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What makes a flower? The four key parts of flower anatomy.

What is a flower? A flower is the reproductive structure of flowering plants. Many flowers that rely on pollinators, such as birds, butterflies and bees, have evolved to have brightly coloured petals and appealing scents as a way to attract their attention. Although all flowers are different, they have four main parts that make up […]

How do bees communicate? It’s un-BEE-lievable!

Bees are intelligent, and like other intelligent creatures they communicate with one another. Different creatures communicate differently, for instance we use words and dolphins use clicks, but bees use three different ways to talk to each other. The honey bee (genus Apis) has only eight surviving species that are recognized today, with a total of 43 […]

EGG-straordinary penguins and their eggs

The life of a penguin is not an easy one. Living outside in freezing -60 degrees weather and keeping an eye out for predators is as difficult as it sounds, and when you add needing to keep an egg at a sweltering 36 degrees through all of this… it sounds tough. But penguins are incredible […]

Can penguin poo tell the effects of climate change?

Can penguin poo tell the effects of climate change? Scientists from the Milner Centre for Evolution have just returned from a month-long expedition studying penguin colonies in the Antarctic. Dr Jane Younger, Prize Fellow and Lecturer in the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath co-led the expedition with Dr Gemma Clucas, a […]

Why do some mammals lay eggs?

The question of why some mammals lay eggs, among other questions, has been answered in a study in 2021 that looked at monotreme (egg-laying mammal) DNA. Researchers sequenced the genomes of platypuses (and echidnas) and compared them to that of chickens, humans, rats, Tasmanian devils, and lizards to “[improve] our understanding of how other mammals […]

Science Education in Early Years Learning

Science education in early years plays such a key part in a child’s development, but why is it so important at this age? Because it is these early years that most of a child’s brain development occurs.   Ante-natal: Around week six the first electrical brain activity begins. This is a baby’s first synapses firing, […]

What is British Science Week? A celebration of science for all ages.

Despite its name, British Science Week (BSW) is a 10 day festival celebrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But how did it start? This festival is organised by the British Science Association (BSA), founded in 1831, and grew from annual meetings they held across the UK to bring scientists together to discuss their ground-breaking work […]

New dinosaur species – the world’s largest Jurassic pterosaur

PhD student Amelia Penny discovered a new dinosaur species which is also the world’s largest Jurassic pterosaur – a 170-million-year-old winged reptile – protruding from the rocks of the Isle of Skye.   PhD student Amelia Penny points to the fossil she discovered.   Originally discovered in 2017 , further examination led by PhD student […]