Media Images
PLOS’ Media Team commissions infographics and illustrations for selected PLOS papers, which are shared with journalists alongside other press materials and sometimes feature in media coverage of the research. These beautiful images are licensed under CC-BY, and they are curated here for the interest and use of readers. The related research paper may be accessed from the link in each image credit.
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
They’re sober, honest! Scientists made dairy cows walk in a straight line – but to test their gait, not their alcohol intake! Link to associated research paper (Tijssen et al., 2021).
AI experts suggest 39 percent of domestic chores could be automated within a decade
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers predicted the percentage of time that will no longer be spent on housework in 5 years and in 10 years, thanks to automation of domestic tasks. The predictions estimated by experts varied according to their country and gender (top panel). Experts’ estimation of the reduction in time dedicated to domestic work also varied significantly between activities (bottom panel): grocery shopping was predicted to be most automatable within 10 years whereas physical childcare was predicted to be least automatable.
Link to associated research paper (Shi et al., 2023).
Seven canine behaviors seen as important for bonding with your dog
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Owners identify seven behaviors which they report as important for bonding with their dog: physical touch, consistency, proximity, communication, positivity, attunement, and shared activities. Link to associated research paper (Riddoch et al., 2022).
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Bumblebees can learn to solve a puzzle by watching a trained “demonstrator” bee
Bumblebees can learn by watching a trained bee demonstrating one of two ways to solve puzzle for a sugary reward, then copy the bee to solve the puzzle in the same way. Link to associated research paper (Bridges et al., 2023).
Dogs with more active owners may get more exercise
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Compared to inactive owners, active dog owners report exercising their dogs more and report their dogs’ weight as healthier. Link to associated research paper (Banton et al., 2022).
Great Britain’s city centers ranked on “greenness”
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers used a new greenness metric to rank the UK’s 68 urban centers with a population of over 100,000, with the top five being Exeter, Islington, Bristol, Bournemouth, and Cambridge, and the bottom five being Glasgow, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Leeds. Link to associated research paper (Robinson et al., 2022).
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Sniffer dogs can detect great crested newts
In experiments, a trained English springer spaniel accurately detected critically endangered Great Crested newts, at a distance and even underground. Link to associated research paper (Glover et al., 2023).
Dogs’ average age at cancer diagnosis is associated with size, sex, breed
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers studied the median age at which 43 different dog breeds are diagnosed with cancer, finding that Mastiffs had the youngest median age at cancer diagnosis (5 years), while Bichon Frises had the oldest median age (11.5 years). The median age of cancer diagnosis was also seen to be lower for purebred dogs than for mixed breed dogs. This information may guide cancer screening practices for earlier detection and treatment. Link to associated research paper (Rafalko et al., 2023).
The Secret Life of Bees: Honey bee behavior within the hive
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Through video analysis, the researchers identified multiple honey bee behaviours inside the hive, including hive remodelling, surface cleaning, self-grooming, brood care, pollen and nectar storage, and even cannibalism. Link to associated research paper (Siefert et al., 2021).
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Gender disparities in scientific fields remain, though have evolved over the decades
This study evaluated the gender composition of top-cited authors, finding that men outnumbered women 1.88-fold among all authors, with a decrease from 3.93-fold pre-1992. Among top-cited authors, men outnumbered women 3.21-fold. Across 174 scientific subfields, there are still few realms where women are as likely to find themselves among the top-cited authors as men. Link to associated research paper (Ioannidis et al., 2023).
Vegan diets for cats infographic
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Guardians reported seven general indicators of illness for 1,369 cats. Despite some concerns about vegan diets being possibly less healthy, cats on a vegan diet were reported as being more healthy or as healthy as cats on a meat-based diet for the studied indicators, without statistically significant differences. Link to associated research paper (Knight et al., 2023).
Pet exposure and food allergies infographic
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
The researchers assessed exposure to pets during fetal development (pink dots) or early infancy (teal dots) and the incidence risk of food allergies in young children (confidence intervals on bars in light pink). Exposure to indoor pet dogs was associated with reduced risk of egg, milk and nut allergies, whereas cat exposure was associated with reduced risk of egg, wheat and soybean allergies. Link to associated research paper (Okabe et al., 2023).
Illustration by Diego Perez-Lopez, PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Fruit flies prevented from mating display aggression, frustration and reduced stress tolerance
Male fruit flies prevented from mating via a courtship suppression process display social stress. They show a frustration-like response with increased aggression and increased mating motivation, and exhibit lower tolerance to stressors such as starvation and oxidative stress. This appears to be mediated by neurons with receptors for the fly homologue of neuropeptide Y. Link to associated research paper (Ryvkin et al., 2024).
Comprehension of six emojis varies significantly by gender and by culture
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Emoji are used throughout online communications, but little is known about the way each individual perceive them. Researchers investigated how emoji comprehension differs by culture (UK vs China) and gender (male vs female) for a sample of six emoji (happy, sad, angry, surprised, fearful and disgusted). They found significant differences in how emoji were classified by the 523 participants, highlighting the importance of context in emoji use. Link to associated research paper (Chen et al., 2024).
Climate change could significantly reduce snow cover in ski areas
Infographic by Anne-Lise Paris, (www.in-graphidi.com), PLOS, CC-BY 4.0
Researchers predicted trends in natural snow cover days this century under three different climate change scenarios. The results suggest significant decreases in snow cover days across all ski areas (from an average of 216 snow cover days in the past to 141 snow cover days in a high emission scenario). The authors expect an expansion of infrastructure toward higher elevations, threatening biodiversity among high-altitude species.
Link to associated research paper (Mitterwallner et al., 2024).