Frailty threatens older individuals because it increases their vulnerability to detrimental health outcomes, such as falling, longer hospitalization, or even shortened life expectancy. New research in aging companion dogs exploring the linkage between reproduction and aging shows that production of live offspring did not increase late-life frailty; instead, females with live offspring exhibited elevated robustness later in life.

An international team of scientists has uncovered new information about the natural enemies of the weevil beetle Lixus subtilis, a notorious agricultural pest. Published in the journal ZooKeys, the study reveals the discovery of an entirely new species of hyperparasitoid wasp in China, named after the famous writer Ernest Hemingway, alongside the first regional record of a wasp species that parasitises the weevil pest. Together, these findings offer critical insights into complex agricultural food chains and provide a foundational step toward developing better biological pest control methods. 

In Hong Kong, skyscrapers are abundant, leading to significant energy consumption, with cooling systems accounting for more than half of the total power usage. Prof. Fu XIAO, Associate Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment and Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has developed an award-winning AI system, which effectively helps reduce up to 40% of daily energy usage, paving the way for a greener and more energy -efficient future.

Insects have evolved remarkable ways to avoid predators, with plant mimicry among the most effective. Many living and extinct insects resemble twigs, bark, mosses, lichens or leaves, allowing them to blend seamlessly into their surroundings.

What determines which tasks bees perform in their colony? Biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the universities in Cologne and Frankfurt/Main have investigated the role neural activity plays in this process. In the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they explain that, by manipulating a specific gene, they can selectively inhibit neural circuits in bees and thus influence their work behaviour.

A UNESCO draft decision will keep the Great Barrier Reef off its ‘in danger’ list. Meanwhile the Reef keeps changing as ocean temperatures continue to rise.