Prof. Stephen Hawking, who sadly passed away last month, was an example both as a person and a researcher. His work on black holes was praised and respected in the scientific community, and through his constant appearances in shows and documentaries he also became a prominent figure in pop culture of the last 50 years….
The plants of Proxima Centaury
If there were plants inhabiting other planets, which colour would they be? There are no plants in space, but the discovery of exoplanets like Proxima Centaury B or Kepler-442b opens the door for similar organisms that can do photosynthesis. On Earth, plant colours are determined by the type of light emanating from the Sun, our star. In most cases, the best solution has been purple or green colours. In other worlds, with other stars, colours would be completely different.
Snouters and the lost world of Hyi-yi-yi: The scientific imaginary creatures (III): Snouters and the lost world of Hyi-yi-yi
Long ago, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean was engulfed by the sea, and with it, all its inhabitants. There, the last of the snouters, or Rhinogradentia, a group of animals with large snouts, went extinct. This is what Gerold Steiner told us in his seminal work. But actually, none of this was real, but a giant science prank. Science is not always serious, and the history of science is full of scientists that used some of their time to fool their colleagues. Despite being completely false, the anatomy and lifestyle of the snouters is completely rooted in our understanding of evolution, an exercise known as speculative biology, where imagination and science intersect.
Life on Jupiter: is it possible? The scientific imaginary creatures (II)
It’s 1980. The decade of the 70’s has come to an end, and with it, a time when space travel seemed to be achievable in the near future. Fueled by Apolo’s XI landing in 1969, science fiction had just experienced a sudden rise that had even been promoted to the mainstream media (Star Trek, Star…
The history of the Caminalcules: the scientific imaginary creatures (I)
In On elephants and bacteria we always try to present unconventional theories, unique animals or just basically whatever has caught up our attention. In this new series of articles (we have not forgotten about Strangers in the animal tree….) we are going to look at the “pinnacle of imagination” in biology: the creation of scientific…
Seaweed for sceptics: ammonoids and brown algae
Welcome to the next issue of the Seaweed for Sceptics series. The first post of the series explored the rough origin of the red algae, showing the genetic impariment that these seaweed suffer as a result of their extreme origins. In this second post we shall focus on one of these weird connections that crop…
Strangers in the animal tree (P2)
We continue our series with some of the most strange and unknown animals on earth. In Strangers in the animal tree (Pt1) we got to known two monotypic phyla with mouth issues: Ciclyophorans, who are only found in the mouth of some common lobsters and Micrognathozoans, which have one of the most complex mandibles on…
Say it with leaves: a gymnospermic romance
Happy Valentine Day everyone! We would like to give our biological slant on this romantic date. The Internet is ripe with dating techniques and romantic proposals, ranging from original to pure nonsense. Here we want to show you yet another way to communicate your love for someone: say it with leaves! Johann Wolfgang von Goethe…
Micrognathozoans and Cycliophorans-Strangers in the animal tree (I)
Animal diversity is stunning. Our planet is full of wonders beyond our imagination: animals that survive in the harshest of conditions, parasites that have become ultra-specialized, animals that use the sun for energy… the list has no end. We hardly ever wonder about the incredible diversity of creatures that live between us. It is in…
Greek mythology invades biodiversity!
When scientists create scientific names, they often unleash their creativity and honour people, locations or even gods. We go through the Greek God Pantheon and discover animals named after Greek Mythology, like the fish Zeus or the butterfly Hades.
On elephants and bacteria 