predators, such as praying mantis, pass up anything that might be an ant to avoid the ants’ painful bite. Read the story: https://www.science.org/content/article/watch-spider-crawl-ant-avoid-being-eaten

From Science Magazine. Turns out blueberries don’t have blue pigment. Instead, structural color from the waxy surface on blueberries gives them their signature color. Video by Sarah Crespi Footage: Middleton et al. (2024)/Science Advances Music: Nguyen Khoi Nguyen

From Science Magazine. In 1974, paleoanthropologist Don Johanson and student Tom Gray unearthed a 40% complete skeleton of an early human ancestor, fundamentally changing the human family tree. The specimen acquired a nickname that persisted: Lucy, after the Beatles song playing at the fossil hunter’s camp–“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” At 3.2 million years…

From Science Magazine. Developing athletic ability requires practice, even for robots. Using an approach driven by trial and error called deep reinforcement learning, researchers at DeepMind helped these soccer-playing robots develop skills, agility, and techniques to improve their play–all at a higher level than could be manually programmed. The computer “agents” controlling the robots picked…

From Science Magazine. Scientists have figured out why some miniaturized frogs from Brazil are such clumsy jumpers. A 2022 study published in Science Advances reveals that among adult vertebrates, members of the genus Brachycephalus have the smallest known semicircular canals – the part of the inner ear necessary for maintaining balance and spatial orientation. The…

From Science Magazine. In order to withstand the crashing waves, mussels have strong filaments called byssal threads to help them stick to rocky surfaces with surprising strength. When needed, the bivalves can also release these threads with seemingly little effort. Video by: Luke Groskin Link to video: https://youtu.be/63ge4qvz19E Link to paper: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adi7401

From Science Magazine. Researchers created a robot that uses advanced structural designs and a laser broiler to make this 3D printed cake hold its form. The robot can create and cook a cake with up to seven ingredients, more than any other printed food to date. Footage: Jonathan Blutinger Link: https://scim.ag/3DPrintedCake

From Science Magazine. Evolutionary biologist Kurt Schwenk uses high-speed cameras to study the tongues of lizards. In slow motion you can see that in addition to being sticky, chameleon tongues can actually help them actually grasp their prey. Written by: Elizabeth Pennisi Video by: Kevin McLean Footage: Kurt Schwenk, Thomas Retting Music: xDoozy/Looperman

From Science Magazine. An unlikely automobile is bringing new meaning to the phrase “go fish.” Scientists put a fish tank on wheels to test whether goldfish (Carassius auratus) can navigate as well on land as they can in water. The goldfish go-cart uses the laser sensing technology lidar, an onboard camera, and motion detection software…

From Science Magazine. Animals make camouflaging look easy. Some have static patterns that make them hard to spot, whereas others—such as chameleons—can change their colors and patterns at the drop of a hat. Now, researchers have developed a robot that can mimic a chameleon’s color-changing abilities and movement. Writer: Meagan Cantwell Footage: Kim et al.…

From Science Magazine. The Scalable Multimodal Arena for Real-time Tracking of Behavior of Animals in laRge Numbers (SMART BARN) is outfitted with cutting edge tracking and imaging technology to study collective behavior in animals. Research/Figures/Footage: Nagy et al. Science Advances 2023 Photo: NASA Music: Southbeats/Looperman Link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf8068

From Science Magazine. Carnivorous plants have evolved all kinds of traps and tricks to capture their prey, from the snapping jaws of Venus flytraps to the slippery walls of pitcher plants. Although we often think of evolution as a process driven by strong selective pressure and big payoffs, researchers recently found that doesn’t always have…

From Science Magazine. Read more about the major science breakthroughs of 2023: https://www.science.org/boty2023 0:00 Breakthrough of the Year: GLP-1 therapies 0:26 The exascale era 0:57 Early footsteps in the Americas 1:32 Hunting for natural hydrogen 2:08 Malaria vaccines poised to make an impact 2:33 Earth’s carbon pump is slowing 3:08 Early career scientists rise up…

From Science Magazine. Weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are examples of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs. By mimicking a hormone produced in the body, this class of drugs has proven to be an effective way to treat diabetes and, more recently, obesity. This year, clinical trials revealed their beneficial effects on other chronic conditions…

From Science Magazine. The Byssus End of the Mussel. In order to withstand the crashing waves, mussels have strong filaments called byssal threads to help them stick to rocky surfaces with surprising strength. When needed, the bivalves can also release these threads with seemingly little effort. Deeper investigation and imaging revealed that friction between cilia…