Surprising Science

An artist's concept of what planet TrES-2b might look like

Faraway Planet is Blackest Yet Found

The planet, TrES-2b, is a gas giant about the size of Jupiter. But that's where the similarities end

Do you ever peek at the end of a book?

Are Spoilers Misnamed?

Giving away surprises, surprisingly, makes readers like stories better

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The Animaniacs’ Take On Science

A look into the intelligent humor of this 1990s-era cartoon

A male houbara bustard displays his feathers to get a female

Macho Birds Age Faster

Male houbara bustards pay a steep price for wooing the ladies

Kanzi the bonobo is quite the musician

Six Talking Apes

“Talking” apes are not just the stuff of science fiction; scientists have taught many apes to use some semblance of language

The key moment of the Don Quijote mission: the impact as Hidalgo smashes into the asteroid and Sancho observes from a safe distance

Don Quijote May Tilt at an Asteroid

Deflection could be our best bet if an asteroid is headed towards Earth

A vampire bat feeds on a pig

Halloween

How Vampire Bats Find A Vein

They may not be Dracula in disguise, but vampire bats are still creepy nocturnal critters that need blood to survive

Gold bullion from the National Bank of Poland

What Is Rarer Than Gold?

Other than the human tendency for imitating magpies, gold really isn't all that special

Still from Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Chimp Movies

Project Nim and Rise of the Planet of the Apes are very different movies, but both question the ethics of chimpanzee research

If these bones have been gnawed on, scientists can tell if it was an herbivore or a carnivore doing the chewing

Archaeologists May Have A Bone To Pick With Herbivores

Carnivores aren't the only creatures munching on bones, and herbivores are not the strict vegans we think they are

We haven't had a message from ET yet, but maybe we're not looking in the right way.

Ten Ways to Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe

If radio messages are out, try looking for asteroid mining, planetary pollutants, or alien artifacts here on Earth

Brain cells, stained in red, are sensitive to hormones that influence appetite

Dieting May Cause The Brain to Eat Itself

When "autophagy" was blocked, hunger signals were blocked and the mice became lighter and leaner

A baby Cavendish's dik-dik at the San Diego Zoo

What In The World Is A Dik-dik?

Unlike other African antelope species, there are no herds of dik-diks. They form monogamous pairs that stand guard over their own territory

The Vine With Its Own Bat Signal

Specially shaped leaves lure the flying mammals. The bats get a meal, and the flowers get pollinated

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How To Study A Volcano

Getting this close to a bubbling cauldron of lava is not just dangerous; it's stupid enough that even other volcanologists will yell at you

What do you hate most about mosquitoes?

14 Not-So-Fun Facts About Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide, lactic acid and octenol found in our breath and sweat. They may have a preference for beer drinkers

In these two images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Pluto's new moon, P4, can be seen to move around the dwarf planet.

What To Name Pluto’s New Moon

Disney characters aside, what would you choose to join this dark and dreary mythological circle? Styx, Erberus, Cerberus, Hypnos?

A hexagonal grain of iron sulfide in a diamond may be a flaw for jewelers, but it's useful data for scientists

Diamonds Hold Secret About Plate Tectonics

When it comes to diamonds in jewelry, perfection is everything. But imperfections are a clue to the past

Several crocodile species are known to attack humans

What Preys on Humans?

Most of us never come in contact with a deadly predator, but there are still enough encounters to remind us that humans are not the top of the food web

A leatherback turtle is just one of many predators in the ocean

Where the Pacific’s Predators Go

Scientists have found that predator species trade off between prey availability and water temperature in their travels

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