In meerkat society, social rank is determined by size. New research shows that meerkats engage in competitive eating to stay on top.

Welcome to the Meerkat’s World of Competitive Eating

When vying for dominance, meerkats increase their food intake to bulk up and maintain their place on the social pecking order

The Three Ways to Test if Something Is Truly Solid Gold

When a stolen Kentucky Derby trophy from 1924 is uncovered, a series of tests are used to determine its authenticity

A trowel placed in a Native American oyster midden that dates to about 1,000 years ago shows the relative size of the shells. The average size of modern oysters is significantly smaller.

How Big Were Oysters in the Chesapeake Before Colonization?

A new multidisciplinary study reveals that yes, oysters were larger and more plentiful before European contact

Cool Finds

How Forensic Scientists Once Tried to “See” a Dead Person’s Last Sight

Scientists once believed that the dead’s last sight could be resolved from their extracted eyeballs

Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt holds the notorious tarantula hawk, one of the only creatures to rate a 4 on his pain index.

This Guy Got Himself Stung 1,000 Times For Science—Here’s What He Learned

A new book reveals what it’s like to be stung by nearly 100 species of insect, and some of the secrets of things that sting

Scorpions Choose Their Mates by Dancing With Them

Before a female scorpion chooses a mate, she must test the strength of her potential suitor. The only way to be certain it’s the right match is to dance

In his book The Gene: An Intimate History, Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses family, cancer, and the meaning of genetic normalcy.

Siddhartha Mukherjee Follows Up Biography of Cancer With “An Intimate History” of Genetics

The Pulitzer Prize winner calls his latest not a sequel, but a prequel to his bestseller

Little penguins are the only penguins now found in Australia.

Australia Used to be a Haven for Giant Penguins

A single species, the little penguin, is left on Aussie shores today

An artists' rendering of Machairoceratops cronusi, or "bent sword face." Machairoceratops was found in 77-million-year-old rock in southern Utah.

Two New Discoveries Add to a Horned Dino Revolution

Twenty years ago, there were about 23 horned dinosaurs. Today, the count has more than tripled

An artists' conception of a dust storm on Mars. New research may explain why the truly massive dust storms seem to occur irregularly on the Red Planet.

Mars Weather Forecast Calls for Massive Dust Storms — Here’s Why

Planetary-wide dust storms on Mars, lasting for months, may be linked to the motion of the Red Planet around the solar system.

What’s the Waggle Dance? And Why Do Honeybees Do It?

Honeybees search high and wide for the best flowers. And when they find them, they go back to the hive and “tell” the other bees how to get there

This is what about a square inch of yttrium, a rare earth element, looks like.

Age of Humans

Podcast: All About Rare Earth Elements, the ‘Vitamins’ Of Modern Society

In this episode of Generation Anthropocene, learn about rare earth elements (which aren’t really that rare) and why they’re so prized.

Magnificent Leaf Homes Woven by Australian Green Ants

Green ants build their grand nests out of leaves, which they pull and join together with silk. Amazingly, this silk is produced by their newborn larvae

Not only does it cost the Mint more to make a penny than it's worth, but making the penny has an environmental cost, too.

Age of Humans

How Much Does it Really Cost (the Planet) to Make a Penny?

All that copper and zinc for a coin most people throw away—what’s the sustainable solution?

Why Do Humans Have Canine Teeth and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, trainer Franck Canniet, far right, trains rangers for a confrontation with poachers.

The Fight Against Elephant Poachers Is Going Commando

In central Africa, a former Israeli military trainer and his team are deploying battle-tested tactics to stop the runaway slaughter of elephants

The Temple of the Plumed Serpent is adorned with carved snake heads and slithering bodies.

A Secret Tunnel Found in Mexico May Finally Solve the Mysteries of Teotihuacán

The chance discovery beneath a nearly 2,000-year-old pyramid leads to the heart of a lost civilization

Environmental cues mosquitoes to swarm inside a lab.

The Next Pandemic

Kill All the Mosquitoes?!

New gene-editing technology gives scientists the ability to wipe out the carriers of malaria and the Zika virus. But should they use it?

Did Neanderthals Die Out Because of the Paleo Diet?

A new theory links their fate to a meat-heavy regimen

Paradoxically, food aid can cause game like the black curassow to be overhunted.

What’s the Best Way to Help the Amazon’s Indigenous People?

Can a pioneering computer model save the rainforest’s residents from our best intentions?

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