BIOLOGY

Could Feeding Seaweed to Cows Help Save the Climate?

Scientists were able to reduce methane production by 99 percent in preliminary tests on artificial cow stomachs.

When We Go to Mars, How Will We Protect the Microbes From Us?

Life on Mars has yet to be found, but we're already making plans to protect it from us—and us from it.

Scientists Discover Seal-Like Prehistoric Predator

The animal lived off the coast of what is now Washington state about 10 million years ago and probably fished like seals do, relying on the power of its oversized eyes to track its prey.

9 Brainy Facts About the Neocortex

The brain is arguably the one organ that makes you who you are—and the largest part of the brain is the neocortex.

15 Naturalists Who Died in the Field

Countless scientists, naturalists, conservationists, and support staff have died in the pursuit of knowledge that could protect vulnerable places and species, and enable people to live safer, healthier lives.

15 Throaty Facts About Vocal Cords

They may just save your life.

BMC Ecology via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

This Crab's Secret to a Happy Relationship Is a Turtle's Butt

Whether Columbus crabs choose "inclusive" mating or monogamy depends on where they shack up.

Evan Maclean via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Middle-Aged Bonobos Become Farsighted, Too

Primatologists noticed older bonobos grooming their kin from a distance, like a person holding a restaurant menu at arm’s length.

Plant Can Transmit Light to Its Roots, Study Reports

Plant stems act like fiber-optic cables running light down to underground roots.

The Science of Spit

Your spit can tell you much more about your health than whether you should be flossing.

James D. Gathany, the Public Health Image Library via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

The Next Step in Malaria Prevention May Be to Make People Taste Bad

Scientists say the brains of malaria-carrying mosquitoes combine smell and taste when considering who to bite.

Your Brain Knows You've Quenched Your Thirst Before Your Body Does

"Thirst neurons" activate when you drink, even though the liquid won't enter the blood for 10 to 20 minutes.

Steven G. Johnson via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Invasive Comb Jellies Crowd the Adriatic Sea

Commerical fish populations are under threat.

DNA of Ancient Cats Traces the Path of Their Global Conquest

Cats have been using humans for thousands of years.

Feral Cats Are Key Contributors to the Sixth Mass Extinction

In the past 500 years, cats have played a role in the demise of 63 species.

Water Bears’ DNA Makes Them Practically Indestructible

A new study suggests we could someday borrow the tardigrade’s resilience to use in our own flimsy bodies.

This Stingray Is One of the Few Non-Mammals That Chews Its Food

Watching them do it is weirdly unsettling.

Nope, that's not a snake. It's a glass lizard.

5 Differences Between Snakes and Legless Lizards

If a limbless reptile like the one above crosses your path, it’s obviously a snake, right? Maybe not.

Fig Pollination Is Incredible (And Probably Results In You Eating Mummified Wasps)

The fruit and its wasp have been evolving together for millions of years.

11 Naturally Selected Facts About the Galápagos Islands

In 1835, Charles Darwin arrived at the island chain that would shape his theory of natural selection.

How Cyanobacteria Created (and Nearly Destroyed) Life on Earth

A good reminder that not every life form is a fan of oxygen.

岡部碩道 via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Scientists Find Genetic Root of Limb Regrowth

In the three species they studied, the ability to regenerate lost limbs has the same genetic mechanism.

Some Sloths Are More Slothful Than Others

One species has the lowest field metabolic rate ever recorded in a mammal.

Richard Bartz via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-2.5

Why Worker Bees Don’t Have Babies

Scientists have identified a cellular pathway in workers that makes them susceptible to their queen’s fertility-destroying pheromones.

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