biology
Plant wildflowers not corn, say beekeepers
German beekeepers worried that too much corn will lead to a decline in bee populations are proposing wildflowers be used to fuel biogas plants instead.
Scientists warn blackbird virus could return
Germany’s blackbirds are at risk from a new outbreak of a deadly virus this summer, experts have warned, after finding it in mosquitoes that have survived the winter.
Doctors must pay for 'stolen sperm' babies
Two German gynaecologists will have to pay child support for twins they created via artificial insemination – because the biological father did not know anything about it.
Scientists discover world's tiniest chameleon
A group of German and American scientists have discovered what they believe is the smallest chameleon in the world on the island nation of Madagascar.
Scientists begin eel-tagging project
In an effort to understand more about the life-cycle of the endangered European eel, scientists in northeastern Germany are implanting the animals with electronic tracking devices.
Giant flower stinking of rotting flesh set to bloom
Staff at Berlin’s botanical gardens on Thursday were eagerly awaiting the blooming of a rare giant flower smelling of rotting flesh.
Scientists invent packaging able to detect bad food
German scientists have developed a special plastic film that changes colour in contact with rotting food, possibly soon making bad meat or fish from the supermarket a thing of the past.
Scientists discover rare ape species in Southeast Asia
German scientists said Tuesday they had discovered a new rare and endangered ape species in the tropical rainforests between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia by its distinctive song.
EU summons BASF over ‘illegal’ Swedish GM potatoes
Europe slapped a summons on German chemical giant BASF on Monday after a "blunder" allowed seed from a new genetically modified potato to remain in a field in Sweden.
Dresden institute ranked best place for scientists to work
The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden has been ranked as the best international place for scientists to work in academia.
Scientists discover why lost people walk in circles
A team of scientists in Germany have discovered why people tend to walk in circles when lost in locations as diverse as the Sahara Desert and German forests.
US crayfish invaders spreading plague in German rivers
An immigrant population of crayfish from the United States has invaded the waters of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, threatening the local population with a crustacean plague.
German mini tracker chip tracks butterfly migration
German scientists have managed to make a radio transmitter so small that they can use it to track the migration of monarch butterflies.
Scientist discovers whales may be singing their own names
A German scientist has found whales may be doing more than serenading love interests or telling their pods where the herring is by singing: through their songs, they may actually have names.
Scientists discover stunning red fluorescence in reef fish
Scientists at the University of Tübingen have discovered that reef fish communicate with a spectacular red fluorescence – a challenge to the previous notion that fish were unable to process the colour.