Nature

The domestic sheep (Latin: Ovis aries), which this article focuses on, is a domesticated form of sheep typically kept as livestock. It is an even-toed ungulate and a ruminant that provides people with wool, milk and, to a lesser extent, meat. As is well known, sheep make a characteristic sound that we call bleating or baaing. But why do sheep bleat? Read more

Corals are marine invertebrates belonging to the anemone tribe that live in genetically identical colonies. It creates an amazing living ecosystem on the seabed, which benefits up to a quarter of all marine species. In recent years, however, we hear more and more in the news about the so-called bleaching of corals. What is it and why does coral bleaching occur at all? Read more

The European Commission issued a ban on cod fishing in the Eastern Baltic on 23 July 2019. In response to a call from scientists and environmental organizations. The ban was only to last until 31 December 2019, but was extended until 2020 with the publication of further studies. What led the EU to make this decision and is this case unique? Read more

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), all fish contain highly toxic mercury. This mercury is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women. The Agency has therefore issued a list of fish, which it has divided into three categories according to how often they can be eaten. Fish in the first category can be eaten 2 to 3 times a week, fish in the second category once a week and fish in the third category should be avoided altogether. But why do fish contain mercury at all? Read more

The zebra, with its white and black stripes, is a truly iconic animal. Since the 19th century, many scientific theories have emerged explaining the reason for these stripes. Some theories have been refuted, but one very notable is currently the most accepted by the scientific community. So why does a zebra have stripes? Read more

Oceans are large bodies of water that contain most of the earth's water. Up to 71 % of the earth's surface is made up of oceans and contains up to 90 % of the earth's biosphere. So, these are huge areas teeming with life. The oceans are absolutely crucial to our lives. Why do we treat them so indifferently and why do we destroy them? Read more

Everyone knows the proverb that a dog is man's best friend. On a walk through the city, it is almost impossible to overlook someone walking a dog in the Czech Republic. It is estimated that there are 1 to 2 million dogs in the Czech Republic, which is the most dogs per capita in Europe. But why does a person live in such a close relationship with a dog and why exclusively with it? Read more

On Monday, 30 May 2011, Germany issued an official declaration that it would close all its nuclear power plants by 2022, which at that time produced 23 % of Germany's total energy production. The statement came exactly two and a half months after the temporary closure of seven older nuclear power plants, following the accident at the Fukushima I power plant on 11 March 2011. Does Germany plan to close all its nuclear power plants only because of fears of a nuclear disaster in a country that is not suffering from an earthquake, tsunami, or typhoon? Read more

Planting monocultures is an agricultural technique that favors a single crop (or animal species) in one place to achieve higher harvesting efficiency in less time. Why, on the one hand, is it so popular and widely used and, on the other hand, discussed and rejected by conservationists? What are its pros and cons? Read more

Insects play a very important role in our ecosystem. A large part of insects is advantageous and available for pollination of plants, regulation of pests, recycling of dead plants and animals, or as animal feed. Biodiversity is closely tied to life on Earth, and its reduction can have irreversible detrimental consequences for the entire animal kingdom, including us humans. Read more