Life
- Animals
Narwhals may use their enormous lance-like tusks to play
Video shows narwhals using their tusks to prod — even flip — fish they don’t target as prey. It’s the first reported evidence of these whales playing.
- Animals
Mosquitoes taste you before they decide to bite
Mosquitoes seem to prefer some flavors over others. Knowing what they like — and hate — could lead to better ways to prevent bites.
- Brain
Scientists Say: Neuroplasticity
Neurons in the brain forge new connections and sometimes trim back old ones. This capacity for change allows us to learn new skills and recover from injury.
- Plants
Could trees ever get up and walk away?
In fantasy, trees can walk, climb and even fight. Real trees move, too. It just happens in extreme slow mo.
- Animals
Dinosaurs are still alive. Today, we call them birds
Birds don’t look like the scaly giants of Jurassic World. But fossils are revealing how these modern-day dinosaurs descended from ancient reptiles.
- Animals
What is a dinosaur?
Scientists have named more than 1,000 species of nonavian dinosaurs. Their legacy lives on in the 11,000-plus bird species alive today.
- Fossils
This paleontologist solved a nearly 50-year-old dino mystery
ReBecca Hunt-Foster described what is now the state dinosaur of Arkansas
- Animals
Let’s learn about bumblebees
In the spring, queen bumblebees emerge from their winter hibernation to start new colonies.
- Materials Science
Orange food dye can temporarily turn skin transparent
When mixed with water and rubbed on the skin, a common food dye allows researchers to peer inside the body of a mouse.
- Animals
Among chimpanzees, peeing is contagious
One individual chimpanzee peeing prompts others to follow suit — but scientists don’t know why.
- Brain
Explainer: How our body deals with stress
Our autonomic nervous system balances two natural responses. If stressed or overwhelmed, simple techniques can help to restore that balance.
- Science & Society
Does your natural history museum need a makeover?
A lot of their old-fashioned dioramas — a type of exhibit — are biased, boring or even unscientific. Here’s what modern museums are doing to fix that.
