Biology

More Evidence that Dinosaurs Still Live Among Us

These are the formidable talons of a Harpy Eagle, one of the largest species of raptor on Earth. Let them serve as a reminder that bloodthirsty dinosaurs live among us, that they are descended from downy forebears, and that, yes, feathered animals can be downright terrifying. For reference: Also for reference: See also: The feet…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

New evidence that plants can “think” about future risks

Plants may not have a cerebral cortex, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t evolved effective forms of alternative intelligence. As a recent study of the Barberry and its parasites shows, some plants exhibit a form of memory — and even anticipate future risks. The European Barberry plant (Berberis vulgaris) has a parasite problem. The tephritid…

io9 George Dvorsky

Why Do Bacteria Thrive in Space?

For reasons that still aren’t well understood, bacteria proliferate in microgravity. Creating a potential recipe for disaster for humans stationed in space for long periods, bacteria’s love of low-g also raises an intriguing question: Why are they so comfortable there? Thriving Several years ago, astronauts began noticing that: Virulent bacteria such as E. coli and…

Space & Spaceflight Melissa - TodayIFoundOut.com

What a 30,000-Year-Old Giant Zombie Virus Means For the Future

A monster virus comes back from ancient times to wreak havoc on mankind. That may sound like a blurb from a science fiction novel, but as scientists have known for some time, it’s not at all impossible. And thanks to the recent revival of a 30,000-year-old giant virus in Siberia, there’s increasing concern that it…

Tech News Ashley Feinberg

When scientists belived there was a little man inside every sperm cell

Preformationism was a popular theory in the 17th and 18th centuries. It allowed people to believe in a clockwork world, where there were tiny people running around in sperm. And those tiny people also had tiny people in their sperm. But there was a peculiar kind of logic to it all. Throughout the 17th and…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

Scientists just revived a 30,000 year-old frozen virus in Siberia

In what’s either the beginning of a Michael Crichton movie or a scientific breakthrough, researchers have successfully revived a 30,000-year-old virus buried deep in the permafrosts of Siberia, the largest virus ever discovered. The virus, known as Pithovirus sibericum, was revived from samples from ancient permafrost, which the researchers used to infect amoebas in their…

io9 Ria Misra

Our first glimpse of ocean life at the bottom of an unexplored trench

Using a robotic lander, scientists have captured the first-ever footage of marine life at the bottom of the previously unexplored New Hebrides trench in the Pacific. At depths reaching 4.5 miles, the ecology was unlike anything the marine biologists had ever seen. The 30-day expedition was conducted by the University of Aberdeen’s Oceanlab and the…

io9 George Dvorsky

Dramatic images of a snake battling a crocodile—then swallowing it

In case you needed a reminder that Australian animals are terrifying, witness the epic battle between a crocodile and a snake in the Australian Outback, followed by the snake’s gluttonous victory. Yesterday, folks enjoying their Sunday at Lake Moondarra near Mount Isa were treated to the sight of the struggle between a ten-foot snake, likely…

io9 Lauren Davis

Seriously, folks, you need to stop refrigerating your tomatoes

A fresh tomato is a delight — until it’s spent a few days in the refrigerator. Then it transforms into a mushy, tasteless mess. Here’s the scientific reason why you should never, ever refrigerate your tomatoes. But — if you absolutely must — there is a way to do it. The Chemistry of a Tomato…

io9 Ria Misra

Mercury the two-legged cat does the world’s cutest T. rex impressions

Mercury the cat was found at five weeks old with no front legs. His limbs were unfortunately too injured to accommodate prosthetics, so being the industrious cat that he is, he instead learned to walk on his hind legs. This makes Mercury’s perhaps the fuzziest, most adorable T. rex impressions in the history of T.…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Over 200 Miles of Yosemite Backpacking in One Incredible Time-lapse

It took over two years for filmmakers Colin Delehanty and Sheldon Neill to create Yosemite HD II, the the breathtaking followup to their 2011 tribute to Yosemite National Park. It was worth the wait. Full screen, HD, headphones if you’ve got ’em. You know the drill. It’s hard to oversell the beauty of Yosemite. Harder,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

This aerial video of reindeer-herding is surprisingly soothing

In addition to being one of the more unlikely string of words you’ve heard this week, this aerial video of reindeer-herding shot by a hexacopter camera drone is surprisingly serene and relaxing. Watching it feels a little like tending a rock garden with your brain. The video was recently shot by Jan Helmer Olsen in…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

