Cool operator: the Saharan silver ant Cataglyphis bombycina. (Courtesy: P Landmann) A species of desert-dwelling ant is able to tolerate temperatures exceeding 50 °C because its body hairs act like ...

The body hairs of the Saharan silver ant cause total internal reflection of light to make the ants almost ten times more reflective, preventing overheating and yielding their silver sheen, according ...

A fire at sea is among a sailor’s worst fears. In the era of wooden shops, where candles and oil lamps were the only sources of illumination, the chance of such a catastrophe was an ever-present ...