All Stories by Carolyn Wilke
- Life
Scientists Say: Nutrient
Nutrients provide living things, from bacteria to animals, with the energy and materials to grow. But too much of a nutrient can sometimes cause harm.
- Tech
Drones help scientists weigh whales at sea
Drone imagery lets scientists estimate a whale’s weight. And that may help monitor the health of these big mammals for conservation purposes.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Papillae
These small nubs stick out from a body part. They include things such as tongue bumps with taste buds and the structures under the skin that help grow hair.
- Animals
Piranhas and plant-eating kin replace half their teeth at once
Piranhas and pacus shed and replace half of their teeth at a time. New teeth lock together as they push up from the jaw.
- Life
A new spin on lab-grown meat
A technique inspired by how cotton candy is spun could help produce lab-grown meat at a lower cost and on a bigger scale.
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Scientists Say: Octopod
These marine animals have soft bodies and eight sucker-lined arms. Some are known for their smarts or ability to quickly change colors.
- Physics
Scientists Say: Power
This word describes the rate at which energy is delivered or used to do work, along with related ideas, such as ways of making electricity.
- Physics
Frozen’s ice queen commands ice and snow — maybe we can too
In the Frozen movies, Elsa magically manipulates snow and ice. But scientists, too, make snowflakes. If they reinforce it, architects can build with ice and snow.
- Animals
Congolese toads may avoid predators by copycatting deadly vipers
If Congolese giant toads are mimicking venomous Gaboon vipers, this would be the first reported case of a frog imitating a snake.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Species
This word describes organisms grouped by their similarities in genetics and physical traits. But defining species can be tricky.
- Animals
Newly discovered eel sets a jolting record for animal voltage
Scientists have found two new electric eel species. One now holds the animal kingdom’s record for highest delivered voltage.
- Space
A black hole slashed a star apart — and was caught in the act
Scientists have gotten their earliest look yet at a black hole ripping up a star.
