Nature
Nature, or the natural world, encompasses the behavior and physiology of animals, plants and minerals
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
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
Lighted Escape Hatches Could Help Little Fish Flee Trawlers’ Nets
Rigid illuminated rings could help unwanted bycatch escape from fishing nets
August 31, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Wolves Are Returning to Oregon–but Not All Locals Want Them
In 1947, the last wolf in Oregon was killed for a bounty fee of $5 just outside of Crater Lake National Park. Now, after more than 50 years of absence, the animals are staging a comeback
August 31, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Neil Armstrong’s Previously Unheard Speech, Recorded One Year Ago
Recorded surreptitiously, the 43 minute-long speech captures Armstrong's presentation one year prior to his passing
August 30, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Events August 31-September 1: Prehistoric prints, American animals and a peek inside the Castle
This weekend, learn how man really came to walk the Earth, visit the newly opened American Trail and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Castle
August 30, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
At a Glance: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Oregon Coast
The coastal Highway 101 route, through rainforest and redwoods, is as beautiful as it is popular
August 29, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
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
New Maps Will Keep Ecotourists From Ruining Dolphins’ All-Important Naps
Ecotourists in Hawaii might be inadvertently harming the very dolphin species they hope to interact with by interrupting essential daytime naps
August 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Who Doesn’t Love Fuzzy Dinosaurs?
Feathered dinosaurs are awesome. Why do so many people hate them?
August 28, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
How Looking to Animals Can Improve Human Medicine
In a new book, UCLA cardiologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz reminds us that humans are animals too. Now, if only other doctors could think that way
August 28, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Wracked by Face Cancer, Tasmanian Devils Fight Off Extinction
Tasmanian devils are on the verge of extinction, but a captive breeding program may be able to bring them back
August 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
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
Crafty Bonobo Shows Humans Aren’t the Only Stone Tool-Makers
Not satisfied with knowing sign language or creating "words" for banana or juice, a 30-year-old male bonobo chimp named Kanzi has proven that ancient humans aren't the only ones capable of making stone tools
August 24, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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
Events August 24-26: Bones, Steel Pans, and Photographic Ingenuity
This weekend, bone up on your skeletal knowledge, survey new artwork from the Middle East and celebrate the steel pan
August 23, 2012 |
By Jeanie Riess
Celebrating 1,447 Years of the Loch Ness Monster
Yesterday, 1,447 years ago, Saint Columba, a Gaelic Irish missionary monk, was poking around the Scottish highlands when he reportedly stumbled upon a creature no man had before seen: an ancient, long-surviving plesiosaurs, known today as the Loch Ness monster
August 23, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Dogs Chasing Their Tails Are Akin to Humans With OCD
For dogs engaged in this futile repetitive behavior, there might not be much of a choice, just like people suffering from OCD
August 22, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Is This Mother Giraffe Mourning Her Dead Baby?
Mother giraffes join the ranks of elephants, polar bears, chimpanzees, gorillas,and other animals in the practice of mourning their dead
August 22, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer


