Hummingbirds take no notice of flower color

Hummingbirds pay no attention to what color a flower is when figuring out whether to raid it for nectar, the latest research suggests.

Male fruit flies drink more alcohol after being rejected for sex

When female fruit flies reject the sexual approaches of male fruit flies, the males are driven to excessive alcohol consumption. Read more at EarthSky.

Early snow melts in North America not good for butterflies, study says

Scientists working at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory have linked declines in butterflies to early spring snow melts. Butterfly population is dropping.

Land use changes contribute to climate extremes

Climate extremes: The researchers found that land use changes in some cases amplified climate warming, while in other cases masked warming effects.

View from space: 2012 snow cover compared to 2011 snow cover

Two snow cover maps show the difference between snow extent in North America on March 3, 2011 and on March 5, 2012. The 2012 cover is spottier than the 2011.

Record breaking warmth across the United States in 2012

It is technically winter, but the U.S. is experiencing record breaking warmth usually seen in early summer. Meanwhile, it's been cold in Europe and Asia.

Climate change communication, by Gavin Schmidt

EarthSky's Science Communicator of the Year says that telling people about how scientists work is a key to communicating the science of climate change.

Antarctic icefish have translucent bodies and blood

Icefishes, which live only in the Antarctic Ocean, don't have red blood. Missing hemoglobin, the blood of an icefish runs white.

Earthquake shakes northern Japan in March 2012

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook northern Japan today, in much the same region heavily damaged by the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami of a year ago.

Tornadoes may be preceded by seismic phenomena

Seismic disturbances may precede tornadoes. Researchers found that before the tornadoes of early March 2012, seismographs recorded atmospheric phenomena.

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