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Nature
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As grandiose as we might think our civilizations have become, we are but the latest entry in the long chronicle detailing life on Earth. We humans share this planet with fellow organisms whose vast numbers completely tower over our own. We borrowed this planet from its previous inhabitants from eons ago and whose lives were written on the soil-turned-rock on which they were laid to rest. Modern Sciences urges its readers to contemplate our planetary co-inhabitants, both past and present.
Jurassic Park: why we’re still struggling to realise it 30 years on
Rattana/Shutterstock Tiffany Shea Slater, University College Cork and Maria McNamara, University College Cork Jurassic Park is arguably the…
It sounds like science fiction. But we can now sample water to find the DNA of every species living there
Shutterstock Maarten De Brauwer, CSIRO and Oliver Berry, CSIRO Figuring out what species live in an ecosystem, and…
Fighting Mosquitoes With… Bacteria?
In the battle against mosquitoes, a new weapon has emerged: the Wolbachia bacteria. This groundbreaking method involves releasing…
We’re Looking For Life Out In Space. Where Should We Start?
In the search for extraterrestrial life, the discovery of the exoplanet K2-18b has sparked excitement. Although it is…
We discovered three new species of marsupial. Unfortunately, they’re already extinct
Crest-tailed mulgara (Dasycercus cristicauda) from the Simpson Desert, Queensland. Bobby Tamayo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Jake Newman-Martin,…
We need a single list of all life on Earth – and most taxonomists now agree on how to start
Sumruay Rattanataipob/Shutterstock Stephen Garnett, Charles Darwin University and Aaron M. Lien, University of Arizona Species lists are one…
A new theory linking evolution and physics has scientists baffled – but is it solving a problem that doesn’t exist?
Tim Johnson / Unsplash Bill Bateman, Curtin University In October, a paper titled “Assembly theory explains and quantifies…
The Tale of South America’s Extinct Cave Excavators
Imagine setting foot in South America and seeing mountainside caves sprinkled across the continent; some stretch far beneath…
How Do You Make Wood Bulletproof?
Wood isn’t exactly known for its ability to protect whatever is behind it, but scientists still need to…
Do Animals Procrastinate Like Us?
While the fable of the ant and the grasshopper suggests that only humans procrastinate, it turns out that…