Theresa Machemer

Theresa Machemer is a freelance writer based in Washington DC. Her work has also appeared in National Geographic and SciShow. Website: tkmach.com

Female Hainan gibbons are bright yellow with black patches while males are completely black.

Rope Bridges Save the Most Endangered Primates From Making Death-Defying Leaps

After an avalanche destroyed part of the rainforest, a bit of infrastructure connects the gibbons to their favorite fruit-filled trees

Skeleton preparation of a short-tailed fruit bat embryo (Carollia perspicillata) photographed by Dr. Dorit Hockman & Dr. Vanessa Chong-Morrison of the University of Cape Town.

From a Zebrafish to Nylon Stockings, See This Year's Small World Photography Winners

The 46th annual Nikon Small World photography competition honors the best 88 images out of over 2,000 entries

This illustration shows one of the newly described species of stilt mouse, Colomys lumumbai, wading at the edge of a stream.

Two New Species of Semi-Aquatic Mice Identified in East African Rainforests

Mice from the genus Colomys stand on kangaroo-like feet to wade in shallow water and use their whiskers to find prey

This mosaic of Bennu was created using observations made by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that was in close proximity to the asteroid for over two years.

Asteroid Bennu Could Shed Light on How Ingredients for Life Reached Earth

New, detailed imagery of the asteroid’s surface show that it’s covered in boulders and carbon-containing molecules

Rotten fish contain a smellable chemical found in bad breath, faeces and blood, but some people identified it as sweets or roses.

If Rotten Fish Smell Like Roses to You, a Genetic Mutation Might Be to Blame

A new study in Iceland found a connection between a person’s ability to sniff stinky fish and a gene called TAAR5

Each bare patch of clay-crusted earth is about 13 feet across.

The Magical Mathematics Behind 'Fairy Circles'

Competing theories suggest that the patches come from termite activity, grass competition over water, or a combination of both

May the heftiest chonk win!

A Jumbo Jet Among Bears, 747 Soars to Top Spot in Fat Bear Week

Bracket, bracket, on the 'net, which chubby cub is the most heavyset?

To qualify for use in the study, videos of the explosion needed to have known locations and include a line of site to the warehouse.

Beirut Blast Was Among History's Largest Accidental Explosions

The explosion, fueled by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate abandoned in Beirut’s port, wounded 6,000 people and killed about 200

Researchers with OCEARCH caught a 17-foot-long great white shark on the morning of October 2.

Researchers Catch and Tag 17-Foot 'Matriarch of the Sea,' a 50-Year-Old Great White Shark

The OCEARCH team named the shark Nukumi, the Mi'kmaq people’s word for 'grandmother'

Agricultural officials in Washington state said Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 they are trying to find and destroy a nest of Asian giant hornets believed to be near the small town amid concerns the hornets could kill honey bees crucial for pollinating raspberry and blueberry crops.

First Live ‘Murder Hornet’ Captured in the U.S.

Scientists aim to eradicate Asian giant hornet nests in the next few weeks so that the insects do not establish a population on the West Coast

Nine counties in California, Oregon and Washington had Air Quality Index values over 500, which is usually the maximum measurement on the scale.

West Coast Cities Experienced World’s Worst Air Quality in September

Minuscule particles in smoke may cause long-term health impacts, which will overlap with flu season and the Covid-19 pandemic

So far, there are no cases of pet-to-human transmission of the coronavirus, and human-to-pet transmission seems rare.

New Study Finds Dogs May Not Spread Covid-19, but Cats Can Pass It to Each Other

A study of ten animals tested their reaction to the viral infection and whether transmission followed

The fact that Mars' south pole holds many underground lakes suggests that they might be the last remnants of the planet's ancient oceans.

Briny Underground Lakes May Be All That Remain of Martian Ocean

New data confirm the 2018 discovery of a lake under Mars' south pole and point to three smaller water features around it

Caption via Getty: "The coronavirus sniffer dogs named Kössi (L) and Miina cuddle with trainer Susanna Paavilainen at the Helsinki airport in Vantaa, Finland where they are trained to detect the Covid-19 from the arriving passengers, on September 22, 2020."

Helsinki Airport Employs Dogs to Sniff Out Signs of Covid-19 in Travelers’ Sweat

Four dogs began work at Helsinki Airport on September 22, and six more may join them soon

Elephants Kelly Ann and Mable are eligible to move to the White Oak Conservation Center north of Jacksonville, Florida.

Retired Circus Elephants to Move to 2,500-Acre Wildlife Refuge Next Year

Since 2016, about 30 elephants have lived in a 200-acre enclosure managed by Ringling Bros. circus

The museum's chocolate fountain is the largest in the world, standing nearly 30 feet tall and featuring around 1,500 liters of liquid chocolate.

The World's Largest Chocolate Museum Debuts in Switzerland

Launched by Lindt, the attraction features a 30-foot-tall chocolate fountain and a tour of the sweet treat's history

The emerald ash borer first appeared in Michigan in 2002.

Invasive Pest Threatens Future of North American Ash Trees

A new study shows that ash tree populations are not growing fast enough to replace the trees killed by ash borer larvae

The R.M.S. Titanic, seen departing Belfast on April 2, 1912

Did the Northern Lights Play a Role in the Titanic's Demise?

New study suggests the solar storm that sparked the aurora borealis interfered with the ship's navigational and radio equipment

Common wisdom tells us that lightning strikes the tallest thing in an open area—so are giraffes at a greater risk of lightning strikes than other animals?

Are Giraffes Doomed to Be Struck by Lightning Because of Their Height?

A recent pair of giraffe deaths sparked the question

The mud-brick buildings of Djenné, Mali, are among six at-risk African heritage sites spotlighted by a new study.

Study Suggests At-Risk African Heritage Sites Are Often Overlooked

Researchers cite a "total lack of quantifiable data on the impacts of climate change on heritage in sub-Saharan Africa"

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