Life
- Animals
Let’s turn a genie blue
Aladdin’s genie is very magical. He’s also blue. What might explain that? Nature has some tricks on offer.
- Animals
Bats in the attic prompt boys to create a better bat detector
When a teen learned he had 700 bats in his attic, he decided to develop a better bat detector.
- Health & Medicine
Geneticists get closer to knowing how mosquitoes sniff out our sweat
Scientists have found that a protein in the antennae of some mosquitoes detects a chemical in human sweat.
- Animals
Bumpy edges could be key to record-breaking oars
Inspired by the bumpy edges of flippers on a humpback whale, an Australian teen has redesigned oars for use by competitive rowers.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Guinea worm
Scientists and health care workers are working to eradicate this parasite, which causes a painful condition called Guinea worm disease.
- Animals
Two teens pull DNA from birds out of the air
Animals shed DNA into their environment. Usually scientists find it in water or soil. Now, two teens have figured out how to capture this “environmental DNA” from air.
- Animals
Teen designs belt to hold down a sea turtle’s bubble butt
Sea turtles hit by boats can develop an injury called “bubble butt syndrome.” One teen invented a vest to help them dive again.
- Plants
Need a little luck? Here’s how to grow your own
A 2019 Intel ISEF finalist used a plant hormone and extra fertilizer to boost the numbers of multi-leafed clovers — including lucky four-leafed plants — she could reliably grow.
- Health & Medicine
Testing mosquito pee could help track disease spread
A new way to monitor the viruses that wild mosquitoes have picked up passes its first outdoor test. The method uses mosquito urine.
- Life
How some birds lost the ability to fly
Some birds have evolved to stay on the ground instead of flying. Scientists think changes to bossy bits of DNA might be the reason.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Genealogy
This is the study of someone’s ancestry. It could mean finding out about someone’s family tree or the history of evolution from one species to another.
- Animals
Yes, cats know their own names
Cats can tell their names apart from other spoken words. A new study supports what cat owners the world over had suspected.