This stunning animal looks like a glitch in reality’s programming

It belongs to the genus Sapphirina, and its skin – which can flicker from brilliant blue to near-invisible in an instant – is something you truly need to see to believe. Deep Sea News’ Rebecca Helm calls it “the most beautiful animal you’ve never seen.” The tiny marine crustaceans have shimmering, crystalline skin that derives…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

“It’s basically a dolphin trying very hard to be a walrus”

Meet the walrus-whale, the extinct species of ancient whale, that looked a little like a cross between a dolphin and a walrus, and once roamed the oceans. Oh, for a time-traveling, whale-watching expedition! Today, we hosted a Q&A with marine paleontologist Nick Pyenson who joined us to tell us more about the behind the scenes…

io9 Ria Misra

Teach Kids Frank Lessons About Anatomy With This Inside-Out Anglerfish

If you’re not the type to tiptoe around the truth with your kids, Rachel Ciavarella’s incredibly-detailed plush anglerfish ‘toy’ called Morris is the perfect way to give your children a somewhat disturbing crash course in anatomy. The fish turns inside-out to reveal what can only be described as an incredibly accurate representation of what you’ll…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Drop Everything – The Bald Eagle Cam is Back!

Will 2014 be the year you witness a baby bald eagle hatching live, on camera? NOT IF YOU LOOK AWAY, IT WON’T. Above: The female eagle flies from the nest as the male flies in (2/9/14) | Photo Credit: Berry Eagles Photo Gallery It’s that time of year again – the time of year when…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

The Number of Known Planets in the Universe Just Doubled

While you were hiding from the last bitter breezes of winter, NASA’s $600 million Kepler Space Telescope discovered a few new planets. Actually, Kepler data revealed 715 new exoplanets. That’s astonishing. It’s actually twice as many as we previously thought existed. The number of known Earth-sized planets also just quadrupled. This is pretty great news…

Space & Spaceflight Adam Clark Estes

The FDA Is Considering Creating Three-Person Embryos

The Food and Drug Administration has this week embarked on discussions on a topic sure to prove controversial: the idea of creating embryos from the DNA of three people. The Associated Press reports reports that the FDA is investigating whether or not it should allow the new procedure. Current research in animals suggests that the…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Just another reason why tardigrades are the best micro-animals

Nicknamed water bears and moss piglets, the tiny creatures called tardigrades are adorable under the laser scanning microscope. Plus they can survive in the vacuum of space. Image by Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa, Corinna Schulze and Ricardo Neves/Nikon Small World The biggest tardigrades never get to be more than about 1.5 mm long, and most of them…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Watch an artificial virus fighting to infect a cell

A new imaging technique demonstrates the highly convoluted and frenetic activity of a virus-like particle as it works to detect and enter a cell. The video shows a tiny ball as it zips around in a rapid and erratic manner until it encounters a cell. It then bounces and skids along the surface, and either…

io9 George Dvorsky

More Evidence that Dinosaurs Still Live Among Us

New evidence that plants can “think” about future risks

Why Do Bacteria Thrive in Space?

What a 30,000-Year-Old Giant Zombie Virus Means For the Future

When scientists belived there was a little man inside every sperm cell

Scientists just revived a 30,000 year-old frozen virus in Siberia

Our first glimpse of ocean life at the bottom of an unexplored trench

Dramatic images of a snake battling a crocodile—then swallowing it

Seriously, folks, you need to stop refrigerating your tomatoes

Mercury the two-legged cat does the world’s cutest T. rex impressions

Over 200 Miles of Yosemite Backpacking in One Incredible Time-lapse

This aerial video of reindeer-herding is surprisingly soothing

This stunning animal looks like a glitch in reality’s programming

“It’s basically a dolphin trying very hard to be a walrus”

Teach Kids Frank Lessons About Anatomy With This Inside-Out Anglerfish

Drop Everything – The Bald Eagle Cam is Back!

The Number of Known Planets in the Universe Just Doubled

The FDA Is Considering Creating Three-Person Embryos

Just another reason why tardigrades are the best micro-animals

Watch an artificial virus fighting to infect a cell

‘Supergirl’ Will Feature David Corenswet’s Superman in a Sort of Big Brother Role

Report: FDA Set to Unban RFK Jr.’s Favorite Peptides

Source Code for Anthropic’s Claude Code Leaks at the Exact Wrong Time

SpaceX Starlink Satellite Malfunctions, Breaks Apart in Orbit

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Stinks

‘Scream 4’ Is Back, and on Tape

Iran Threatens to Attack U.S. Tech Companies Starting April 1

Amazon Clears Out Netflix-Licensed Nebula Capsule 3 Mini Projector at 32% Off, Dolby Audio Home Theater for Less

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

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