181 Items Tagged

Scientists at Work

The sperm whale population around Dominica is one of the most closely studied in the world.

Dominica's Sperm Whales Have a Surprising Superpower: Poop

Around the Caribbean island nation, local cetaceans have some unique traits, including doubling down on defecation.

Ashley Stimpson November 27, 2023

Scientists don’t know how many silky anteaters live in Brazil’s Parnaíba Delta. Densely vegetated mangroves make it difficult to count the elusive animals.

Brazil's Most Adorable Anteater May Be a New Species

These isolated, pocket-sized silky anteaters live among the mangroves of Brazil’s Atlantic coast.

James Hall November 20, 2023

Wildlife biologist Serra Hoagland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, is bridging Indigenous traditions and modern methods.

7 Memorable Stories to Mark Native American Heritage Month

Tales of tradition, erasure, resilience, and dancing.

April White November 17, 2023

Electric eels, native to the Amazon region, are known for delivering powerful, painful jolts to prey, would-be predators, and the occasional human. But much less is known about their reproduction.

The Shocking Sex Lives of Electric Eels in Brazil

Lightning and other environmental electricity may jumpstart reproduction for the Amazon Basin fish.

James Hall November 15, 2023

Is it a ghost or a gas leak? Scientists are trying new ways to explore what makes a place seem haunted.

A Haunted Chamber, a Quivering Blade, and Other Spooky Science Experiments

Could infrasound, electromagnetic blips, gas leaks, and mold explain why some places just give us the creeps?

Kate Golembiewski October 26, 2023

This is not exactly how most animals react to an eclipse.

Six Stories to Illuminate the Upcoming 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse

The annular eclipse will make its way across the Western Hemisphere on October 14.

April White October 6, 2023

Scientists estimate there are some 4,000 bees native to the United States alone—but many of them are struggling to survive in our warming, pesticide-ridden world.

To Save America's Native Bees, the Oregon Bee Project Is Mapping Every Single One

The project aims to make a complete 'bee atlas,' detailing every single local pollinator.

Kate Raphael September 22, 2023

Podcast: The Fear Lab

Ever wondered why our brains crave a good scare?

The Podcast Team September 21, 2023

Researchers in an inflatable boat prepare to tag a bull shark they have flipped on its back, inducing tonic immobility. Science cannot yet explain why many species seem to go into a trance in this position.

To Track Bull Sharks, First Hit Their Snooze Button

For these researchers in Southern Africa, tagging the apex predators starts with putting them in trancelike tonic immobility.

Ryan Truscott September 20, 2023

The pekapeka-tou-poto, found only in New Zealand, is also known as the lesser short-tailed bat.

The Race to Save the Pekapeka-Tou-Poto, New Zealand's Unique Bat

For scientists, monitoring the feisty, endangered burrowing bat includes moments of "actual madness."

Monica Evans September 14, 2023

Of the 151 species they studied, all of them, including this tree frog, <em>Dendropsophus rhodopeplus</em> (shown under blue light), displayed some level of fluorescence.

Biologists Threw a Fluorescent Frog Rave in the Amazon, for Science

Turns out many of the frogs glow, maybe to communicate.

Roxanne Hoorn August 22, 2023

Meet the Algae and Other Microbes in Your Neighborhood

All you need is a jar of local water and a microscope—you may even find new species. Welcome to Algae Obscura.

Julia Van Etten August 15, 2023

Daniel Hogan and Eli Schwat tow a sled of gear out to the Kettle Ponds study site this March.

The Curious Case of the Colorado River’s Missing Water

Researchers are trying to unravel the mystery of snow that falls but never shows up in the river.

Bella Biondini August 7, 2023

A reconstruction of <em>P. colossus</em> shows it in its coastal habitat. The head is an educated guess because a skull has not been found yet.

Paleontologists in Peru Discover What Might Be the 'Chonkiest Whale Ever'

And maybe the heaviest animal the world has ever seen.

Roxanne Hoorn August 2, 2023

Scientists explore the lava tube they have dubbed the "Red Cave" for its rusty hues.

Taking the First Steps Into a Newly Formed Volcanic Underworld

More than a year after a devastating eruption in the Canary Islands, a team is exploring a braided network of still-hot lava tubes.

Maya Wei-Haas July 19, 2023

One of this cat’s distinctive sabers was broken off before it died.

This Stunning Sabertooth Cat Skull Belonged to a Big Male That Died Young

Found in southwestern Iowa, the well-preserved fossil is about 13,500 years old.

Matthew Hill July 17, 2023

Katherine Moore (left) shows vessels for storing and serving food from Pachacámac at the exhibit.

How to Trace Food History With Ancient Leftovers

The Penn Museum's new exhibit showcases the art of edible archaeology.

Sam O'Brien June 30, 2023

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir dines on fresh mustard greens that she harvested aboard the ISS in 2019.

space exploration

Inside NASA's Contest to Develop the Space Food of the Future

The race to provide astronauts with fresh bread and 3-D printed steaks can also help food scarcity on Earth.

Sarah Miller June 26, 2023