Yellowstone Lake‚ the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park‚ has been impressively resilient in the face of climate change. In the last century‚ the length of time that the lake has been covered by ice each year has not changed‚ despite increasingly warm temperatures in the region.In the midst of a climate crisis‚ most lakes around the world are experiencing shorter periods of ice cover. “Lakes are sentinels of environmental change‚” the researchers write in their new study. As things get hotter‚ they tend to freeze later and melt earlier – but not Yellowstone Lake.“Contrary to expectation‚ the ice phenology of Yellowstone Lake has been uniquely resistant to climate change‚” they add. “Indeed‚ despite warming temperatures in the region‚ no change in the timing nor duration of ice cover has occurred.”Yellowstone Lake‚ with a surface area of 341 square kilometers (132 square miles) and sitting 2‚357 meters (7‚733 feet) above sea level‚ is North America's largest high-elevation lake. Such lakes were thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate change‚ but few long-term records of their phenology – the timing and duration of ice cover during winter – exist.To rectify this‚ the team behind the new study quantified Yellowstone Lake’s ice phenology over 95 years (1927-2022)‚ comparing it to seven similar lakes in northern Europe.Typically‚ the lake is ice-covered from late December through May – and this has stayed surprisingly consistent over almost a century‚ even with the 1°C (1.8°F) increase in temperature the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has seen since 1950. Other lakes in Europe‚ meanwhile‚ have not seen the same consistency.“The unchanging ice phenology of Yellowstone Lake stands in stark contrast to similar lakes in the Northern Hemisphere‚” the researchers write.Which begs the question: Why is Yellowstone Lake seemingly so invulnerable to climate change&;#63;The team believe that the lake’s secret weapon may be increased snowfall‚ which has likely acted as a shield against spikes in temperature. “Shifts in local precipitation‚ especially increases in fall and spring snow‚ appear to be buffering the lake’s ice phenology against warming temperatures‚” they explain.It’s simple thermodynamics: a thicker layer of ice takes more energy to melt‚ so a quicker build-up of snow in fall‚ followed by an extra sprinkling in spring creates a thick covering that can withstand increasing air temperatures – at least for now.Climate projections suggest that there will be continued warming and a shift from snow to rain in both fall and spring in the high Rocky Mountains‚ which could be detrimental to Yellowstone Lake’s enduring ice cover. The researchers think a “tipping point” may be on the horizon‚ which could bring about abrupt changes in the lake’s ice phenology.The tide may be turning for Yellowstone‚ and it could really shake things up for the lake’s whole ecosystem‚ affecting its hardy inhabitants and impacting everything from nutrient cycling and lake productivity‚ to fisheries and recreation.The study is published in Environmental Research Letters.

We associate a lot of things with bees: honey‚ the coming of spring‚ maybe the occasional sting‚ and the adorable waggle dance‚ to name a few. But rarely do the words “underwater&;quot; and “bees” appear in the same sentence. Now some slightly accidental research has revealed that queen bees can survive underwater for days at a time. The study’s lead author Sabrina Rondeau had been studying pesticide residue in soil and how this affected queen bees who burrow underground to overwinter when some water entered the tubes that contained some of the bees. &;quot;I freaked out‚&;quot; said Rondeau to AFP. &;quot;It was only a small proportion... so it was not that big of a deal‚ but I didn't want to lose those bees.&;quot;To her surprise all the bees in the tubes survived‚ and this inspired Rondeau to start a proper experiment looking into this ability. &;quot;I've been studying bumblebees for a very long time. I've talked about it to a lot of people and no one knew that this was a possibility.” continued Rondeau.Typically at the end of the summer months‚ unmated queens are made by the colony and then they breed before spending 6-9 months in burrows in the ground overwintering in a process called diapause. Only the queens survive the winter months while the rest of the colony dies off. Diapausing in the ground for so long comes with challenges‚ however‚ including the problems of parasites‚ mold‚ and potential flooding. In the new experiment‚ 143 hibernating queen common eastern bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were placed in a tube with soil‚ with either no water as a control tube‚ fully submerged with a plunger‚ or floating in water. The period in the tubes was 8 hours‚ 24 hours‚ or 7 days‚ and the bees were put into an artificially induced diapause in a fridge. After this‚ the bees were transferred to new tubes with soil and kept in cold conditions for a further eight weeks.The experimental setup.Image Credit: Rondeau‚ S. &; Raine‚ N.E Biology Letters (2024) CC BY 4.0The results of the study showed that 81 percent of the bees (17/21) that were fully submerged survived not only the full seven days in the experiment but were still alive after eight weeks in refrigerated conditions.The team thinks this unusual survival could be down to the species‚ as common eastern bumblebees are particularly tough and have not experienced the same degree of population decline as other bee species. &;quot;So we are also wondering whether this resistance to flooding can be part of why they're doing so well‚&;quot; said Rondeau. The team thinks this discovery is good news and means that this species might have a better chance of surviving climate change-related flooding events in the future.The paper is published in the journal Biology Letters. 

