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The World’s 5 Most Mysterious Bird Species
Stunning plumage, strange eating habits and extreme rareness characterize these enigmatic birds
September 18, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Energy Efficiency Doesn’t Explain Human Walking?
A new study of mammal locomotion challenges the claim that hominids evolved two-legged walking because of its energy savings
September 17, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Scientists Manipulate Brainwaves of Cocaine-Addled Monkeys to Improve Decision-Making
By stimulating neural activity with electrodes, researchers boosted the mental skills of rhesus monkeys under the influence of cocaine
September 14, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Biologists Pinpoint Bacteria That Increase Digestive Intake of Fat
A new study in zebrafish found that certain types of gut bacteria lead to a greater absorption of fat during digestion
September 13, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Bears, Up Close and Personal, in the Alaskan Wilderness
A newly built retreat gives visitors a chance to see the Kodiaks in their element
September 13, 2012 |
By Elaine Glusac
What Was the Black Skull?
Anthropologists know little about Paranthropus aethiopicus and they don't all agree on the 2.5-million-year-old species' place in the human family tree
September 12, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Indonesia’s Top Five Hominid Fossil Sites
Indonesia is one of the first places where scientists discovered hominid fossils and is home to some of the oldest hominid bones outside of Africa
September 10, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
How Do Crabs See Food on the Ocean Floor? UV Vision
Marine biologists took a submersible more than half a mile below the surface to understand the strange creatures that glow on the ocean floor
September 07, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Past Keeps Getting Cooler
As cartoonist Randall Munroe points out, feathers make dinosaurs cooler than ever
September 06, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Early Cannibalism Tied to Territorial Defense?
Researchers say chimpanzee behavior may help explain why human ancestors ate each other 800,000 years ago
September 05, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Collage of Arts and Sciences: Now In Session
Our newest blog explores the fertile ground where art and science meet
September 04, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
How Biomimicry is Inspiring Human Innovation
Creative minds are increasingly turning to nature—banyan tree leaves, butterfly wings, a bird's beak— for fresh design solutions
September 2012 |
By Tom Vanderbilt
Found: A Time Capsule at the National Zoo
While renovating the Elephant House, construction workers discovered a mysterious box hidden in a wall
September 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Can a Jellyfish This Slow Be So Deadly? It's Invisible
One of the world's most devastating predators is brainless, slow and voracious
September 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Timing of Childbirth Evolved to Match Women’s Energy Limits
Researchers find no evidence for the long-held view that the length of human gestation is a compromise between hip width and brain size
August 29, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Who Doesn’t Love Fuzzy Dinosaurs?
Feathered dinosaurs are awesome. Why do so many people hate them?
August 28, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
The Oldest Human Fossils in Southeast Asia?
Researchers claim skull fragments and teeth discovered in a cave in Laos may be the oldest modern human fossils ever found in mainland Southeast Asia
August 27, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Researchers Working on a “Chill Pill” for Sharks
In response to stress, sharks can undergo dangerous changes in blood chemistry, so scientists are attempting to develop a solution
August 24, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Five Accidental Hominid Fossil Discoveries
Sometimes finding Neanderthals, australopithecines and other human ancestors is a complete accident
August 22, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
New Evidence for Climate Change: Butterflies
The meticulous records of an amateur butterfly club in New England are opening a window into changes happening to the regional climate
August 21, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
