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Stories from this author

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The First Nativity Scene Was Created in 1223

Nativity buffs will also note that the familiar cast of characters relied upon today is not biblically accurate

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We Prefer Our Leaders to Have Deep Voices, Even If They Are Women

Our biology may be influencing our decision making when it comes to how we select our leaders

“Hardness” or just boredom?

Boredom Didn’t Exist as an Emotion in Darwin’s Days

In 1868, Darwin set out to quantify human emotion in a series of novel experiments, which researchers are recreating today

Brits Whine About the Weather on Twitter More Than Any Other Nation

Thanks to Twitter, even people with no direct contact Great Britain’s subjects can bask in its citizen’s propensity for weather-related complaint

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Pet Store Refuses to Sell Impulse-Buy Puppies for Christmas

Too many animals end up on death row, one Australian pet shop says, so their shop will not sell kittens or puppies around Christmas time

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Your Christmas Tree Helps Fight Climate Change

The key for trapping carbon lies in the soil, rather than the trees.

The Obamadon is that little blue guy in the left corner.

How To Get an Ancient Lizard Named After You: Get Elected President

Simply get elected president, and you’ll have a fair chance of some newly discovered creature inheriting your moniker

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A New Way to Generate Brain Cells from Pee

This trick could help supply cells for studying the mechanisms of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

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The Most Exclusive Coffee in the World Is Harvested From Elephant Poo

Two cups of the so-called Black Ivory coffee cost around $50, while a pound of the digested beans total a tidy $500

Google Gives Millions To Build Poacher-Hunting Drones

Google has joined Hillary Clinton, basketball star Yao Ming and countless wildlife organizations in the battle against illegal wildlife trade

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Stylish But Illegal Monkey Caught at Ikea

A confused monkey wearing a shearling coat and diaper was found wandering around outside an Ikea store in Toronto

Climate justice protestors in Doha.

It’s the Final Day of the Doha Climate Talks, And, Uh, Did Anything Actually Happen?

Reports from Doha don’t provide much hope that any progress has been made on the increasingly urgent issue of global climate change

Middle School Jocks Actually Get the Best Grades

The fittest kids on the playground are also the ones who excel in the classroom at standardized tests and good grades

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Lions Are Disappearing From Africa

Research shows that lions are quickly disappearing across Africa’s once-thriving Savannah due to human population growth and massive land use conversion

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Extroverted Gorillas Live Longer Than Shy Ones

“Nothing tells us more about the spread of humans across the Earth than city lights” – NOAA.

Black Marble, Interrupted: Our Mark on the Night Sky, From Space

NASA scientists created global composite images using cloud-free nights to reveal an unprecedented look at how our planet appears at night

Drinking Tea Was Once Considered an Irresponsible, Reckless Pursuit for Women

Poor Irish women who drank tea in the 19th century might as well have been chugging a bottle of whiskey

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Why Senior Citizens May Be Overly Trusting

Out ability to judge the trustworthiness of faces diminishes with age, a new study shows

A thermal image of a lying subject gives away his bright red nose.

Like Pinocchio, When You Lie, Your Nose Gives You Away

When a person lies, the area on and around the nose increases in temperature, giving away the anxiety lurking below the surface of an otherwise cool facade

Blame Napoleon for Our Addiction to Sugar

Prior to 1850, sugar was a hot commodity that only society’s most wealthy could afford

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