Laura Baisas

New Jersey, New York

Science News Writer at Popular Science

Articles

Chimpanzees can keep a rhythmic beat

5 days ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A rescued chimpanzee named Missy eats watermelon during a daily bushwalk at the Chimpanzee Conservation Centre (CCC) on November 26, 2015 in Somoria, Guinea. The CCC is a sanctuary and a rehabilitation centre for rescued orphaned chimpanzees and is supported in part by Project Primate, Inc., a US NGO. CREDIT: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
Chimpanzees can keep a rhythmic beat

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Laura Baisas

Not to be outdone by Ronan the beat-keeping sea lion or woodpeckers in the forest, some chimpanzees are also able to keep a beat and use regular spacing between drum hits. Over 300 observations of two distinct subspecies–eastern and western chimpanzees–show that the primates can drum with distinguishable rhythms.
28 big American cities are sinking

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A view of the skyline in downtown Houston, Texas on April 8, 2025. Certain parts of Houston, Texas are sinking by as much as 10 millimeters per year, according to a new study. CREDIT: Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images.
Northern India’s elusive snow leopards get their close up

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A snow leopard walks across a mountainside at Thiksey village on the outskirts of Leh in India's Ladakh region on February 13, 2024. CREDIT: MOHD ARHAAN ARCHER/AFP via Getty Images.
Northern India’s elusive snow leopards get their close up

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Laura Baisas

4 hours agoIndia Vindicated by Pakistan ChargeIt should come as no surprise that India is feeling vindicated: The United States has finally come around to endorsing India’s view of the nefarious regional role of Pakistan’s intelligence service.
Watch a snail lay an egg...from its neck

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

Rangers from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation caught Powelliphanta augusta laying an egg.
정자, ‘완벽한 온도’ 찾아 수정 활성화… 남성 피임 새길 열리나

1 week ago | popsci.co.kr | Laura Baisas

정자가 수정에 성공하기까지 온도에 민감하게 반응하는 특성이 있다는 사실이 밝혀졌다. 미국 세인트루이스 워싱턴 의과대학 발표에 따르면, 폴리나 리슈코 교수 연구팀은 정자 표면의 특정 단백질이 온도 변화를 감지해, 정자가 난자를 향해 돌진하고 수정하는 데 필요한 ‘과활성 상태’를 유도하는 핵심 메커니즘을 규명했다. 이는 향후 남성 피임법이나 불임 치료법 개발에 새로운 단서를 제공할 것으로 기대된다. 포유류의 정자는 정상 체온보다 약간 낮은 온도에서 가장 잘 생존하는 것으로 알려졌다. 하지만 난자가 자리잡은 여성 생식기관 내부는 체온이 높은 환경이다. 수정 과정에서 온도 문제를 이겨낼 해결책을 찾아야 한다. 연구팀은 쥐 실험을 통해, 따뜻한 온도가 정자를 과활성 상태로 전환할 수 있다는 점을 발견했다. 정자는 평소 부드럽고 꾸준히 이동한다. 하지만 특정 조건에서는 격렬하게 꼬리를 흔들며 돌진한다. 이런 강력한 운동은 난자 외벽을 뚫고 들어가는 데 필수적이다.
Next-generation male contraceptives could rely on the perfect temperature

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A 3D rendering of a sperm cell. CREDIT: Westend61 via Getty Images. Sperm are somewhat like Goldilocks in their quest for everything to be just right. At least in mammals, the male sex cells are surprisingly picky about temperature and it can’t be too hot or too cold for them to do their thing.
Are backyard bird feeders safe? Preventing illness is easy.

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A blue tit flies to a feeder in a garden, where a great spotted woodpecker is currently sitting. CREDIT: Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images. In most of the United States, spring’s bird migration is in full swing.
Poems spanning 1,400 years tell the tale of a revered porpoise

1 week ago | popsci.com | Laura Baisas

A Yangtze finless porpoise hunting in China’s Poyang Lake. CREDIT: Yu Huigong. A team of scientists in China turned to an unusual source to track the population of the Yangtze River’s finless porpoises: ancient poems.