Today, science is using dogs to study an endangered animal, investigating the bioweaponry of ladybugs, developing printable astronaut food, and learning the ins and outs of the bathroom on the Solar Impulse.
A local dog is helping scientists save Orca whales—by smelling their poop
It’s not too unusual for a dog to have a penchant for poop, but the abilities of this eight-year-old black lab called Tucker are extraordinary—Tucker can detect Orca feces from up to a mile away, and with his help, the UW Center for Conservation Biology has been able to pin down what’s been harming local killer whales. Using body language, Tucker indicates the direction the smell is coming from so that researchers can drive the boat to the sample and collect the poop, which usually floats on the surface of the water. (A recent poop analysis revealed that a dearth of Chinook Salmon is behind the Orca population decline.)
Through sample analysis researchers can learn about the sex, diet, hormones, diseases, and habitat of the whale in question. This allows scientists to keep tabs on endangered animals without hunting, trapping, and tagging them. Tucker, and other gifted sniffers like him, are trained at Seattle’s Conservation Canines.
Asian lady beetles (aka ladybugs) are proliferating uncontrollably in the US and UK
Originally from native to China and Japan, these ladybugs were introduced to greenhouses in the 1990s to keep aphid populations in check. But their population has since boomed beyond the greenhouse and they are beginning to displace native beetles. A new study shows these ladybugs carry a fungus to which they are immune, but is deadly to other beetle species.
NASA grants company $125,000 to developing 3D-printable foods
The grant goes to a research corporation that hopes to arm a 3D printer with proteins, carbohydrates, and other raw materials to create “tasty” synthetic foods that astronauts can print on-demand. While astronauts are the focus right now, the company ultimately believes printable food will play a role in everyday diet and nutrition for the world population. That idea comes with a healthy dose of skepticism for many. Either way, you’re probably a long way from using “ctrl+p” to make yourself dinner.
The art of the in-flight restroom
Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg have been taking turns in the cockpit of the Swiss-made Solar Impulse as it makes a record-breaking odyssey across America this month. They’ve fielded a lot of questions about their adventure along the way, but obviously the one we’re all secretly thinking about is this: