Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger

@JessHullinger
Writes about: science
Jessica Hullinger is an award-winning journalist and social media fanatic currently living in Brooklyn, New York. By day she serves as TheWeek.com’s Audience Development Manager, writing as well as managing the site’s social media outreach. In her spare time she covers science for MentalFloss.com and embarks on random freelance endeavors. Jessica has a soft spot for her home state of Indiana, an undying love for public radio, and an inexplicable obsession with archaeology.

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More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About the Sleeping Patterns of Hummingbirds

There are some topics you probably never thought you'd be interested in, including the nocturnal habits of hummingbirds. But there exists a YouTube video that is so fascinating (read: adorable), it begs exploration of this topic. In the video, a green female hummingbird slumbers, and with every one of its tiny breaths, the bird lets out a high-pitched sigh, making it appear as though it is ... snoring. So, what exactly is going on here? Do hummingbirds actually snore? "Maybe … sort of … but... READ ON

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7 Absolutely Insane Animal Defense Mechanisms

Scientists recently recorded footage of a never-before-seen defense mechanism deployed by a small species of deep-sea squid: When threatened, the squid attacks its predator and then pulls away, breaking off the tip of its own arm and leaving it behind as a distraction. The arm continues to glow and twitch, creating a diversion and enabling the squid to escape. But this squid isn't the only creature with a bizarre way of defending itself. Here are several other ways animals try to save their own lives,... READ ON

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5 Scientist Screw-Ups to Remember Next Time You Bungle Something

When we think of the world of science, we often imagine white lab coats and sterile instruments, where everything is perfectly measured, monitored and executed. After all, scientists are supposed to be the smartest of us all. It's easy to assume they aren't plagued by stupidity and clumsiness like the rest of us. But even scientists make mistakes. Unfortunately for them, their screw-ups tend to have more serious ramifications than ours. 1. Freezer Burn In a recent example, a malfunctioning freezer at... READ ON

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5 Signs Humans Are Still Evolving

When we think of human evolution, our minds wander back to the thousands of years it took natural selection to produce the modern-day man. But are we still changing as a species, even today? New research suggests that, despite modern technology and industrialization, humans continue to evolve. "It is a common misunderstanding that evolution took place a long time ago, and that to understand ourselves we must look back to the hunter-gatherer days of humans," says Dr. Virpi Lummaa from the University of... READ ON

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11 Problems Music Can Solve

REUTERS/PETR JOSEK/LANDOV Music is a splendid thing. It can cheer you up when you're sad, make you dance like a fool, and allow you to drown out the world when you need to. But music has its scientific uses, too. The new documentary Alive Inside details how dementia patients react positively when given iPods filled with their old favorite songs. The music seems to help them "come alive" again. While listening to familiar songs, many of the documentary's patients can sing along, answer questions about... READ ON

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The Gene That Makes You Smarter

Brain image via Shutterstock Scientists have long known that our genetic makeup influences our intelligence. But now, thanks to the largest brain study of its kind, they've pinpointed one gene in particular that may be responsible for our IQ levels. Meet HMGA2. You can call it the "Intelligence Gene" — that's what Paul Thompson, professor of neurology at UCLA and the leader of the massive study, has dubbed... READ ON

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