A friend in need is a friend indeed - unless that friend is a New Caledonian crow.
A friend in need is a friend indeed - unless that friend is a New Caledonian crow.
Crows dreadfully opportunistic mates
A friend in need is a friend indeed - unless that friend is a New Caledonian crow.
While wickedly clever, these guys tend to be fair-weather mates, hanging out with birds outside the family only when there's something to gain.
A study in the journal NatureCommunications found they'll buddy up only when others find a food source that can only be dug out using tools such as small twigs and branches.
New Zealand women are more environmentally friendly than men.
Analysis of responses to the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey revealed women displayed higher levels of environmental values because they were "more empathetic and fair-minded".
Blokes showed lower levels because they rated lower in empathy and higher in a concept known as "social dominance orientation", where those seeing themselves as higher up the ladder typically take a dog-eat-dog approach to society.
Could you grow plants on Mars?
<i>The Martian</i> starring Matt Damon.
The spuds Matt Damon's stranded astronaut Mark Watney grew in The Martian may be closer to science fact than science fiction, say Kiwi and Australian researchers.
A newly discovered gene in a tobacco-like plant has evolved to drop its genetic defence against viruses in favour of better survival tactics for extreme conditions.
The plant is found amid the Mars-like landscape of the Australian outback, close to where the film Wolf Creek was filmed. Its discovery could open the door for space-based food production of similarly resilient plants.
Wallabies really are full of hot air
And so it was, just like the inflated Aussie press, that the Wallabies proved too full of hot air to wrestle the Webb Ellis Cup off the mighty All Blacks.
The same thing applies to the Australian team's methane-farting marsupial namesake - and now, too, its kangaroo cousin.
Until now, it had been thought that the bouncing, boxing Aussie icon, unlike cows, had unique gut bacteria that meant it produced little or no methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
But new research has shown kangaroos put out amounts similar to other herbivores, including the wallaby, whose gassy guts were shown to make for methane-laced flatulence back in 2012.
Smoking and boozing - all on the big screens
Much has been made of the near-incessant drinking and smoking in hit TV show <i>Mad Men</i>'s 1960s ad agency.
Much has been made of the near-incessant drinking and smoking in hit TV show Mad Men's 1960s ad agency - but new research shows movies aren't much better.
A study in the journal BMCPublic Health found most films still feature scenes of characters drinking and smoking - including those targeted at children or those made in countries where product placement of tobacco is illegal.
Researchers compared more than 800 successful box office films and found that at least 75 per cent featured alcohol and more than half contained smoking scenes.