Do you have an eye for the wonders of the miniature world&;#63; Are you able to capture the beauty of things too small for human perception&;#63; Then now is the time to showcase your talent. Grab your microscopes and camera and join Nikon as they celebrate 50 years of their Small World Competition. This time‚ you could be the big winner in the world of tiny wonders.Small worlds are a big dealThe Small World Competition started in 1975 to recognize and applaud the skill of photography performed through the light microscope. Since then‚ this competition has become a place to exhibit the staggering beauty of this unseen world in a way that blends art with science. Each year‚ participants from a broad range of scientific disciplines submit an ever more diverse range of images – from the intricate patterns of a rodent optic nerve to the delicate but vibrant details of a live oak leaf‚ or the mesmerizing crystalline structure of a frozen water droplet – to show that even the smallest subjects can leave big impressions. Since 2011‚ Nikon has also run the Small World in Motion competition‚ which showcases movies or digital time-lapse photography taken through the microscope. These submissions add a distinct visual dimension to otherwise invisible activities taking place around or inside us. 50 years of mesmerizing microscopy Nikon’s Small World is the oldest and largest photomicrography competition in the world. As such‚ it is not only a catalog of luminous and exquisite images of rarely seen specimens‚ but it is also a historical record of the subtle advancements in technology and scientific precision. “Nikon's Small World Competition beautifully illustrates how far microscopic imaging has come in the past 50 years‚” Tom Hale‚ Senior Journalist at IFLScience and judge for the 2019 Small World Competition‚ explained. “Looking at the hundreds of stunning images that have been entered over the decades‚ you get a sense of how science‚ technology‚ and art are deeply intertwined with each other.”“Over the 50-year course of this competition‚” added Eric Flem‚ Communications and CRM Manager‚ Nikon Instruments‚ “the gallery has mirrored not only the advances in technology in microscopy imaging‚ but has also acted as a barometer for various scientific disciplines that have been opened up as microscope technologies made imaging in these areas possible.”The developments in microscopes and digital cameras have transformed the field from a highly specialized practice to something that is more accessible to wider groups of people. This does not mean that photomicrography is easy‚ mind you. It still demands skill and knowledge to perform well‚ but digital cameras allow scientists‚ artists‚ and anyone else to view and review results faster than before. This has also meant a change in the subjects being photographed. As Flem explained to IFLScience: “As the competition evolved through the years there has been a shift to more biological samples as technology has made the capture of these types of images easier and more widely available to scientists‚ artists‚ and hobbyists.”Just a casual glance at the winning entries for each year is enough to illustrate this. In 1975‚ the winning image was submitted by James Dvorak who presented a mosaic-like image of oxalic acid crystals during precipitation. Dvorak captured this image by transmitting polarized light through a quartz wedge. Then‚ 10 years later‚ Jonathan Eisenback presented a formalin-fixed whole mount of a spiral nematode that he captured using multiple exposures. Throughout these years‚ the majority of images were of static structures‚ but you can see the complexity and clarity of the images developing over this time. Today‚ the situation is much different. The images submitted are crisp and sharp compared to earlier entries‚ and they are produced using a wider range of techniques. For instance‚ the winner of the 2022 Small World Competition used high-resolution microscopy and image-stitching to capture the embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko. To achieve this‚ Grigorii Timin‚ supervised by Michel Milinkovitch‚ performed whole-mounted fluorescent staining and tissue clearing to capture the hand with a confocal microscope.   “The scan consists of 300 tiles‚ each containing about 250 optical sections‚ resulting in more than two days of acquisition and approximately 200 GB of data”‚ Timin told Nikon. How to enterEntries for this year’s competition‚ both Small World and Small World in Motion‚ are open until April 30‚ 2024. Anyone over the age of 18 with an interest in microscopy and photography can take part‚ and all participants receive a calendar for entering. For more information about prizes or any other questions‚ visit Nikon's Small World FAQ page.   Competitors are welcome to use any type of light microscope and technique‚ including phase contrast‚ polarized light‚ fluorescence‚ interference contrast‚ darkfield‚ confocal‚ deconvolution‚ and mixed techniques. Electron microscope and macro images are not eligible.  So‚ grab your favorite specimens and take part in the ultimate showcase of all things miniature and marvelous. Remember‚ entry is open until April 30‚ 2024.This article includes sponsored material. Read our transparency policy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how squirrels react to different types of food&;#63; A delightful exploration into this curious topic is featured in a video where squirrels are introduced to homemade “doughNUTS‚” a nutty treat made especially for them. The reaction of these bushy-tailed critters is not only adorable but also quite insightful‚ shedding light on... The post Woman makes ‘doughNUTS’ for squirrels and they light up with pure joy appeared first on Animal Channel.

