Toe-tally mysterious
Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats gentle up below ultraviolet gentle, however the reason being unknown, Jason Bittel reported in “Mexican free-tailed bats’ toes glow in the dead of night” (SN: 8/28/24).
Reader Eleanor Peterson requested if the glowing toes would possibly appeal to prey.
It’s unlikely, however it’s a logical thought, says biologist Fernando Gual-Suárez of the Nationwide Autonomous College of Mexico in Mexico Metropolis. Many organisms, comparable to some anglerfish and cave bugs, use photoluminescence to lure prey. However in contrast to these life-forms, that are sit-and-wait predators, bats “are lively aerial hunters,” Gual-Suárez says. What’s extra, the photoluminescent toe hairs can be tough for potential prey to see. If these marks have been helpful for searching, they’d be situated close to the mouth (consider an anglerfish’s lure, for instance), and the bats would “use a unique searching technique,” he says.
Extra research are wanted to know the marks’ perform, Gual-Suárez says. The photoluminescence may serve no perform and easily be a byproduct of the hardened construction of the hairs, that are used for grooming or sensing. Or it could possibly be used to speak with different bats throughout flights or roosting, he says.
Diving deep on decay
Scientists noticed the uncommon “golden channel” decay of subatomic particles known as kaons. Additional research may break or bolster the usual mannequin of particle physics, Emily Conover reported in “Uncommon particle decay confirmed” (SN: 9/24/24).
Reader Derek Lenehan requested how the decay would possibly stray from the usual mannequin.
If the decay strays from commonplace mannequin predictions, it could level to new physics that’s largely unknown. On this decay, a kaon produces a pion, a neutrino and an antineutrino. However different particles known as W and Z bosons mediate the decay, says particle physicist Cristina Lazzeroni of the College of Birmingham in England. In new physics eventualities, some physicists have proposed new particles that would act as intermediaries, comparable to a Z’ (pronounced “Z prime”) boson. One other is a leptoquark, a particle with properties much like electrons and their lepton kinfolk and to quarks — the particles that make up protons, neutrons and different composite particles.
Correction
The graph in “Earth’s temperature highs and lows” reversed the labels for curves displaying world temperature and atmospheric CO2 knowledge (SN: 9/19/24). Each curves additionally confirmed fifth-percentile values quite than the typical (Fiftieth-percentile) values. The right model is proven right here.
