Raptor Center invites public to study falcon of Twins fame
Now that a diminutive falcon has delighted 38,000 fans at Target Field, the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center is inviting the public to help study the little bird: an American Kestrel.
Scientific Agenda
Scientific Agenda reports on important and interesting developments from the world of science in Minnesota and elsewhere. Coverage includes reports from MinnPost journalist Sharon Schmickle, Inside Science News Service, and other sources.
Theory explains why some with HIV survive longer
WASHINGTON — A group of researchers in Boston announced a new theory this week that may help to explain a longstanding mystery in AIDS research: why some people with HIV survive for decades without ever developing AIDS.
Herschel telescope finds ‘impossible’ star so massive it would dwarf our sun
New cosmic observations from the European-built Herschel infrared space observatory have revealed previously hidden details of star form tucked away in distant galaxies.
Birds of a feather attack together
WASHINGTON — Last summer, physicist Suzanne Amador Kane at Haverford College in Pennsylvania set up an experiment looking at how flocks of small birds on her campus — swallows — defend themselves from predators by ganging up and forming mobs.
Soap and water wash away buyer’s remorse
Soap and water can cleanse the mind of doubts after a tough choice, according to research published last week in the journal Science.
Here’s your chance to see the real Woody the woodpecker
You have to be a certain age to understand why an odd laugh — ha ha ha HAA ha — echoed in my mind as I read an invitation to see a red-headed woodpecker up close on Saturday at the University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in E
Science behind ‘Iron Man 2’
When “Iron Man 2” opens in theaters today, May 7, you probably won’t notice the science consultant who helped bring real science into the world of science fiction.
Gulf spill no hazard to birds in Minnesota, but that could change
BP’s oil blowout in the Gulf refer is posing hazards for migrating birds. If you’re worrying about the birds we watch in Minnesota, you can relax — at least for now.
U of M team shows off solar car
A U of M team that built a solar car plans to show off its new model this week.
British tabloid finds life on Mars, NASA disagrees
Despite recent media reports that NASA found evidence for life on Mars, the U.S. space agency says proof that we are not alone is still a ways off.
Aetodactylus halli fossil: A clue in North American mystery
When it came to the creatures that ruled the skies near the end of the age of the dinosaurs, North America had appeared to include a curious omission.
Chickadees tweet about themselves
A short tweet from a chickadee can tell other birds their sex, species and geographic location, according to new research.
Raptor Center will release rehabilitated birds on Saturday
On Saturday, the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota will stage its annual release of rehabilitated birds into the wild.
Chimps clearly react to offsprings’ deaths; are they grieving?
Behavior seen in studies could be expressions of grief, or perhaps examples of survival adaptation.
How mind games could compromise airport security
Researchers at Duke University studied a mind game — one they suspected could compromise airport security.
Defense department OKs new Jetsons-like vehicle
The Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) has cleared the Transformer (TX) program for takeoff. If it flies, by 2015 U.S.
10 space targets you can spot without the Hubble
Of all the countless great and wonderful objects that have been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope during its first 20 years of operation, we thought it might be interesting to find some Hubble objects that can be seen from Earth — either with the
Pollen folds like origami
WASHINGTON — For those of us with allergies, springtime pollen is an invisible nuisance.
How an Iceland volcano works: What Eyjafjallajökull might do next
The big news from Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull may be shifting from a Surtseyan eruption to a more Strombolian mode. This is a good thing.
Two events at U of M focus on water issues
Two public events at the University of Minnesota next Tuesday speak to water issues here and abroad.