Meet Africa's bird master of vocal imitation
Singing a duet in a foreign language isn't just for opera stars—red-capped robin-chats do it too. These orange-brown birds with grey wings can imitate the sounds of 40 other bird species, even other species' high-speed duets.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-africa-bird-master-vocal-imitation.html
Research scientists discover new production pathway for plant SOS signals
When harmful insects attack a plant, it defends itself. It forms protective substances that are poisonous for the insects. This defense response is activated by messengers, jasmonates. Their biosynthesis had been deemed to have been elucidated for almost two decades. But now plant physiologists from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) in Madrid have found an alternative synthesis pathway for jasmonates. This means that plant physiologists will now have to rethink many explanations of resistances and hormonal activity. The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Chemical Biology.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-scientists-production-pathway-sos.html
Why do we need to know about prime numbers with millions of digits?
Prime numbers are more than just numbers that can only be divided by themselves and one. They are a mathematical mystery, the secrets of which mathematicians have been trying to uncover ever since Euclid proved that they have no end.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-prime-millions-digits.html
Is the cosmic colossus RCS2J2327 heavier than allowed?
An international team of scientists led by researchers from the Argelander Institute for Astronomy has mapped the mass distribution in a distant galaxy cluster (RCS2J2327). This cosmic colossus is located in the constellation Pisces at a distance of approximately 6.4 billion light years. According to current research results it consists of about 85 percent invisible dark matter.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-cosmic-colossus-rcs2j2327-heavier.html
CT-scan study makes it possible to 3-D print the skull of the dinosaur species massospondylus
The digital reconstruction of the skull of a 200-million-year-old South African dinosaur, Massospondylus, has made it possible for researchers to make 3-D prints and in this way facilitate research on other dinosaurs all over the world.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-ct-scan-d-skull-dinosaur-species.html
New dams in Africa could add risk to power supplies down the line
In the 1980s and 1990s parts of Africa saw a surge in dam building for energy production. After a brief hiatus there has been renewed interested. Many new construction projects are planned and underway across sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-africa-power-theline.html
Source: https://phys.org/
