134 articles from TUESDAY 1.11.2022

Want to save the bees? Pay attention to pathogens and flowers

New research conclusively shows that certain physical traits of flowers affect the health of bumble bees by modulating the transmission of a harmful pathogen called Crithidia bombi. In particular, the research shows that the length of a flower's corolla, or the flower's petals, affects how this pathogen gets transferred between bees because shorter corollas mean that fewer bee feces wind up inside...

Violent supershear earthquakes are more common than previously thought

About 14% of magnitude 6.7 or greater strike-slip earthquakes since 2000 have been supershear. That's 50% more than previously thought. Supershear earthquakes occur when a fault ruptures faster than seismic shear waves can travel through rock. The events were thought to be rare because scientists had mostly looked for them on land. The findings suggest that disaster planning assessments should...

New species of owl discovered in the rainforests of Africa's Príncipe Island

A new species of owl has just been described from Príncipe Island, part of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe in Central Africa. Scientists were first able to confirm its presence in 2016, although suspicions of its occurrence gained traction back in 1998, and testimonies from local people suggesting its existence could be traced back as far as 1928.

Antibody weapon against malaria shows promise in Africa

A new way to prevent malaria that showed promise in 9 U.S. volunteers deliberately exposed to parasite-laden mosquitoes last year has now shown its mettle in a real-world situation in Africa. A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that a single dose of lab-produced monoclonal antibodies can protect recipients from infection...