Plankton are vital to planetary and climate stability and are therefore important contributors to human well-being.
Articles on Bioluminescence
Displaying all articles
New research uses firefly flashing patterns to identify species and what they’re communicating.
Dozens of animals, some on land but many in the ocean, can produce light within their bodies through chemical reactions. Scientists are still trying to understand when and why this trait developed.
From fluffy crabs that wear sea sponge hats to worms that glow in the dark, scientists are constantly finding amazing new life forms in the ocean.
Synchrony is ubiquitous throughout the universe. But physicists’ equations predicted there could also be erratic exceptions marching to their own beat. Now they’ve been spotted in firefly swarms.
When conditions are just right in some parts of the Indian Ocean, a type of bacteria will multiply and start to glow. Satellites are helping scientists study these milky seas for the first time.
Three pioneering technologies have forever altered how researchers do their work and promise to revolutionize medicine, from correcting genetic disorders to treating degenerative brain diseases.
Fireflies’ summer evening light shows are a delight for humans, but for the insects they are a crucial mating ritual – and human-caused light pollution is a buzz kill.
The spectacle of glowing dolphins should serve as a timely reminder of our need to conserve the darkness we have left.
The cycles of life, in their fierce glory, are reflected in a stunning exhibition of nature photography.
For many people, the gentle blinks of fireflies flashing are a favorite part of summer evenings. An entomologist explains some lightning bug basics.
Harnessing the awe-inspiring living light and power of bioluminescent organisms could change the human world.
You can see glow-in-the dark paint, but if you touch it, it is just as cold as the bedroom wall. So the glowing of the paint is different to the glowing of a light bulb.
Beneath their beautiful, flashing facade some female fireflies are ruthless predators.
Top contributors
-
Research scientist, University of Hohenheim
-
Professor of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW
-
Lecturer, Cardiff University
-
Professor of Entomology, North Carolina State University
-
Professor of Biology, Tufts University
-
Research associate, Cornell University
-
PhD Candidate in Biology, Tufts University
-
Professor of Chemistry, Connecticut College
-
Honorary Associate Professor, Forest Measurement and Management, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
-
Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Science, Wesleyan University
-
Research Zoologist and Curator of Corals, Smithsonian Institution
-
Whale Scientist and Lecturer, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University
-
Postdoctoral Associate in Biological Sciences, Florida International University
-
Professor of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University
-
Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder