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Surprising Science

By altering levels of the naturally-occurring chemical kynurenic acid in the brain, scientists made marijuana’s active ingredient THC less pleasurable, leading monkeys to voluntarily consume 80 percent less of it.

Is This Chemical a Cure For Marijuana Addiction?

By altering levels of kynurenic acid in the brain, scientists made marijuana less pleasurable, leading monkeys to voluntarily consume 80 percent less of it

Can ancient skeletons teach us about our genetic past?

Ancient Skeletons Reveal Genetic History of Central Europe

The skeletons, between 7,500 and 3,500 years old, house DNA that trace waves of migrations from regions across Europe

An artist’s depiction of the newly discovered ice-rich, rocky asteroid that was ripped apart by the distant white dwarf star 200 million years ago.

Scientists Just Discovered Water Near a Star 170 Light Years Away

The water was once bound as ice in a small, rocky planet or asteroid that was destroyed 200 million years ago

“Please don’t hurt my baby!” this mother meerkat may say to her murderous female superiors.

Baby-Murdering Meerkat Alpha Females Enslave Subordinates As Wet Nurses

After killing lower-level females’ pups, ruthless dominant meerkats force the childless moms to nanny the alpha’s brood—those that resist are exiled

A new study predicts the year in which major world cities will experience a persistently abnormal climate for the first time.

A New Study Calculates the Year Climate Change Will Hit Your City

Persistently abnormal weather will arrive at different areas at different times, hitting the tropics soonest

New sensing technology reveals that the alpine swift, a small migratory bird, can remain aloft for more than 200 days without touching down.

This Bird Can Stay in Flight for Six Months Straight

A lightweight sensor attached to alpine swifts reveals that the small migratory birds can remain aloft for more than 200 days without touching down

Research in mice shows that heavy drinking triggers cellular changes that interfere with bone formation.

Why Binge Drinking Makes You More Likely to Break Your Bones

Research in mice shows that heavy drinking triggers cellular changes that interfere with bone formation

When rains come, this curcurbit beetle is most definitely not looking for love.

Insects Are Less Randy in the Rain

Beetles, moths and aphids are markedly turned off by the hint of impending rain, likely an evolutionary adaptation to prevent them from getting washed away

Are Diesel Exhaust Fumes to Blame for Honeybee Colony Collapse?

Tests show that diesel pollutants reduce bees’ ability to smell flowers, potentially playing a role in the disappearance of the pollinating insects

New testing of treated wastewater from fracking shows that it contains high levels of radioactive radium, along with chloride and bromide.

Radioactive Wastewater From Fracking Is Found in a Pennsylvania Stream

New testing shows that high levels of radium are being released into the watershed that supplies Pittsburgh’s drinking water

The accelerometer chip in iPhones can accurately detect seismic movement, and perhaps even provide a few crucial seconds of warning before the most energetic waves from an earthquake arrive.

Your Smartphone Could Someday Warn You That Earthquake Waves Are About to Hit

The accelerometer chip in iPhones can detect seismic movement and may even provide a few seconds of warning before the most violent shaking strikes

All living organisms have a two-piece structures inside their cells called ribosomes that make proteins—except naked mole rats’ ribosomes, which was just found to have three pieces.

Why Do Naked Mole Rats Live So Long?

The rodents’ usual cellular structure is good at taking information from DNA and making proteins—these proteins may help extend their lifespans

Analysis of Jake_M, the first rock Curiosity tested, shows that it’s unlike any rocks previously found on Mars, and probably formed after hot magma came into contact with water.

Curiosity Discovers a New Type of Martian Rock That Likely Formed Near Water

The rock closely resembles mugearites, which form after molten rock encounters liquid water

This ancient fossil, just discovered in China, could upend our understanding of how all vertebrates evolved over time.

This 419-Million-Year-Old Fish Has the World’s Oldest Known Face

The ancient fossil, just discovered in China, could upend our understanding of how all vertebrates evolved over time

Risk analysis groups have detected an increased frequency of Atlantic hurricanes due to climate change, forcing insurance companies to rethink their models.

How the Insurance Industry Is Dealing With Climate Change

The rising chance of extreme weather is forcing insurance companies to adjust their models as they take on more risk

Spot the impostor: A cuckoo finch chick (left) and a tawny-flanked prinia chick (right) open their beaks for a meal.

Parasitic Cuckoo Finches Use an Egg Overload to Evade Host Defenses

The more eggs a parasitic cuckoo finch lays in its host’s nest, the more likely a discerning foster parent will accept the finch’s young as its own

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3,000 Years of Human History, Described in One Set of Mathematical Equations

A surprisingly accurate model shows that warfare and military technology determined where empires arose

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How One Moth Species Can Jam Bats’ Sonar Systems

Bertholdia trigona, a moth native to the Arizona desert, emits ultrasonic clicks at a rate of 4,500 times per second to blur bats’ acoustic vision

Migaloo, the white whale

Call Me Migaloo: The Story Behind Real-Life White Whales

White whales, such as the recently spotted humpback nicknamed Migaloo, are rare and elusive creatures. How many are there and why are they white?

Blue whale earplugs can reveal some of these aquatic giants’ life events.

Blue Whale Earwax Reveals Pollution Accumulated Over a Lifetime

Earwax collected from a beached whale shows that the creature ingested a host of toxins, such as DDT and mercury, throughout its life

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