Biology

Scarlet tanager

Where Red Birds Get Their Vibrant Hues

Two studies identify the same gene that makes red birds crimson—and perhaps helps them shed toxins, too

How Forensic Scientists Once Tried to "See" a Dead Person's Last Sight

Scientists once believed that the dead's last sight could be resolved from their extracted eyeballs

Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt holds the notorious tarantula hawk, one of the only creatures to rate a 4 on his pain index.

This Guy Got Himself Stung 1,000 Times For Science—Here’s What He Learned

A new book reveals what it’s like to be stung by nearly 100 species of insect, and some of the secrets of things that sting

'Sleeping' Birch Trees Rest Their Branches at Night

Using laser scans of trees in Finland and Austria, researchers tracked interesting arboreal behavior

New Report Says Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe—But It's Complicated

The National Academies of Science looked at over 900 studies on GMOs. Here are the five things you need to know

Environmental cues mosquitoes to swarm inside a lab.

Kill All the Mosquitoes?!

New gene-editing technology gives scientists the ability to wipe out the carriers of malaria and the Zika virus. But should they use it?

The Black Sea's fish stocks have been plummeting as of late and may be beyond repair.

The Black Sea Is Dying, and War Might Push it Over the Edge

Surrounded by six countries, all with their own agendas, the massive body of water is at risk of becoming another casualty of regional strife

The spectral bat (Vampyrum spectrum), the world’s largest carnivorous bat, feeds on small birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals—including other bats.

The World’s Carnivorous Bats Are Emerging From the Dark

Meat-eating evolved multiple times among these mysterious species, yet all of the winged carnivores share similar physiological fixes

Atopodentatus used its odd-shaped head to vacuum up food from the sea floor hundreds of millions of years ago.

Weirdo Ancient Marine Reptile Had a Vacuum-Shaped Head

Animal probably slurped up plant material from the seafloor

How sleepy you are may depend on a number of factors, including age and where in the world you live.

Smartphone Study Uncovers Why So Much of the World is Short on Sleep

Age, gender and nationality impact how much we sleep, and social pressures rob many of needed rest

10 Things Science Says About Being a Mom in 2016

For one, a nurturing mother can help her child's brain grow

Trachymolgus purpureus

Enjoy Face Time with Seven of Earth's 3 to 5 Million Mite Species

A Smithsonian collection of some one million species of mites is receiving its up close and personal

Washing your hands will make them clean, but it may not get rid of the microbes that live there.

Your Skin’s Microbial Inhabitants Might Stick Around, Even If You Wash

This tiny ecosystem is surprisingly stable from months to years, study reveals

Important information about a cheetah can be found in its feces.

A Fecal Pellet’s Worth A Thousand Words

Scientists can learn a surprising amount about an animal just by analyzing its poop

How do we measure a bird's IQ?

Describing Someone as “Birdbrained” Is Misguided, Unless You’re Talking About Emus

A new book about birds explores how birds think

Ivory burn outside Nairobi, 1991

Eerie Footage of Over 100 Tons of Burning Ivory

The Kenyan government burned tusks from over 6,000 elephants to reduce stockpiles of ivory and raise awareness of poaching

Scientists Use "The Moth Radio Hour" to Create Brain Atlas

Using a functional MRI, scientists created a visual dictionary to show how areas of the brain process language

Brindled Stamiter, Cricetus fasciatus

Audubon Pranked Fellow Naturalist by Making Up Fake Rodents

Annoyed with naturalist and houseguest Constantine Rafinesque, John J. Audubon dreamed up 28 non-existent species

Modern microscopes can image red blood cells in stunning detail.

Early Microscopes Revealed a New World of Tiny Living Things

A cloth merchant turned a device for checking his wares into an instrument fit for science

"Shark Vision" Shines Light on Biofluorescent Species

Using a specially designed filter, divers uncovered the glowing patterns on the skin of catsharks

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