Soumya Alva

An international health and development specialist with 20 years of experience working on maternal and child health, family planning, child development, health systems, and gender. 

Why Pandas Love Horse Poop!

Imagine you’re hiking in the mountains admiring the trees and birds, reveling in harmony with nature. Splat! You accidentally land your brand new sneakers into a pile of horse dung. Revolting, isn’t it? Believe it or not, while feces may seem extremely repulsive to humans, pandas deliberately smear themselves with generous helpings of horse scat! Let’s take a look at this bizarre panda behavior and the science behind it. Cute Animal, Gross Behavior Twelve years ago, ecologist Fuwen Wei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing observed several pandas in the Foping National Nature Reserve...

A Mysterious Structure In A Desert!

Some say the monolith is just a piece of art. Others propose it’s something from science fiction. There are even those who say it’s the work of aliens! However it came to be, a helicopter team discovered this tall metal monolith during a routine sheep-counting expedition over the southeastern Utah desert on Wednesday, November 18. The origin and creator of the monolith are still unknown. The Discovery The group that made the initial discovery was composed of officers from the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) Aero Bureau, who were out in the helicopter to help the Division of Wildlife...

In The World Of Sports...

Soccer legend, Diego Armando Maradona of Argentina passed away at 60 years of age from a heart attack. Soccer fans and sports enthusiasts all over the world mourned deeply for his passing. Maradona was considered one of the best soccer players of all time. He led his team to championships in Argentina, Italy, and Spain. He also won the 1986 World Cup, representing Argentina. Maradona showed a talent for soccer from a young age and was the youngest Argentine to join the national team at only sixteen years old. He then moved to Europe to play for FC Barcelona. With Maradona, FC Barcelona won...

A Murder Hornet Nest Destroyed

Scientists have destroyed the first nest of “murder hornets” found in the United States. The scientists from Washington State discovered around 500 hornets in different stages of development. Within the 500, there were 190 larvae (nearly all queens), 108 pupae (the stage after larvae), 112 workers, and 76 queens. The nearly 200 queens could potentially mate and start their own colonies. “Murder hornets” are the nickname for Asian giant hornets. Asian giant hornets are the largest hornet breed in the world, measuring up to 2 inches long. They are invasive of other insects such as honeybees and...

How Can We Prevent Overfishing?

Imagine a desolate sea, smothered in algae and empty of all life, with choked corals crumbling beneath the surface. This sounds like something out of an apocalyptic movie, right? The truth is though, with overfishing and global temperatures on the rise, this nightmarish situation is just as likely in real life. So what is overfishing, and what can we do to help prevent it? Let’s dive right in. What is Overfishing? Overfishing refers to excessive and unsustainable fishing practices that deplete oceans at very high rates. This makes it hard for many marine species to go back to normal levels...

Platypuses Glow In The Light!

As if laying eggs as mammals and having venomous spines was not enough, scientists have discovered another unusual trait about platypuses - they can glow! Although they are no night lights, platypus exhibit a greenish-blue hue when an ultraviolet (UV) light is shined on their fur, a phenomenon known as biofluorescence. In a study published in the journal Mammalia, scientists discovered this strange characteristic in three specimens of the platypus from Tasmania, Australia. The glow was observed in both male and female specimens, so scientists ruled out reproduction as a possible explanation...

Reusable Energy: The Answer To Global Warming

The world has been using lots of fossil fuels for technology during the past century. When technology grows, so do our minds, and as the modern world sprouts, we think differently about what is good for us human beings versus what is good for the environment. As more and more leaders realize that global warming has become an international emergency, countries have worked together to help control greenhouse gas pollution. Only about 20% of the world’s energy usage is from reusable energy, and 80% is from fossil fuel. This is one of the major initiatives of the Biden administration. Joe Biden...

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