Today, MyScienceWork is going to make you as snug as a bug in a rug. This week marks the anniversary of MyScienceNews, AKA the former MyScienceWork blog. For two years, we have been digging through the news, shaking, squeezing and turning it upside down to find some really original stories to share. The interns at MyScienceWork have taken this opportunity to revisit their favorite articles. From fear, to colors, to addictions, a whole menagerie of themes awaits you…
This article is a translation of “Les petites bêtes de MyScienceWork” by Timothée Froelich.
To celebrate the second anniversary of MyScienceWork, the team’s interns decided to dig into the archives. Today, our vivarium is composed of ants, butterflies, bees, and flies. Whatever these insects inspire in you, MyScienceWork decided to put them under a microscope and study them from every angle. So, are you ready to chase butterflies with us throughout the following articles?
Insects under MyScienceWork’s microscope - Vojta Kolencik
In 1991, Bernard Werber wrote the story of the daily life of an anthill, in the novel Empire of the ants. Today, scientists use very tiny biomimetic robots to understand the collective behttp://www.mysciencework.com/en/admin/MyScienceNews/post/create/enhavior of ants. Someday, will we grasp how such a small bug can be so logical and organized?
Biomimetic robots, Tatiana Malherbe, April 2013
Erwan Poivet is an expert in moth caterpillar olfaction. In March 2012, he already presented this subject in an article (in French) published on MyScienceNews: Le nez en l’air : introduction à l’olfaction chez les insectes. A little while ago, our young and clumsy journalist intern Arthur met with him in the sixth episode of our web series Knock Knock Doc. For English subtitles, click on the caption icon below the video!
Caterpillar Control, Knock Knock Doc, Season 1 Episode 6, March 2013
You already know the deafening humming, chirping, or buzzing of some insects that seem not to want you to sleep peacefully at night during the summer. Conversely, other insects, like the tsetse fly, make us unavoidably sleepy. The bite of this fly is the main cause of human African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness. MyScienceWork tells us all about a new screening test that could help to treat this disease and heal patients faster.
Renewed interest in sleeping sickness, Tatiana Malherbe, March 2013
Bees are essential to our ecosystem. However, their population is declining more and more each year. Among the culprits, pesticide users are at the top. As the following article (in French) explains, this high death rate is not caused by one single element, but results from the combination of several factors.
Surmortalité des abeilles, Laurence Bianchini, July 2011
Did you enjoy chasing butterflies with us? MyScienceWork has shown us that science really tries hard to study the unsuspected abilities of insects. See you again tomorrow on MyScienceWork, the official second anniversary of our blog. Our dose of optimism will definitely do you good!
