Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · 23h

Yo-ho-ho and many, many bottles of rum.

www.science.org/content/arti...

DNA from rum-soaked fishes chronicles century of environmental change

Museum specimens collected during a 1907 marine expedition reveal loss of genetic diversity in the Philippines

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · 10d

A tragic extinction, a mystery solved. www.science.org/content/arti...

Fate of the last female great auk is finally solved

DNA and historical sleuthing have traced the extinct bird’s remains to a museum in Ohio

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · 22d

www.science.org/content/arti...

Under Trump, NSF faces worst crisis in its 75-year history

Political directives have undermined agency's independence and record of supporting the best basic research

www.science.org

Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Sep 3

Buckle up for a crazy deep-dive into the sex life of Iberian harvester ant queens. They clone and mate with males of another species. www.science.org/content/arti... 🐜🔬🧬

Ant queen lays eggs that hatch into two species

Bizarre discovery of interspecies cloning “almost impossible to believe,” biologists say

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Aug 4

Good news about a ghastly disease in sea stars, those charismatic and ecologically vital marine creatures. www.science.org/content/arti...

Mysterious killer of sea stars finally identified

Discovery of a bacterium could reveal more about massive die-off, perhaps aid recovery

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Jul 16

A cultivated mushroom has gone feral. It seems to outcompete native fungi and might end up harming wildlife habitat. www.science.org/content/arti...

A mushroom that escaped from kitchens could be harming North American wildlife

The golden oyster mushroom has gone rogue, displacing native fungi that live in dead trees

www.science.org

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Reposted by Erik Stokstad

Maddy Seale @maddyseale.bsky.social · Jun 13

I'm delighted to present this Science special issue on Plants and Heat! Through a series of Reviews and Perspective articles, covering topics from cell signalling to ecology there is something for everyone here. (1/8)

Science Magazine @science.org · Jun 12

As the world warms, plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings find ways to respond to the heat.

In a new special issue of Science, researchers examine how heat affects plants at multiple scales, from the molecular level to the biosphere. scim.ag/44cSw3Z

Infrared imaging shows heat levels in sun-exposed leaves of Alstonia scholaris from the Australian Wet Tropics. As climate change increases temperatures and the severity of heat waves, both natural ecosystems and agricultural plants are increasingly affected by heat. Examining heat responses at cellular, genetic, physiological, and ecosystem scales, this special issue explores how plants sense and respond to high temperatures.

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · May 23

Happy 150th anniversary to the metric system. ⚖️ 📏 www.bipm.org/en/bipm-anni...

150th anniversary - BIPM

www.bipm.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · May 9

Herring live up to 20 years. Unpredictable things happen when the older generations are overharvested. 🐟 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...

Herring had a spawning ‘culture.’ Overfishing obliterated it

Younger generations lost their way after older fish were killed

www.science.org

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Reposted by Erik Stokstad

Science Magazine @science.org · May 1

This week in Science, researchers delve into the #mathematics that shapes growing rose petals. 🌹

Explore our latest issue—featuring a new print design: scim.ag/42DasUT

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · May 1

Heat waves hurt rice yields, but they also damage grain quality--making it chalky. This gene could help. 🌾 #PlantBiology #agriculture www.science.org/content/arti...

‘Major breakthrough’: A natural gene variant protects rice from heat waves

Discovery could help crop breeders preserve grain quality and harvest size as climate changes

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 24

NSF director tosses in the towel. www.science.org/content/arti...

Exclusive: NSF director to resign amid grant terminations, job cuts, and controversy

“I have done all I can,” says Sethuraman Panchanathan, a Trump appointee who has led agency since 2020

www.science.org

Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 23

A rare and courageous experiment in conservation. “I was gutted that it didn’t work.” 🌎 🦈 🌊 www.science.org/content/arti...

Paying fishers to release sharks could backfire

Proposed conservation strategy led to more hammerhead shark deaths than usual, study finds

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 23

Remember Mendel? 🌱🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...

Massive pea study solves last genetic riddles of famed friar

DNA sequencing reveals basis of traits studied by Gregor Mendel—and gives breeders new ways to improve the crop

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 22

"the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth." Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders 🌎🦋🌱♻️🧪

Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 21

EPA had not targeted research grants for termination—until now.
www.science.org/content/arti...

EPA orders staff to begin canceling research grants

Agency targets programs that award up to $40 million annually

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 17

“I started hyperventilating,” recalled the squid expert. You might not, but this video may just take your breath away. A young colossal squid really is a beautiful creature. www.science.org/content/arti...

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Apr 11

Swell! A chance finding reveals how plants nourish seeds--and a new way to enlarge them. www.science.org/content/arti...

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Mar 26

How getting struck by lightning actually benefits a tropical tree species. "Fascinating and wonderfully counterintuitive," says @tommaso-jucker.bsky.social.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Shocker: This tropical tree thrives after being struck by lightning

The almendro withstands thunderbolts that blast away parasitic vines

www.science.org

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Mar 24

Remarkable disguise of a young white-necked jacobin hummingbird discovered. Nothing like this showy adult. (Photo: Sam May via wikimedia) www.science.org/content/article/fuzzy-hummingbird-chick-may-be-disguise-caterpillar

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Mar 19

How much do honeybees compete with wild bees? A new study took a clever approach.
www.science.org/content/arti...

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Erik Stokstad @erikstokstad.bsky.social · Feb 13

The sheen on this moth's wings is an illusion. Nanostructures make it reflect like a curved surface. When folded, the wings look even more like a leaf. www.science.org/content/arti...