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Otters are social animals that live in communities, called "rafts."
science

The Regional Scent Dialects That Help Otters Tell Friends From Strangers

You can learn a lot about someone from their accent.
Natasha Frost December 13, 2017
If it smells like something died in your fridge, it might be cadaverine.
food

Researchers Built a 'Nose' to Find Rotting Food and Dead People

Say goodbye to the sniff test!
Anne Ewbank December 12, 2017
science

A Six-Foot, 220-Pound Penguin Once Lived in New Zealand

The bird was almost twice the size of the largest living penguin.
Natasha Frost December 12, 2017
AFP photo shows Alwine doorway.
abandoned

Can an Anonymous Buyer Save a German Village on Its Last Legs?

For the tiny hamlet of Alwine, one bid stands between it and ruin.
Natasha Frost December 11, 2017
Illustration of an Atlantic White-sided Dolphin and a Long-finned Pilot Whale.
science

New Research Suggests Solar Storms Don't Lead Whales Astray

Whatever is causing whales to strand themselves on shore, it's likely a more complicated cocktail of factors.
Sarah Laskow December 11, 2017
Villagers use their hands to make the piercing whistle calls.
unesco

The Whistled 'Bird Language' of Turkey May Be Lost Forever

Mobile phones are putting this ancient form of communication at risk.
Natasha Frost December 8, 2017
Two Braeburns, side by side.
trees

The Story Behind Britain's Unexpected Mega-Apples

How one of the country's favorite apples went from pint-sized to pound-sized.
Anne Ewbank December 8, 2017
A Neapolitan pizza maker.
unesco

The Traditional Pizza Making of Naples Now Has Heritage Status

Good news for Neapolitans, however you slice it.
Natasha Frost December 7, 2017
A snowy owl snacking.
animals

The Snowy Owls Are Back in Town

Them wild-eyed birds that had been away.
Cara Giaimo December 7, 2017
Lindsay Arvin samples pine needles.
science

Mountain Trees Love Dust

A new study highlights how the nutrients in dust feed plants along the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Sarah Laskow December 6, 2017
Vincent van Gogh's <em>Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear</em>, 1889.
art

Misery Doesn't Seem to Improve the Quality of Art

Under scrutiny, the image of the tortured genius appears to fall apart.
Natasha Frost December 6, 2017
Road Canyon is one of the sites within the old borders of the National Monument.
politics

Demystifying the Changes to Bears Ears National Monument

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Natasha Frost December 5, 2017
Not something a smaller bird wants to see.
science

To Outsmart a Rogue Drone, Think Like a Falcon

Researchers have strapped cameras onto raptors to see how they target their prey.
Jessica Leigh Hester December 4, 2017
New York's Times Square was home to a number of these adult movie theaters, many of which were closed during the AIDs epidemic.
film

The Little Death of the Adult Movie Theater

The final erotic cinema in Paris is closing its doors after over 40 years.
Natasha Frost December 4, 2017
Barley's good for more than malt.
beer

A Hidden Beer Flavor Has Finally Been Revealed

Researchers brewed 150 beers to determine if barley left a distinct taste.
Anne Ewbank December 1, 2017
Domed Galápagos tortoises have rounded shells that seem to help them right themselves.
islands

How a Flipped-Over Giant Tortoise Gets Its Feet Back on the Ground

And why some find it harder than others.
Natasha Frost December 1, 2017
A CT scan of the mummy shows the child's skull, with milk teeth and adult teeth jostling for space.
mummies

Using a Particle Accelerator to See Inside a 1,900-Year-Old Mummy

We've come a long way from 19th-century mummy "unwrapping parties."
Natasha Frost November 30, 2017
The head of the plaster sphinx, following days of excavation.
film locations

See a 94-Year-Old Sphinx Emerge From Californian Sand Dunes

A true relic of another age, when extravagant, overwrought blockbusters ruled the cineplex. Oh, wait.
Natasha Frost November 29, 2017