While most animals reproduce sexually, some species rely solely on females for parthenogenetic reproduction. Even in these species, rare males occasionally appear. Whether these males retain reproductive functions is a key question in understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies.
A new study published in Ecology by a research team led by Assistant Professor Tomonari Nozaki from the National Institute for Basic Biology, Professor Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University, and Associate Professor Shingo Kaneko from Fukushima University provides insight into this question. The researchers focused on the rare males of Ramulus mikado, a stick insect species in Japan, where parthenogenesis is predominant. Their analysis of male reproductive behavior reveals new findings.
What if time is not as fixed as we thought? Imagine that instead of flowing in one direction—from past to future—time could flow forward or backwards due to processes taking place at the quantum level. This is the thought-provoking discovery made by researchers at the University of Surrey, as a new study reveals that opposing arrows of time can theoretically emerge from certain quantum systems.
For centuries, scientists have puzzled over the arrow of time—the idea that time flows irreversibly from past to future. While this seems obvious in our experienced reality, the underlying laws of physics do not inherently favor a single direction. Whether time moves forward or backwards, the equations remain the same.
Dr. Andrea Rocco, Associate Professor in Physics and Mathematical Biology at the University of Surrey and lead author of the study, said, One way to explain this is when you look at a process like spilled milk spreading across a table, it’s clear that time is moving forward. But if you were to play that in reverse, like a movie, you’d immediately know something was wrong—it would be hard to believe milk could just gather back into a glass.
In the grand sweep of scientific history, revolutions in thought are often born from a simple yet unsettling realization: that the fundamental nature of reality is not what we once assumed it to be. In the 20th century, physics was shaken by the twin cataclysms of relativity and quantum mechanics, revealing that space and time themselves were malleable, that particles could exist in superpositions, and that observation played a fundamental role in shaping what we call reality.
Imagine a scale that ranks civilizations not by their borders or technology, but by the sheer energy they command— some spanning entire galaxies. Join us as we explore the Kardashev Scale, the ultimate measure of cosmic power.
Watch my exclusive video Big Alien Theory https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur–… Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isa… Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30. Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Facebook Group: / 1,583,992,725,237,264 Reddit: / isaacarthur Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: / discord Credits: The Kardashev Scale & Population Episode 486; February 13, 2025 Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur Editors: Ludwig Luska Graphics: Fishy Tree, Jeremy Jozwik, Ken York YD Visual Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator Phase Shift, “Forest Night” Chris Zabriskie, “Unfoldment, Revealment”, “A New Day in a New Sector”, “Oxygen Garden” Stellardrone, “Red Giant”, “Billions and Billions“ Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur. Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isa… Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net. Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur. Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur. Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Facebook Group: / 1583992725237264 Reddit: / isaacarthur. Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: / discord. Credits: The Kardashev Scale & Population. Episode 486; February 13, 2025 Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur. Editors: Ludwig Luska. Graphics: Fishy Tree, Jeremy Jozwik, Ken York YD Visual. Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images. Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator. Phase Shift, \
On this episode of Cultivate Curiosity, our host Jacie takes us on a journey through a few spectacular upcoming astronomical events. From February’s dazzling planetary alignments and bright Venusian glow to March and April’s upcoming eclipses and meteor showers, we explore the science behind these celestial events and how to best view them. Whether you’re an avid stargazer or just looking up with curiosity, this episode will inspire you to keep your eyes on the sky!
