Namib Desert beetle fog water collection

A desert beetle can harvest drinking water from fog

Some beetles living in Namibia's coastal desert collect moisture from fog. Water droplets condense on their bodies and can run toward their mouths when they adopt suitable postures. Scientists have studied these insects as inspiration for surfaces that capture water from the air, although the exact role of specialized surface patterns differs between species.

Elizabeth I treated an explorer's voyage as a state secret

After Francis Drake returned from his circumnavigation in 1580, England had valuable information about distant coasts, trade routes and Spanish possessions. The government restricted details of the expedition, partly to keep them from rival Spain. Geographic knowledge was a strategic asset, not merely an interesting record of exploration.

A rainy winter can turn the Dead Sea red

In 1980, a rainy winter lowered the Dead Sea’s salt level. Algae called Dunaliella nourished red-pigmented bacteria, and the brief microbial bloom turned the usually dark-blue water red.

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Namib Desert beetle fog water collection

A desert beetle can harvest drinking water from fog

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