Seeker

Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, History, Adventure, Human

[ucresearch]

Mosquito repellent is dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be

Most mosquito repellent since the 1950s has contained a compound called DEET. It works well, but it can also melt your swim trunks, and give you a rash. On top of that, it’s too expensive to be a major factor in parts of the world where malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses are a serious problem.

UC Riverside’s Anandasankar Ray set out to find a better alternative, but first he needed to figure out how a mosquito’s nose works – and why DEET works in the first place.

Watch the video to learn more:

[discoverynews]

Cassini's ‘Grand Finale’ Dives Could Show How Quickly Saturn's Rings Will Fade

New research suggests Saturn's rings may last a trillion years before fading away — and Cassini's ring dives will help test the th...

[discoverynews]

Climate Change-Driven Extinction of Alpine Plant Species May Go Undetected

Researchers worry that current methods for tracking extinction could be missing important data about the relative health and distribution...

[discoverynews]

Missing EPA Webpage Could Be Violation of Federal Law

The missing page, which provided students and teachers with scientific information about climate change, is the first instance of archive...

[discoverynews]

TRAPPIST-1 Planets Have No Large Moons, Study Argues

The conditions for habitable exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system might depend on the presence of large moons — and Earth reveals clues...

[discoverynews]

Wild Dolphins Are Sicker Than Captive Ones, Study Finds

Exposure to parasites, pathogens, and pollution are the likely reasons why two wild dolphin populations were found to be sicker than two captive...

[discoverynews]

Pinky-Sized Marine Animal Breaks Record for Ocean Filtration

A small marine creature just broke the world record for ocean filtration and is a newly named champion in the fight against climate change.

[discoverynews]

New Plant-Eating Dinosaur Was So Big It Had No Predators

An enormous new herbivorous dinosaur with legs the size of tree trunks and a “whiplash” tail had little problem fending off would-be attackers, new research...

[discoverynews]

Biodegradable Circuitry Could Shrink the World's Growing Piles of E-Waste

Researchers in California report they have produced a lightweight and flexible semiconductor built on a base of cellulose, the main ingredient in plant...

[discoverynews]

Cassini Makes Second Saturn Ring Dive as NASA Studies Unexpected Emptiness

Audio recordings from the spacecraft reveal a surprising lack of dust between Saturn and its rings, as Cassini continues taking breathtaking photos of the distant...

[discoverynews]

A New Breach Has Opened in Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf Crack

Scientists don’t have a timetable for when the huge piece of Larsen C could break off, but the new breach has added to its growing...

[discoverynews]

Conservationists See DNA Barcoding as Crucial Method for Combating Poaching

The method, which uses short DNA sequences to identify species, is fast becoming one of the most effective courtroom tools to prosecute wildlife...

[discoverynews]

Elon Musk's Pipe Dream: Underground Electric Sleds for LA Traffic

The man behind Tesla and SpaceX proposes dropping individual vehicles into a network of subterranean platforms and tunnels.

[discoverynews]

Elon Musk's SpaceX Sends Secret US Spy Satellite Into Orbit, Then Lands Rocket

It was the 34th mission for SpaceX, but its first flight for the US Department of Defense, a customer long-pursued by Musk.

[discoverynews]

(via @thrillist)

[discoverynews]

Surgeons Conduct Head Transplants on Rats, Say Humans Are Next

After 14 head transplants on rats, a pair of surgeons say they will attempt a human head transplant in the next 10 months in China.

[discoverynews]

The Fossil of a Half-Billion-Year-Old, 50-Legged Arthropod Was Found in Canada

The 4-inch-long creature, named Tokummia katalepsis, was discovered in sedimentary rock in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia.