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Biology

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail. Above: Tears of timeless reunion

Art Meets Science

The Microscopic Structures of Dried Human Tears

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail

Where Do Dogs Come From—Europe Or China?

Where were dogs first domesticated?

Art Meets Science

Do Our Brains Find Certain Shapes More Attractive Than Others?

A new exhibition in Washington, D.C., claims that humans have an affinity for curves—and there is scientific data to prove it

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The Current Outbreak of a Dolphin-Killing Virus Is the Deadliest in History

Based on past disease events, researchers estimate that this current cycle of the outbreak is likely only at the half way point

A páramo ecosystem in the Andes.

This Spot in the Andes May Be the Fastest-Evolving Place on Earth

Like isolated islands, evolution in these mountainous, unique environments seems to be ticking away at a faster beat than run-of-the-mill habitats

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This Scientist Let a Flea Live Inside Her In Order to Study It

To what lengths would you go for science?

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Watch a Cougar Grab a Salmon off a Zipline

More food should be delivered by zipline

Porcupines can be vicious killers. But not this one. This one is adorable.

Porcupine Quills Can Kill

Researchers in Italy watched porcupines corner a dog and stab it to death

African elephants in Kruger National Park

Elephants Never Forget When You Slaughter Their Family

Culling an elephant pack can destroy the survivors’ social skills

Snakes’ Vision Sharpens When They’re Under Stress

This likely allows them to optimize their vision for situations that require the most attention to detail, and in the meantime save that visual energy

Okeanos: A Performance Where Dancers Move Like Octopuses and Seahorses

Jodi Lomask, director of the dance company Capacitor, has choreographed an ocean-inspired show, now at San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay

Move Over Panda Cam, It’s Time for the Polar Bear Migration

In November, polar bears will be carrying on their annual migration, taking them right past the northerly Canadian town of Churchill

Stop That Foot Massage! Feet Are Not an Erogenous Zone

If you’ve been begrudgingly giving foot massages, you might want to check with your partner to see if they actually like them

Reindeer Eyes Change Color to Match the Season

Reindeers’ wintery blue eyes are about 1,000 times more sensitive to light than their summery gold ones

This Drone Hunts Down Apple Disease

These drones are striking against a different kind of enemy: apple scab

Our Brains Evolved to Recoil at the Sight of Snakes

Around 60 million years ago, our primate ancestors figured out that the sight of a snake meant trouble

A Family Tree of You And Your 13 Million Closest Relatives

A big data project to connect all the people

These Scientists Are Using Bees to Spread Pesticides

Since they’re already going to the flowers anyway, why not give them some pesticides to carry?

A fake mastodon fights for survival in a display at the La Brea tar pits.

Animals Trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits Would Take Months to Sink

New research shows that animals trapped in the tar would linger for months on end

How One 17th Century Scholar Reconciled Newly Discovered Species And the Space on Noah’s Ark

Here’s how Bishop John Wilkins got all the animals to fit on Noah’s Ark

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