'Starving' crown-of-thorns starfish in mass stranding

Hundreds of crown-of-thorns starfish found on a beach in southern Japan in January stranded themselves because they were starving, say researchers. More than 800 were discovered on a 300m stretch of sand on Ishigaki island. The starfish population "outbreak" was first identified in 2009, when masses of juveniles were seen feeding on the island's outer coral reef. The coral-eating starfish then took three years to move onto...

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How tiny insects survive the rain

A mosquito's tiny, low-weight body is the key to its ability to survive flying in the rain, according to scientists. A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology filmed the insects as they collided with raindrops. This showed that their bodies put up so little resistance that, rather than the drop of water stopping in a sudden, catastrophic splash, the mosquito simply combined with the drop and the two continued to fall together. The...

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Paralysed rats 'learn to walk'

Paralysed rats have been able to walk again after their spinal cords were bathed in chemicals and zapped with electricity, scientists have shown. An injury to the spinal cord stops the brain controlling the body. The study, in the journal Science, showed injured rats could even learn to sprint with spinal stimulation. Experts said it was an "exceptional study" and that restoring function after paralysis...

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