Biology
Saving Top Predators Could Have a Climate Change Benefit, Too
Through their effect on the food web, shifting predator populations can change greenhouse gas levels
February 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Chimpanzees Remember Things Faster Than You Do
Chimpanzees are several times stronger than us, generally healthier, and research suggests that they might have better memories too
February 18, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
A Valentine for Sci-Art Lovers
A clever print by designer Jacqueline Schmidt pays homage to 12 different species with one thing in common—they mate for life
February 14, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Outrageous Taxidermy, the Subject of a New Show on AMC
Former Smithsonian taxidermist Paul Rhymer is a judge on "Immortalized," a TV competition that pits up-and-comers against superstars in the field
February 14, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Neuroscientists Have Created Mice That Can’t Sense Cold
The end goal is to help develop drugs that more thoroughly knock out the feeling of pain.
February 13, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Not Only Can Plants Talk to Each Other, They Listen More Closely to Their Relatives
Plants speak with chemical cues, and they listen more carefully to their close relatives
February 13, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Tourists’ Photos Could Help Scientists Understand Whale Sharks
Every year, tourists take approximately a bazillion pictures. Most of them never wind up anywhere but someone's hard drive, never seen again, but some of those pictures might actually be useful. Especially if they're of whale sharks
February 12, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
These Sneaky Toxins Are Slipping Past Food Regulators
Chemical mask-wearing mycotoxins can slip past screening techniques
February 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
California’s Gender-Bending Fish Was Actually Just a Contamination Accident
Scientists thought male fish, exposed to artificial hormones, were growing eggs. They weren't
February 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Minnesota’s Moose Are Missing, And No One Really Knows Why
Disease? Warm summers? No one knows for sure what is leading to the moose's decline in this state
February 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Unsettling Beauty of Lethal Pathogens
British artist Luke Jerram's handblown glass sculptures show the visual complexity and delicacy of E. coli, swine flu, malaria and other killing agents
February 07, 2013 |
By Claire Tinsley
At 62, the Oldest Bird in the World Is Still Hatching Chicks
Wisdom the 62 year-old albatross just hatched what is thought to be her 30 to 35th chick
February 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
How to Sleep Like Salvador Dali
Dali felt as though sleep was a waste of time (so did Edison, and many other influential people) but science suggests that sleep is pretty important
February 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Your Playlist Really Does Impact Your Workout
A slow jam won't get you through that third mile, and smooth jazz isn't going to kick that kickboxing workout up a notch. It's not just personal preference either - it's science
February 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Year’s Most Outstanding Science Visualizations
A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way
February 05, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
What Makes Muscles Twitch?
Whether it's your eyelid twitching, an involuntary shudder, or a muscle elsewhere contracting at random, twitchy muscles happen to everyone. But what are they, and why do they happen?
February 05, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Honey, I Blew Up the Bugs
Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti created 16 enormous sculptures of giant insects, all scientifically accurate, now on display at an Oklahoma museum
February 04, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Lemurs Are the Most Endangered Mammals on the Planet, And This Adorable Baby Is Their Future
The vast majority of lemur species are facing extinction, but this baby Coquerel's safika is trying to help
February 01, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Some Microbes Are So Resilient They Can Ride Hurricanes
By comparison, other lifeforms such as fungal spores and pollen don’t thrive nearly as well as the microbes, the survey found.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Beatboxing, as Seen Through Scientific Images
To see exactly how certain sound effects are humanly possible, a team of University of Southern California researchers took MRI scans of a beatboxer in action
January 30, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
