By: Habiba Abdelhalim Picture an ant trapped in the sand, pinned down and unable to move. A nestmate approaches, and although it could easily walk away and keep foraging, it stops to help. Digging out a trapped comrade takes time, burns energy, and offers no immediate reward, and yet the ant starts to dig, biting … Continue reading No Ant Left Behind: The Science of Insect Altruism
Science Communication
Fall in Love with Jumping Spiders This Fall
By Chris Pallés As we work our way into the fall semester and feel the chill of the changing season settling in, many of us are preparing for the start of the holiday season – Halloween. This beloved holiday is known for its use of scary creatures, which often includes spiders. As a spider-lover myself, … Continue reading Fall in Love with Jumping Spiders This Fall
The Puppeteer of Your Dietary Choices: How the Microbiota Dictates Dietary Preference
By Seth Kabonick The animal kingdom relies on microbes that have co-evolved with their hosts for millions of years. Symbiotic bacteria are beneficial bacteria that fulfill a necessary role defending against pathogens, regulating the immune system, and breaking down dietary nutrients. For this reason, most topical microbiome research emphasizes the host’s influence on microbes; however, … Continue reading The Puppeteer of Your Dietary Choices: How the Microbiota Dictates Dietary Preference
