Life
- Microbes
Let’s learn about microbial communities
Communities of bacteria and other single-celled critters are all around us, on us — even inside us.
- Animals
Lots of frogs and salamanders have a secret glow
A widespread ability to glow in brilliant colors could make amphibians easier to track down in the wild.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Echolocation
This word describes a method that some animals use to sense their environments by making sounds and listening for their echoes.
- Plants
Let’s learn about trees
These long-lived woody plants provide shade for people, homes for animals — and help protect the planet against climate change.
- Microbes
Check out the communities of bacteria living on your tongue
Bacteria scraped off the tongue offer a window into how the microbes structure their communities.
- Earth
Let’s learn about the Arctic
The far North is a mix of vast tundra and icy waters, filled with interesting creatures, from tiny zooplankton to huge polar bears.
- Brain
Sleep helps teens cope with discrimination
Good sleep helps teens better deal with racial and ethnic discrimination.
- Fossils
This dinosaur was no bigger than a hummingbird
The skull of one of these ancient birds — the tiniest yet known — was discovered encased in a chunk of amber originally found in Myanmar.
- Animals
Let’s learn about the creepy crawlies in your home
From ants to spiders to crickets to bed bugs — a whole host of insects and other arthropods may be hanging out with you at home.
- Life
Scientists Say: Enzyme
This word describes a molecule that speeds up chemical reactions in living things. Enzymes work by lowering the energy needed for a reaction to occur.
- Environment
Greener than burial? Turning human bodies into worm food
Composting human bodies yielded good results — and good soil — in one small study. It could become an alternative to burial or cremation in one state.
- Animals
Conservation is going to the dogs
Scientists are now training dogs to help track rare, elusive — and sometimes invasive — plants and animals.
