Biology

Dogs align their bodies along a North-South axis when they poop

Ever wonder why dogs need to get themselves into just the right position to do their business? As it turns out, dogs align their body axis according to Earth’s magnetic field when they squat to poop—a behavior that changes when the magnetic field is unstable. But why do they do it? The results of this…

Watch this video if you want to know how to eat light

Photosynthesis is the chemical process that allows plants to get their energy from carbon dioxide and light. It’s one of the most amazing adaptations in any life form. It’s also incredibly complicated. Start the new year right by learning how it works, in this video.

Have we been dramatically underestimating elephant intelligence?

We’ve long known that elephants are intelligent animals, who remember migration routes for decades and appear to mourn their dead. But a new study suggests we may have been underestimating them — because our methods of testing intelligence in animals are biased. In a fascinating National Geographic article, Karl Gruber describes new intelligence experiments on…

These Monkeys Always Give Birth to Twins – How Do They Do It?

Unlike all other primates, clawed New World Monkeys almost always give birth to twins. But why? It turns out these animals have a unique set of adaptations that make it possible — and could prove useful to humans as well. We spoke to the lead scientist of the new study to understand how it all…

Where Emotions Hit You, Visualized

Nerves make your stomach churn; embarrassment brings a glow to your cheeks. Emotions clearly have a direct physiological effect on our bodies, and now a team of Finnish researchers has analyzed exactly how—and represented them in this visualization. To construct the maps, the researchers showed 773 participants different words, stories, movies, and expressions, and had…

How smoker’s breath saved this caterpillar’s life

Meet the tobacco hornworm, a caterpillar that regularly eats tobacco leaves loaded with nicotine. Research now shows this little bugger has a strange and unique defense against hungry spiders: It “puffs out” nicotine, creating a kind of toxic bad breath. https://gizmodo.com/a-guide-to-the-ravenous-hellbeast-that-is-the-carnivoro-1032957256 There are a number of plants out there with chemical defenses that deter herbivores.…

How synthetic biology could save bats (and the world)

One of the most terrifying epidemics of the modern era isn’t among humans at all. It’s a deadly fungus that attacks bats in the Americas, and it has an almost 100 percent fatality rate. A bat extinction could destroy humanity, too — but some scientists think there’s an unusual solution on the horizon. Image via…

Dolphins like to get high by sucking on puffer fish

Using a remote-controlled camera disguised as a sea turtle, marine biologists watched as young dolphins got themselves stoned by ingesting a nerve toxin released by puffer fish. And as if sharing a joint, the dolphins could be seen passing it around. Puffer fish, when provoked, protect themselves by releasing a nasty toxin that can be…

Your Next Real Christmas Tree Might Have a Wacky New Color or Scent

Botanists have been busy trying to iron out the pesky needle drop from Christmas trees for years by crossing different species of fir. But now, scientists are getting involved—and the results could mean that your next tree looks or smells completely different. Not content with the rate of progress that horticulturists make—after all, it can…

Reindeer racing is a real thing

Reindeer racing is popular in Norway, Finland, and Russia, where tongue-lolling reindeer pull sleds or skiers over the snow in the highly competitive contests of subarctic speed. The photo above was captured by Ronel Reyes at the Sami Festival in Tromsø, Norway back in February. Read more about the sport in this fantastic feature from…

How the New York Botanical Garden Digitizes Nearly 300 Plants a Day

The New York Botanical Garden is packed with over 7.3 million specimens from all over the world. And when you’ve got that many plants, you need to get a little creative when it’s time to take their picture. It’s a high tech affair. Popular Science recently profiled the NYBG archival process and explained that the…

Why you can scratch one spot on your body and feel it somewhere else

Ever scratched your arm and felt a scratch over your ribs? How about pinching your leg and feeling a phantom twinge in your back? That sensation is called referred itch or mitempfindung. And here’s why scientists think it happens. Top image: Shutterstock.com Mitempfindung got its name from Johannes Muller, a German physiology professor who did…

A gene variant that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in Latin Americans may have been inherited from Neanderthals. People who carry the higher risk version of the gene, named SLC16A11, are 25% more likely to have diabetes than those who do not, and 50% more likely if both parents have it. Yet another…

Did you know vampire squid are actually vegetarians?

Terrifying though it certainly appears, the scarlet-bodied, cloudy-eyed Vampyroteuthis infernalis (aka “vampire squid from hell”) isn’t the least bit scary from a dietary standpoint. Via Deep Sea News’ R.R. Helm: The decisive clue to the vampire’s kinder nature came in the form of long, stringy tentacles. For decades scientists puzzled over the mystery of these…

Science Proves That Rudolph’s Nose Really Does Glow

It might not be bright red, but Rudolph’s nose really does go glow. These thermal images of reindeer acquired by scientists show that Santa’s flying friends have incredibly warm noses. Because they live in cold climates, the noses of reindeer have adapted to have an increased blood to prevent them from freezing. In turn, that…

Scientists develop an ‘elixir’ that reverses a known cause of aging

To date, we know of only two things that can reverse the effects of aging: caloric restriction and extensive exercise. But in a recent experiment, researchers applied a new compound to 2-year old mice, causing their muscles to regenerate to 6-month old levels. Incredibly, human trials may start next year. The new compound, nicotinamide mono…

The growing evidence that plants can think and communicate

Though plants have no brains, scientists have uncovered evidence that they do release chemicals that allow them to “communicate” with each other and animals. There is even evidence that plants can spread their messages over a vast region. Photo by Julia Ivantsova via Shutterstock Over at Quanta magazine, Kat McGowan has a fascinating article on…

What do you do when a student asks for advice on how to pick up girls instead of answering a biology exam question? After reading this teacher’s response, I’d say he nailed it. [Via The Poke]

Why Do We Get Motion Sickness?

The majority of the population will at some point have to contend with that dreaded icky feeling of spewing their guts as they ride in a train, plane or automobile. But why do we get motion sickness, and is there any way we can stop it? In fact, it’s a result of our senses coming…

Crows could be the key to understanding alien intelligence

Crows are among the planet’s most intelligent animals, teaching their young to use tools for foraging and banding together to fight off intruders. Now, the first study of how abstract reasoning works in these birds’ brains could shed light on how intelligence works in a truly alien, non-mammal brain. https://gizmodo.com/the-mysterious-tool-making-culture-shared-by-crows-and-1460350033 https://gizmodo.com/corvids-the-birds-who-think-like-humans-5969515 Illustration by Tiger-tyger We’ve…