A Map Of The Entire Universe In One Image

by Ben Taub

photo credit: Can you see your house? Pablo Carlos Budassi

If you ever happen to embark on a cosmic journey to the outer reaches of the universe, you may want to take along a copy of this map, which was created by musician and artist Pablo Carlos Budassi and encapsulates the entire cosmos in a single, mind-blowing image.

Why Most Horses Lack The Dark Markings Of Their Ancestors

by Janet Fang

photo credit: Three Dun stallions. From left to right: Bay Dun, Blue Dun, and Red Dun. Freyja Imsland

Horses with what’s called Dun coloration sport a mostly pale coat with a few dark-colored markings, like a stripe down the back or a series of streaks on the legs. Most horses these days are non-dun, though Dun is thought to be the ancestral coloration.

Over Three-Quarters Of U.K. Butterflies Have Declined Over The Last 40 Years

by Josh L Davis

photo credit: The small copper butterfly has declined by 16 percent in occurrence and 37 percent in abundance in the last 40 years. chris2766/Shutterstock

The future of butterflies in the United Kingdom is not looking great. A recent report has found that more than three-quarters of the nation’s butterflies have declined in the last 40 years, with many once-common species now on a downward trend. This worrying assessment reveals that while many, in fact most, species are at risk, this doesn’t have to be the case:

Extinct Galapagos Giant Tortoises Could Be Brought Back To Life

by Josh L Davis

photo credit: Lonesome George, pictured, was thought to be the last of his kind, but this might no longer be true. Fotos593/Shutterstock

When Lonesome George died in 2012, it was thought that so did the last Pinta Island giant tortoise. Discovered roaming the rocky island in the Galapagos archipelago on his own in 1972, it was believed that he was the last of his subspecies. Despite a global search to find him a mate, it proved fruitless over the 80 years of his life. Now, Yale researchers think that his DNA might live on (or at least that of his relatives), diluted in hybrid tortoises found on another island descended from tortoises thrown overboard 150 years ago.

Iconic Lions Poisoned in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve

by Ben Taub

photo credit: Two local herdsmen have been charged with poisoning lions in Kenya. Shown is a stock image. Maggy Meyer/Shutterstock

At least two members of Kenya’s most famous lion pride have died as a result of poisoning, with a further five currently being treated by vets and another missing. Two local herders have been arrested and charged in relation to the incident, marking the first ever prosecutions for wildlife poisoning in the country.

Citizens' Tribunal To Investigate Monsanto For "Ecocide"

by Robin Andrews

photo credit: Monsanto is a decidedly divisive corproration. a katz/Shutterstock

Biotech and agrochemical giant Monsanto, which has received a fair amount of flak over the past few years, is to be placed before a citizens' tribunal – where it will be investigated for “crimes against nature and humanity.” Environmentalists, activists and scientists in The Hague, the famous international criminal court in the

Extensive Sauropod Tracksite Discovered On The Isle Of Skye

by Josh L Davis

photo credit: A re-creation of what Skye may have looked like 170 million years ago. Jon Hoad

Millions of years ago, on what is now a windswept corner of the northern Scottish island of Skye, some of the largest animals to have walked the Earth once plodded through a shallow coastal lagoon Researchers have found the criss-cross of footprints left behind by sauropods, making the island the largest dinosaur site in Scotland.

Christmas Trees Have Pretty Bizarre Sex Lives

by Tom Hale

photo credit: Guschenkova/Shutterstock

The sex lives of Christmas trees are a lot more interesting than their wholesome image suggests. Not necessarily because they’re into kinky stuff, but because they are a certain type of conifer that rely on the ancient practice of “tree sex” to reproduce.

Health Check: What Should You Do If You’re Bitten By A Spider?

by Maggie Hardy

photo credit: Spiders such as this funnel-web (Hadronyche infensa) will only bite if threatened. Author provided

This article is about spider bites in Australia, but doesn’t constitute medical advice. Always see a medical professional if you believe you’ve been bitten or stung by a venomous animal.

