A water-proof drone (无人机) is used by Australian scientists to collect the highly-treasured nasal mucus (鼻部黏液) of migrating whales which is rich in fresh DNA viruses and bacteria. It flies over the blowholes of humpback whales as they go on their annual journey along Australia’s east coast.

Vanessa Pirotta, a biologist at Macquarie University, says that nasal mucus indicates the health of the whale “It’s the juicy biological mixture you see as a whale surfaces from the water to take a breath,” she said. “You often see that mist and hear the sharp breaths as a whale breathes because after all, they are mammals like us and have two nostrils (鼻孔). As they take a breath a lot of lung bacteria come out from their lungs, which we can collect to provide a picture of whale health.”

Australian researchers have attached a petri dish (培养皿) that is used in scientific tests to a drone which flies through the whale’s nasal mist.

Vanessa Pirotta says, “As a whale surfaces to take a breath — you can actually see it on good weather days — the drone lowers, the petri dish is then opened and the drone is flown through the thickest part of the whale snot (鼻涕), collecting the sample in the petri dish. Now once this happens the lid is shut and the drone is flown back to the research ship and we collect the sample to later process it in the laboratory.”

The research could help to solve one of the mysteries of another wonderful creature of the deep-the Southern right whale. Its numbers have recovered on Australia’s west coast since hunting was illegalized but its population on the eastern seaboard remains stubbornly low.

In the past, studies into whale health had to rely on examining whales that were either killed or grounded on a beach. Now drones allow scientists to collect samples from free-swimming whales to gather information without harming them.

Young sunflowers turn and swing every day. New findings add to evidence that the plants are animal-like.

Harmer, a professor in the University of California at Davis’ Department of Plant Biology, carried out a series of experiments on sunflowers in the field, in pots outdoors and in indoor growth chambers.

By staking plants so that they could not move, Harmer showed that he could destroy their ability to track the sun. He also noticed that sunflowers prevented from moving were not as tough and leafy as those that were free to move. When plants were moved indoor with a settled overhead light, they continued to swing back and forth for a few days.

The indoor plants did start tracking the “sun” again when the apparent source of lighting was moved across the room. The plants could reliably track the movement and return at night when the artificial day was close to a 24-hour cycle, but not when it was closer to 30 hours.

When sunflowers track the sun, the east sides of their stems grew more rapidly than the west sides. At night, the west sides grew faster as the stem swung the other way. The team identified a number of genes that were expressed at higher levels on the sunward side of the plant during the day, or on the other side at night. A plant growth-regulating hormone, called auxin, appears to be a key driver.

The “dance” to the sun cycle obviously slows when the sunflower matures and its flowers open up. At that point, the plants stop moving during the day and settle down facing the sun in the east.

“Bees like warm flowers.” Harmer said, adding that the bees are cold-blooded, so landing on a warm flower saves them energy and perhaps feels really good.

“The morning warmth changes the flowers in a way to make them more appealing to insects, perhaps causing them to release more attractive scents earlier in the day.” he said. “We’re currently testing this idea.”

Why dogs chase their tails? There are some answers to this question, which might surprise you. While tail chasing can be a harmless behavior, sometimes it can indicate a potential issue requiring a vet visit. Below are some common meanings behind your dog chasing its tail.

【小题1】

It might look like a strange activity to humans, but tail- chasing is a simple way for dogs to let loose and have a little fun. 【小题2】 Just keep in mind that a constantly bored or stressed dog might be feeling left out, so make sure its basic needs are being met, including exercise and socialization.

Your dog is feeling stressed.

On the other hand, uncontrollable tail- chasing behavior could be a warning sign that your dog is anxious or stressed. 【小题3】 By the way, this fruitless and frustrating behavior is what led to the saying “like a dog chasing its tail”.

Your dog wants your attention.

Tail- chasing is actually a go- to behavior for young dogs who are playing and learning about their bodies. And it’s hard not to smile when you see this happening, especially in puppies, because it’s funny and adorable. But this type of response can cause your pup to keep doing it. Try not to encourage this behavior. 【小题4】

Your dog may have intestinal parasites (肠道寄生虫).

This is another common reason why dogs chase their tails. It’s also a reason why dogs chew their tails, too. Infections are generally common in young dogs and can even be deadly in some puppies if left untreated. 【小题5】 If your dog is chasing their tail a lot, it’s best to rule out any medical issues first, so always get in touch with your vet who will be able to examine them and find the root of the problem.