CANADA
Edmonton International Airport tested a drone with flapping wings called the Robird, which is intended to scare real birds away from aircraft. The prototype was modeled on a peregrine falcon; its developers are now working on a mechanical bald eagle.
GEORGIA
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Scientists excavated eight ancient jars, the oldest one dating back to 5980 B.C., from two Georgian villages. The vessels bore chemical footprints of grape fermentation, making them the earliest known evidence of wine making.
PACIFIC OCEAN
Researchers from the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign found plastic traces in the stomachs of crustaceans that dwell in the darkest ocean depths, including the 36,000-foot-deep Mariana Trench. Scientists are concerned that plastic pollution may now have penetrated every marine ecosystem on the planet.
SOUTH AFRICA
A project called the International Barcode of Life presented a portable DNA-identifying technology that could help South African customs officials rapidly classify animal bones. The tool's creators hope it will help fight trafficking of endangered or invasive animals.
ANTARCTICA
Biologists calculated the weight of leopard seals by taking aerial photographs of them with drones. The conventional method—individually capturing and weighing the seals—takes hours and is disruptive to the animals.
MEXICO
Scientists installed a network of seismometers and GPS stations on the seafloor off the state of Guerrero. A contraption called a wave glider floats above the seismometers and collects data to predict whether stresses on the ocean floor are building toward major earthquakes.