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Nepal is currently the only country that does not have a rectangular or square flag.
DOING THE WAVE Waves of movement restore ideal spacing between neighboring penguins. Penguin in movement
Penguin at rest 0 seconds
Crowd Control
On the world’s most barren continent emperor penguins opt to sit in traffic. Why? Antarctic temperatures plunge as low as -60°F, so a tight huddle helps incubating male birds stay warm and conserve energy. Unlike human traffic jams, however, in which each person is an individual actor, the penguins act as a unit. A group of international researchers discovered last fall that when one bird moves even a few inches, it triggers waves of motion in every direction as the rest of the penguins adjust. Other birds flock together too, as do schools of fish. “What makes emperors different is that they try to limit the space between them [for heat],” says University of Erlangen-Nuremberg physicist Richard Gerum. His model of penguin huddles (right) may one day help human traffic flow better. Mimicking how a penguin moves—and how its neighbors compensate in response—could lead to a future where driverless cars speed along just inches apart. —Daniel Stone
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Tear Factor
Most people can’t chop an onion without crying. That’s because of something called the lachrymatory factor: a tear-inducing compound onions unleash when cut. In nature, says organic chemist Eric Block, this is likely a defense against predators. In the kitchen, it’s a nuisance. So scientists from Japan and New Zealand have created a “tearless” variety by suppressing the enzyme that triggers the irritant. The genetically modified bulbs (left) are strictly for study, but the goal is to breed an edible version naturally. That would be a sight for sore eyes. —Catherine Zuckerman
PHOTOS: DAVID TIPLING (PENGUINS); KEVIN MIYAZAKI, REUTERS. ART: ÁLVARO VALIÑO (TOP) GRAPHIC: LAWSON PARKER, NGM STAFF. SOURCE: RICHARD GERUM, UNIVERSITY OF ERLANGEN-NUREMBERG