Nature & Biology

Have humans evolved beyond nature – and do we even need it?

Have humans evolved beyond nature – and do we even need it?

As human society evolves it seems that we are separating ourselves from nature more and more. Some might ask whether we still a component of nature. Others might go a step further by asking: do we even still need nature at all? Oxford biologist Manual Berdoy explains his views on theis topic

Future fossils will mainly consist of humans and their domesticated animals

Future fossils will mainly consist of humans and their domesticated animals

According to scientists, humans and their animals now greatly outnumber the number of wild animals roaming the Earth. This ratio will be reflected in future fossil records. Our growing numbers, combined with our technological advances, have led to our impact on the natural word now being equal or even exceeding those of natural processes.

Bees can learn higher numbers than we thought – if we train them the right way

Bees can learn higher numbers than we thought – if we train them the right way

Bees are pretty good at maths – as far as insects go, at least. We already know, for example, that they can count up to four and even understand the concept of zero. But in a new study, published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology, we show honeybees can also understand numbers higher than four – as long as we provide feedback for both correct and incorrect responses as they learn.