Psychologist B.F. Skinner taught these pigeons to play ping-pong in 1950.

B.F. Skinner: The Man Who Taught Pigeons to Play Ping-Pong and Rats to Pull Levers

One of behavioral psychology’s most famous scientists was also one of the quirkiest

Artist’s rendition of a ethane lake on Titan.

Haiku Highlight the Existential Mysteries of Planetary Science

Conference-goers put into verse the ethane lakes on a Saturn moon, the orbital paths of Martian moons and a megachondrule’s mistaken identity

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Prehistoric Human Skull Shows Signs of Inbreeding

A 100,000-year-old skull has a hole that reflects genetic mutations from inbreeding—likely a common behavior for our ancestors

Roosters have an internal circadian rhythm, which keeps them crowing on schedule even when the lights are turned off.

How Do Roosters Know When to Crow?

Their internal circadian rhythms keep them crowing on schedule, even when the lights are turned off

At the bottom of the Mariana Trench, nearly eight miles below the ocean’s surface, abundant communities of bacteria thrive.

Nearly 8 Miles Down, Bacteria Thrive in the Oceans’ Deepest Trench

The Mariana Trench may serve as a seafloor nutrient trap, supporting remarkable numbers of microorganisms

Ribbon worms come in all shapes and sizes. This one, with white stripes along the body, was found off the coast of Mexico.

14 Fun Facts about Marine Ribbon Worms

Ribbon worms swallow prey whole, grease themselves with their mucus to slide quickly through mud, split into new worms if severed, and much more

“Bunny” Bunny, by Henry Segerman and Craig Kaplan. The pattern on the bunny consists of copies of the word “bunny.” Listen as the artist describes the sculpture in this YouTube video.

Fresh Off the 3D Printer: Henry Segerman’s Mathematical Sculptures

A research fellow at the University of Melbourne has found a sneaky way to convert math haters to math lovers. He turns complex geometries into art

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Vanishing Marine Algae Can Be Monitored From a Boat With Your Smartphone

An app allows boat travelers to track declining levels of phytoplankton, a microscopic organism at the base of the marine food chain

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Prehistoric Birds May Have Used Four Wings to Fly

A study of fossils of prehistoric birds suggests two sets of wings—one set on the creature’s hind legs—helped avians stay aloft

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That Time Indiana Almost Made Pi Equal to 3.2 And Other True Stories About Pi

As you celebrate today’s holiday, here’s a history of notable moments in the irrational number’s past

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Why We Should All Celebrate Save a Spider Day

Insect keeper Dan Babbitt of the Natural History Museum explains what makes spiders so cool

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The Bay Bridge Gets Its Glow On

When an algorithm-driven light show took over the Bay Bridge last week, it was the latest example of how much technology is transforming how cities look.

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Stressed Corals Dim Then Glow Brightly Before They Die

Measuring how coral fluorescence changes may serve as an early indicator of the declining health of a reef

To boldly go where only a few men (and women) have gone before: “Moving Beyond Earth,” a permanent exhibit at the Air and Space Museum, has a replica of the waste collection system used aboard NASA’s space shuttles. This may be the fanciest toilet you will ever see.

How Do Astronauts Go to the Bathroom in Space?

A look at the space shuttle toilet and “the deepest, darkest secret about space flight”

An intriguing new study suggests that infants dislike those who are different from themselves.

Are Babies Bigoted?

An intriguing study involving puppet shows suggests that infants dislike those who are different from themselves

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An Otter Learns to Play Therapeutic Basketball at the Oregon Zoo

Zookeepers show that it is possible to teach an old otter new tricks

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Science Shows Why You’re Smarter Than a Neanderthal

Neanderthal brains had more capacity devoted to vision and body control, with less left over for social interactions and complex cognition

Jesper Kongshaug's Northern Lights display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The Northern Lights—From Scientific Phenomenon to Artists’ Muse

The spectacular aurora borealis is inspiring artists to create light installations, musical compositions, food and fashion

Your publicly available “likes” can tell others a lot you wouldn’t expect—including your political views, sexual orientation and religion.

How a Computer Program Can Learn All About You From Just Your Facebook Likes

Your publicly available “likes” can tell others a lot you wouldn’t expect—including your political views, sexual orientation and religion

The pollution in California’s San Joaquin Valley, including above this Norton cornfield, was tested by NASA as part of a program to monitor air quality from space.

New Study Examines San Joaquin Valley, Home to America’s Dirtiest Air

The smog-filled valley recently hosted NASA planes that tested air quality to help calibrate future satellite efforts to measure air pollution

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