Ecology

Hannibal really used elephants in war: first evidence found in Spain 2200 years ago

Hannibal really used elephants in war: first evidence found in Spain 2200 years ago

Carthaginian elephants at the battle of Zama (202 BC), in an illustration from the late 19th century. Credit: By Henri–Paul Motte – Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bildungslexikon, Rheda 1931, Public Domain. Over some archaeological excavations to Cordobain the Spain southern, archaeologists have found a very particular context, almost certainly linked to a war episode which occurred approximately 2200 years ago. ...

When are pheromones used for cats and what are they for: do they work as calmers?

When are pheromones used for cats and what are they for: do they work as calmers?

The pheromones are real odorous messages that cats produce to communicate with their peers: they communicate who they are, where they have been, if an environment is safe, if another cat is a friend or rival. They are such powerful signals from influence the behavior of those who perceive them: for example, females in heat use them to attract males ...

Record-breaking invertebrates, the colossal deep-sea squid is the largest on the planet

Record-breaking invertebrates, the colossal deep-sea squid is the largest on the planet

We are used to imagining invertebrates as small and insignificant creatures – those we usually encounter in everyday life rarely exceed a few centimeters. But some species are actually capable of achieving it impressive dimensions, capable of competing — despite the lack of an internal skeleton — with many vertebrates. The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) – with a weight that ...

Why do they say "you're a salami"? What it means and the origin of the saying

Why do they say “you’re a salami”? What it means and the origin of the saying

Credits: André Karwath via Wikimedia Commons. The Italian language is gourmet: this can also be seen in the use of food expressions to define people. Among all the foods that populate the figurative lexicon, the salami occupies a place of its own. Telling someone “you’re a salami” is one way to describe behavior or cognitive abilities of the person you ...

Gemini will use Google Maps to become a conversational local guide: what the new AI assistant can do

Gemini will use Google Maps to become a conversational local guide: what the new AI assistant can do

The screenshots show some of the new features relating to the integration of Maps into Gemini. Credit: AndroidAuthority. Gemini is preparing to make an important leap in quality by integrating directly Google Mapswith the aim of transform into a real conversational local guidecapable of answering questions related to a specific place starting from a map. This innovation could enable the ...

What is the Board of Peace wanted by Trump for peace in Gaza, what it means and why it is controversial

What is the Board of Peace wanted by Trump for peace in Gaza, what it means and why it is controversial

The Board of Peace (abbreviated as BoP) is an international organization established in January 2026 by the American president Donald Trump to manage the reconstruction of Gaza Strip following the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The founding statute – signed by 23 countries during the World Economic Forum in Davos last January – gives the BoP a global mandateand precisely ...

Stop the 400 meter high cube-shaped skyscraper in Saudi Arabia: why the Mukaab was suspended

Stop the 400 meter high cube-shaped skyscraper in Saudi Arabia: why the Mukaab was suspended

THE’Saudi Arabia has suspended construction work on the Mukaab, the enormous skyscraper in the shape of cube which should have been built in the capital Riyadh. The project, an integral part of the larger one Vision 2030will have to be canceled (or at least scaled down) due to a change of course at an economic level: the kingdom’s sovereign fund ...