Which Is The World’s Deadliest Spider, Really?

by Rick Vetter

photo credit: Hadronyche sp. lurking about. Marshall Hedin, CC BY-NC

It seems Ebola and terrorism may have lost their scare factor. That is because journalists have once again turned to arachnophobia. “Brazilian Wandering spider found under a bunch of bananas in Waitrose home delivery,” said one newspaper recently.

Explainer: Why Are We Afraid Of Spiders?

by Chris Buddle

photo credit: Coming for me next? Pierre J, CC BY-NC-SA

I have personal interest in arachnophobia – the fear of spiders – because I am a spider expert, but also because my daughter has it. She is not alone. According to the American Psychiatric Association, phobias affect more than one in ten people in the US, and of those individuals, up to 40% of phobias are related to bugs (including spiders), mice, snake and bats.

There are clearly a lot of arachnophobes. But do they know why they fear spiders? Can they do something to control those fears?

Spiders Identified By DNA Extracted From Their Web

by Josh L Davis

photo credit: As major predators, spiders are good bioindicators for the health of an ecosystem. Sari ONeal/Shutterstock

Scientists have successfully managed to extract DNA from spider webs, which not only identified a web's architect, but also what insects the spinner was feeding on. The proof-of-concept study, published in PLOS ONE, used captive southern black widow spiders to show that their webs contained enough fragments of DNA to potentially provide a reliable, non-invasive biomonitoring technique. Not only could the researchers identify the inhabitants of a freshly used web, but even one that had been vacant for 88 days.

Scientists Develop World's First Cyber Plant

by Alfredo Carpineti

photo credit: Electronic plants. Linköping University

A team of scientists at Linköping University in Sweden have developed the first electrically augmented plant, creating both analog and digital circuits inside a living rose. This technology could allow scientists to regulate growth and chemical processes in plants, as well as harness photosynthesis to create new solar cells. 

Beautiful And Rare "Blue Dragon" Washes Ashore In Australia

by Elise Andrew

photo credit: Sylke Rohrlach Wikimedia Commons

Looks more like a Pokemon than a real animal, right? But the 'blue dragon" is quite real. It's actually named Glaucus atlanticus and is a small sea slug found in in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. One recently washed ashore in Queensland, Australia, and the little critter has gone viral.

Why You Should Never Feed Bread To Ducks

by Robin Andrews

photo credit: What a monster. Max Topchii/Shutterstock

It seems harmless enough, feeding bread to the ducks in your local park; we enjoy it, the ducks get some food, and everyone’s happy. In fact, in England and Wales alone, we feedsix million loaves of bread to ducks every year – but this is definitely doing them more harm than good. Most bread is essentially junk food to them, although white is the worst, and can cause a range of problems, including a debilitating disease called “angel wing.”

Why Drinking Wine Is Like Drinking Koala Pee

by Morenike Adebayo

photo credit: This koala ain't driving home tonight. PeanutChuck

Mmm, crisp and fruity, subtle notes of blackberry with a tangy finish of…koala pee? Yes,oenophiles everywhere may be disgusted to learn that there is one component found in both fruitier-smelling wines and the urine of the native Australian herbivorous marsupial, the koala.

Cannibalism And Detachable Penises: The Unusual Sex Lives Of The Animal Kingdom

by Carin Bondar

photo credit: Fun for some. Bonobos are known to have recreational sex, but that's not always the case in the animal kingdom. anolisol/123rf.com

This is the second in a three-part guest series by Dr Carin Bondar, author of The Nature of Sex, which is available now in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Read part one here.

New Duck-billed Dinosaur With A Little Crest Fills An Evolutionary Gap

by Janet Fang

photo credit: Artist's reconstruction of the head of Probrachylophosaurus bergei in life. John Conway.

The duck-billed dinosaurs that roamed North America some 77 million years ago were giant herbivores with a flat, paddle-shaped bony crest that completely covered the back of the top of the skull. But the ancestral form that lived just a few million years earlier has no crest. Now, researchers have unearthed the fossils of a new, transitional duck-billed species that bridges the