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Biology

New Research

Do Insects Have Consciousness and Ego?

The brains of insects are similar to a structure in human brains, which could show a rudimentary form of consciousness

A study of baboons found that have an easy life when young can pay off years into the future.

For Baboons, a Tough Childhood Can Lead to a Short Life

Primates that grow up under tough conditions don’t live as long as those that have it easy

Cool Finds

The Northeast Prepares for Swarms of Cicadas This Spring

Billions of red-eyed cicadas will emerge from the earth in much of the northeast this spring, part of a 17-year-cycle

A giant mouse feeds on a dead seabird chick.

A Steady Diet of Seabird Chicks Makes Island Mice Huge

With no predators or competition, rodents can eat baby birds alive

New Research

Scientists Catalog Creatures in Every Corner of Los Angeles

In a huge citizen science project, scientists are turning to an urban environment to seek out biodiversity

The Anna’s hummingbird is one of many species of birds that attract females with sounds generated by their feathers.

These Birds Can Sing Using Only Their Feathers

When feathers meet air in just the right way, birds can create distinctive sounds

The Chilarchaea quellon trap-jaw spider can snap its long chelicerae shut in about a quarter of a millisecond.

Tiny Spiders Are the Fastest Known on Earth

Some trap-jaw spiders can snap their mouths shut with incredible force—in less than a millisecond

The fake egg looks and feels the same as a real vulture egg.

Scientists Are Using Electronic Eggs to Study Vultures

A sensor-packed egg, developed by a team at Microduino, could lead to clues about the birds’ livelihood

Cool Finds

Dog Owners Beware, DNA in Dog Poop Could Be Used to Track You Down

A Chicago apartment building is trying out a new scheme to catch four-legged offenders and their humans

New Research

Genes of Ancestral Peanuts May Help Feed the World

Researchers have sequenced the genome of peanuts and its ancient cousins, which could lead to disease and drought-resistant varieties

Neurospora crassa, or red bread mold

Future of Energy

Could Mold Power the Batteries of the Future?

Researchers have discovered how to use a fungus to create materials that could be used to make more sustainable lithium-ion batteries

The highly regular spacing of fairy circles in Australia becomes visible in dense vegetation. The grasses in the foreground of the image are patchy as they rebounding from fire.

New Research

Mysterious Fairy Circles Have Been Found in Western Australia

Once thought to exist only in Namibia, circles spotted 6,200 miles away are helping sort out how these odd features form

Cool Finds

Recently Discovered Spider Is Named After Physicist Brian Greene

About the size of the human palm, the “Brian” spider can swim and hunt fish

Elephants in Kenya's Tana River, Morgan's home territory

Trending Today

Epic Journey Brings First Elephant to Somalia in 20 Years

Meet Morgan, whose 3-week trek shows anti-poaching efforts could be working

Mini-organs grow around the tiny scaffolds (lower left). The magnified image (right) shows the hair-thin channels that serve as blood vessels.

How a Tiny, “Beating” Human Heart Was Created in a Lab

The device, filled with human heart cells, could dramatically reduce the time it takes to test new drugs and end testing on animals

Scientists studied Hydra vulgaris to determine how the animal opens its mouth

New Research

How Hydra Rip Open New Mouths at Every Meal

Scientists finally figured out how the tiny aquatic creature opens its mouth to eat

This psychedelic form is actually a map of pathways inside a human brain. The different colors show the ways various parts of the brain communicate—left with right sides in red, front with back in green, and the brain to the rest of the body in blue.

Trending Today

Take in the Beauty of Science With This Year’s Wellcome Image Award Winners

From winding brain pathways to sparkling moth scales, these evocative images both teach and amaze

Scientists keep finding new ways the brain can be deceived.

A New Way to Trick the Brain and Beat Jet Lag

For all its complexity, the human brain is not hard to deceive. Here are four studies where scientists have learned more about duping it

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Thousands of Blacktip Sharks Are Hanging Out on Florida’s Coast Right Now

Experts say they’re not dangerous, and are easy to spot

The great pond snail is helping scientists make great leaps in their understanding of asymmetries in the animal kingdom.

New Research

Snail Shells Add a New Twist to the Mystery of Animal Asymmetries

After more than a century of searching, scientists have discovered a gene in snails that may control asymmetries inside many animals

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