SOLS News

Engineers are looking to schools of fish and flocks of birds to help develop better machines. Robustness, scalability, and the ability to function without complex central control are desirable features of artificial systems, and they can be found all over the natural world. --by Margaret Coulombe

Infidelity is found in all sorts of animal and insect groups, including other highly organized social organisms, such as ants. Unlike humans, however, worker ants that stray from social norms are rarely, if ever, successful. Chemical signals give them away. --by Margaret Coulombe

The desert city of Phoenix depends on an extensive canal system to bring water to farms and homes. But artificial lakes and canal systems along with extensive groundwater pumping have had unintended effects on the ecosystem, scientists say. --by Margaret Coulombe

Does nature or nurture determine an ant's place in society? A little of both, for one species of harvester ant, at least. This kind of flexibility allows the colony to respond to changing conditions successfully.

One day soon a biosensing nanodevice may eliminate long lines at airport security checkpoints and revolutionize health screenings for diseases like anthrax, cancer and antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules. --by Margaret Coulombe (Read the full text in SOLS News)

Nitrogen pollution from agricultural and urban runoff is a serious threat to ocean ecosystems. Nitrogen, in the form of nitrates, could generate algal blooms, create oceanic "dead zones" and kill coral, fish and shellfish in coastal zones. Researchers have discovered that small organisms in streams and rivers can filter out excess nitrogen before it reaches the oceans. However, overloading streams with too many nitrates reduces their filtering ability. --by Margaret Coulombe

When you visit the beach, the ocean always looks the same--but that doesn't mean it isn't changing. A new study has taken a comprehensive look at human impacts on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, estuaries, and pelagic waters. The results show that none of Earth's oceans have escaped human influence. Now, oceanic maps from the study can help policy makers determine where human activities are most likely to cause negative effects. (Read the full story) --by Margaret Coulombe

The majority of people on Earth will soon live in megacities--urban areas with populations of 10 million or more. What will these future cities look like? And how will their populations meet the unique environmental challenges of the megacity? --by Margaret Coulombe

ASU researchers are using bacteria and sunlight to generate hydrogen, a clean fuel that produces no greenhouse gases. The biohydrogen project aims to harness the energy in sunlight using microbial photosynthesis to produce hydrogen. --by Skip Derra

The elusive Gila monster hides a nifty trick under its belt--a bladder that acts like a canteen, making up 20 percent of its body weight when full. The adaptation lets the lizard survive up to 95 days without access to water--long enough to endure the rigors of the Sonoran Desert. --by Margaret Coulombe