The Sciences
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Stories by Jennifer Frazer
The Sciences
A Fungus Is the Founder of the Hair Club for Trees
At last, scientists have identified the stylist that gives hornbeam and elderberry salon-worthy hair.
The Sciences
Under an Eclipse, a Lawn Full of Crawling Stars
The weak light of the eclipsed moon revealed the "glow worms" I'd long sought to see.
The Sciences
A Beetle Utopia on an Artist's Conk Fungus
Every so often, the observant naturalist will stumble on a treasure worthy of a BBC documentary.
Health
Aquarium Corals of Anchorage Poison 10 1/2 Humans, 2 Dogs and 1 Cat
There are few places that seem less likely for a zoanthid coral attack than Anchorage, Alaska. And yet the corals managed to poison around a dozen people in Anchorage over the last few years...
Evolution
Wonderful Things: Planthopper Nymph Body Art
These little planthopper nymphs appear to be the offspring of an ent and a tribble, or perhaps shaggy sheep having bad hair days. Sheep that leap.
Evolution
Were the First Flowers Aquarium Plants?
The identity of Earth's first flower has long vexed botanists. A new interpretation of an old fossil adds to the evidence that they may have come from the water.
Health
Deadly Infections Linked to Joplin Tornado Featured on The Weather Channel [Video]
On August 5, I was interviewed live by the Weather Channel about the 13 fungal infections caused by the 2011 Joplin tornado that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Here's that interview.
Evolution
Nematodes Use Slugs Like Buses ... and Maybe Cruise Ships
To a tiny worm called a nematode, slugs may be the ultimate sexy ride: moist, secure, and maybe even pre-loaded with snacks.
The Sciences
Live Exploration Begins Aug. 1 in Deep Hawaiian Waters
August 1 commences a two-month series of live-streamed ROV dives by NOAA's Okeanos Explorer in the deep waters off Hawaii.
Health
Soil-Dwelling Fungus Rode Joplin Tornado to Unexpected Human Home
The most unexpected beneficiary of the EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., in May 2011 was a fungus named Apophysomyces
Evolution
How Do Sea Sapphires Become Invisible?
The sea sapphire combines the brilliance of a morpho butterfly, the cuteness of copepod, and the cloaking skills of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. But just how does it pull it off?
Evolution
Shimmering, Squishy Comb Jellies Once Had Skeletons
An evolutionary arms race 500 million years ago seems to have unexpectedly caused today's gelatinous comb jellies to armor up -- and they weren't alone.
Evolution
Why Red Algae Never Packed Their Bags for Land
Red algae have shockingly few genes for a multicellular organism - far fewer than a single-celled green alga - and this may explain why they never colonized land.
Evolution
Starfish Show Tracking Tags Who's Boss [Video]
A funny thing happened when two Danish college students injected tracking tags into starfish. The tracking tags kept mysteriously winding up on the bottom of the tank.
The Sciences
Playing in a Deep-Sea Brine Pool Is Fun, as Long as You're an ROV [Video]
The Gulf of Mexico is known for many things, and most are bad: hurricanes, oil spills...the infamous Dead Zone. But there is a wonder of nature that the Gulf should be known for but isn't—lakes located inside the Gulf...
Evolution
Swapping Symbionts Enabled Mediterranean Lichen to Conquer the Arctic
The miraculous recovery of a coral and the gargantuan range of a lichen may both result from the surprising evolutionary advantages their "alternative" lifestyles give them
The Sciences
Root Fungi Can Turn Pine Trees Into Carnivores — or at Least Accomplices
Root fungi may confer dark but useful powers on their plant hosts
Evolution
Dying Trees Can Send Food to Neighbors of Different Species
No tree is an island, and no place is this truer than the forest
The Sciences
A Five-Minute Taste of Deep Sea Exploration
NOAA’s research ship Okeanos Explorer and its ROV Deep Discoverer (aka D2) wrapped up their latest exploration of the seafloor and marine canyons around Puerto Rico last week.