When Sarah and her husband discovered a donkey in distress‚ unable to receive the care he needed from his own mother‚ they didn’t hesitate to step in. They named him Cash‚ and what followed was a heartwarming tale of recovery and unexpected companionship. Cash‚ the donkey‚ not only regained his health but also became a... The post Pet donkey knows when it’s bedtime and goes into ‘snuggle mode’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

James McCartney was recently spotted out in public with his famous father‚ Paul McCartney at a private viewing of Paul McCartney 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery‚ London. James‚ who is the only son of Paul and his late wife Linda‚ has kept a low profile for most of his life until he began his music career. Having towed Paul’s path‚ he is often compared with his dad who was a member of the iconic band‚ The Beatles. “It’s challenging to live up to The Beatles‚” James told Daily Mail. Aside from undermining his talent‚ internet trolls have recently taken things a tad further by coming for James’ looks. “They bear a strong resemblance&;#33; If Paul had let himself go and neglected his health during his prime‚ he might have looked like this. His son should prioritize his well-being‚” a critic once said‚ advising James to be more hygienic. Fans come to Paul McCartney’s son’s defense Instagram Thankfully‚ a few fans defended James from the unkind words hurled at him on social media‚ asking the female trolls to let him be. “It’s astonishing to see all these women body-shaming him based on his looks. If it were a woman‚ there would be an uproar against any negative comments‚” they retorted. “There’s nothing wrong with him… and he probably attracts more women than most men here‚ too.” RELATED: Paul McCartney’s Lookalike Son Makes Rare Appearance To Support Sister At Event James‚ who shares some resemblance with Paul‚ struggled with drugs and alcohol as well as self-isolation from his family since losing his mom in 1998. “She passed away when I was 20‚ and that’s when I entered a very dark period‚” he reflected. He reconnected with Paul after his angioplasty surgery in 2007 and soon withdrew again after his father married Nancy Shevell. By 2010‚ he released his debut single‚ “Availing Light‚” and collaborated with Paul on his 2013 debut album‚ Me. London‚ UK. Sir Paul McCartney at the ‘Comes A Bright Day’ UK film premiere‚ held at the Curzon Mayfair cinema. 26th June 2012.Can Nguyen/Landmark Media Growing up‚ James “realized that I had a better grasp of playing the guitar than other kids at school‚ and I took pride and pleasure in that.” He worked with his dad as a backup percussionist and guitarist for solo releases like “Flaming Pie” and “Driving Rain‚” and played the lead guitar on “The Light Comes from Within‚” on Linda’s posthumously released album‚ Wide Prairie. SQUARING THE CIRCLE (THE STORY OF HIPGNOSIS)‚ Paul McCartney‚ of Wings‚ The Beatles‚ 2022. © Utopia /Courtesy Everett Collection Despite coming from a family of renowned musicians‚ James hopes to make his name without relying on his parents’ popularity. “I had to pay my dues as a musician and wait until I had a solid collection of songs and a time when both my music and I were ready. I don’t want to rely on my family name; I want to earn my own livelihood‚” he admitted. The forty-six-year-old also looks forward to making music with the sons of his dad’s bandmates— Sean Lennon‚ Dhani Harrison‚ and Ringo Starr’s Zach and Jason Starkey although he says “there’s no concrete plan behind it.” Click for next Article The post Paul McCartney’s Son Gets Trolled For His Looks After Rare Appearance With Father appeared first on DoYouRemember&;#63; - The Home of Nostalgia. Author‚ Peace A

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