Oyster Wears Glass Armor

 Science, March 2014

The windowpane oyster sports a shell so transparent and durable that some Indian and Philippine cities use the coverings as an affordable alternative to window glass. Yet windowpane oyster (Placuna placenta) shells are made up of 99% calcite, a usually brittle material, with a small amount of organic material. A team of researchers wondered how the shellfish’s fingernail-thick armor could survive multiple blows while remaining transparent, a feat unmatched by humanmade materials.

What Makes Beetles Such Great Wrestlers?

 Science, March 2014

When beetles brawl, they put professional wrestlers to shame. Male Cyclommatus metallifer stag beetles use their long jaws, called mandibles, in scuffles for rotten wood and mating rights (as seen in the above video). During a bout, the beetles maneuver their opponent between their pinching pincers and try to flip them helplessly upside down.

Famous Paintings Hold Clues to Past Climate

 Science, March 2014

The scorching colors of a large volcanic blast can stain sunsets around the world for years after the initial eruption cools down. Droplets of sulfuric acid spewed into the atmosphere scatter away blue light, creating vivid crimson twilights. Inspired by these stunning sunsets, famous artists included the fiery colors in the backgrounds of their paintings, such as the above 1818 piece Woman before the Setting Sun by German artist Caspar David Friedrich. Two years earlier, the ash from an unusually large number of major volcanic eruptions reflected so much sunlight that 1816 became known as the year without a summer.

Largest Genome Ever Sequenced

 Science, March 2014

A loblolly pine tree on the 17th hole of the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia blocked so many of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s shots that in 1956 he tried to get the tree chopped down. Now, loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) are making a different kind of history: Their genome is the largest of any organism yet sequenced.

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Jumping Spiders Recruit Ant Bodyguards

 Science, March 2014

For the jumping spider, it pays to live in a dangerous neighborhood. Researchers have discovered that wild Philippine jumping spiders (Phintella piantensis) erect their web-spun homes directly above nests of spider-eating weaver ants. Because weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) enjoy snacking on jumping spiders, as seen in the above photo, the team wondered why the spiders would move in so close to their natural enemy.

Greek Plays Act Out Ancient Weather

 Science, March 2014

The works of ancient Greek playwrights are getting a second act as clues for climate scientists. Few historical accounts of Mediterranean weather exist prior to the third century B.C.E. Climate researchers are particularly interested in the regular occurrence of sunny midwinter periods, called Halcyon days, during ancient times.

Computer Program Allows the Blind to ‘See’ With Sound

 Science, March 2014

A man blind since birth is taking up a surprising new hobby: photography. His newfound passion is thanks to a system that turns images into sequences of sound. The technology not only gives “sight” to the blind, but also challenges the way neurologists think the brain is organized.

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Sex, Drugs, but Not Rock ‘n’ Roll

 Science, March 2014

If music is a universal language, it doesn’t speak to everyone. Psychologists asked more than 1000 college students what they found rewarding. Of those surveyed, the team selected 10 students who ranked music significantly less pleasurable than other choices provided, such as sex, exercise, and food. The researchers discovered that the students weren’t tone deaf or incapable of grasping the emotional meaning of a song—their brains simply didn’t find listening to music rewarding.

Straight Walls Make Better Concert Halls

 Science, March 2014

Building from a whispering pianissimo to a thunderous fortissimo, a skilled orchestra can leave its audience with goose bumps. Because a wide selection of volumes allows for more expressive performances, a team of researchers investigated if the geometry of the performance venue plays a part in the range of volumes heard by the audience, called the perceived dynamic range.

Birds Bend Light to Woo Females

 Science, March 2014

When a male Lawes’s Parotia shakes a tail feather, the ladies and the physicists take notice. Living in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, males of the species (Parotia lawesii) wear a coat of velvety black feathers, with the exception of a colorful, shimmering spot on their breast. For their mating display, they head to a patch of sunlight and strut their stuff in a so-called ballerina dance, spreading their feathers like a tutu and shaking their body to shimmer their breast plumage.