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Articles by Alex De Koning
Science - The Courier Online
Sign up to our mailing list so you never miss any future updates 17th September 2025 15th September 2025 24th April 2025
This week in Alex’s Animal Corner
Just 30 meters underneath the waves of the Northwest coast of Spain, the recently discovered “accordion worm” was found to contract itself, like the instrument, to one-fifth of its size. Scientists have now ‘described’ the species – a formal process where scientists detail the characteristics of a new organism – but the worm and its unique ability were first noticed in 2021.
Alex's animal corner
Have you ever wondered what noise a shark would make if it could? Would they sing like whales? Croak like frogs? Well, as it turns out, they click. In the first ever recording of sharks actively making a noise, scientists have found that New Zealand rig sharks make short, sharp clicks. Based on the click’s acoustic characteristics, it seems these noises are created by the sharks forcefully snapping the same flattened teeth they use to crush their prey.
Female baboons found to be social climbers
Sign up to our mailing list so you never miss any future updates Image Credit: Animalia However, as competition for his affection grew, so did fights amongst the females, which increased by a factor of four. These fights occurred over the course of the day, not just when the food box was presented.
Uncovering the Myths of Hydrogen as a Fuel Source
The truth is that hydrogen is only as good as the energy source that is used to make it. If the hydrogen is generated from renewable electricity breaking down water – known as electrolysis – then there are no carbon emissions and burning the fuel simply produces water vapour. This is called ‘Green Hydrogen’ and will make up at least half of the UK’s target.
NASA launches groundbreaking new mission to discover life in our universe
Sign up to our mailing list so you never miss any future updates Image Credit: Flickr In the Milky Way, there may be as many as 20 billion potentially habitable planets outside our solar system (also known as ‘exoplanets’), any one of which could contain some form of life. Yet we’ve only searched 7,000 of them.
Global sea ice at record low, shocking experts
This comes as the planet and the sea continue to warm at an alarming and unexpected rate, with ocean temperatures rising roughly four times faster than in the early 1980s, according to scientists at the University of Reading. One key benefit of our polar ice caps is that the bright polar sea ice reflects much of the Sun's energy back into space, helping to keep our planet cool. However, as the ice rescinds, the dark ocean below absorbs more heat, melting the nearby ice faster.
Could self-healing roads solve our pothole crisis?
WikimediaCommons: Santeri Viinamäki https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potholes_on_asphalt_road_20171023.jpg Researchers from Swansea University, King’s College London, and Chile have developed a self-healing asphalt that mends microcracks in the roads as they form. The researchers claim that this could extend the lifetime of roads by up to 30%, saving millions of pounds nationally.
NASA launches ground-breaking new mission to discover life in our universe
Sign up to our mailing list so you never miss any future updates Flickr: NASA's Marshall Space Life Center https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/5091372229 In the Milky Way, there may be as many as 20 billion potentially habitable planets outside our solar system (also known as ‘exoplanets’), any one of which could contain some form of life. Yet we’ve only searched 7,000 of them.
Alex De Koning - The Courier Online
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