Biology

Stunning short film explores the underwater realm of manatees

In Sirenia Shadows, a short film by video production house Built By Wildman, a submarine cameraman captures the endangered West Indian manatee placidly gliding through Florida’s Crystal River. It’s a marvel seeing these sea cows serenely traverse the riverbed (without the risk of getting skimmed by some gaudy cigarette boat). [Via TDW]

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Stem cells prevent blindness, suggests first-ever human trial

It’s one of the biggest milestones for stem cells since their discovery. Researchers yesterday published the first results of a clinical trial where doctors transplanted of stem cells into the eyes of patients suffering from a form of progressive blindness. And the preliminary results look very good. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were first discovered…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

33,000 year old dog skull discovered in Siberian cave

This skull once belonged to somebody’s pet, over 33,000 years ago. It’s one of the earliest known examples of the domestication of dogs — and it might actually mean modern dogs aren’t all related to each other after all. The skull, recently discovered in a Siberian mountain, dates to roughly the same time period as…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson lay bare the decline of American science in 180 seconds

The United States has long been recognized as one of the most scientifically productive countries on Earth. But when you’re discussing progress, where you’ve been is not nearly as important as a) where you are today, and b) where you stand to go from there What this presentation from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson makes abundantly…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

The snake whose bite can send you back through puberty

We’ve gotten used to animals having strange powers — like using sound to create ‘vision,’ seeing more colors than we do, and sensing polarized light or the magnetic field of the earth. But did you know that some animals have ‘powers’ over human physiology? The Russell’s Pit Viper can use its venom to send you…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell

New study is very bad news for arsenic-based life

In late 2010, NASA scientists announced the discovery of microbes in California’s Mono Lake that used arsenic instead of phosphorus in their DNA. The study quickly came under intense criticism — and now we may be about to refute it entirely. If the initial findings had held up, this would have greatly expanded the possible…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

The sensory organs of insects are even weirder than you thought

Flies and beetles sense the world using organs that humans only dream of. In this gorgeous microscopy video, University of Cambridge materials scientist Chris Forman explains what the foot of a fruitfly and the antenna of a beetle have in common with your nose and hands. You can see more of Forman’s microscopy images via…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Inside the bizarre evolution of blind, albino cavefish

To adapt to their eternally dark surroundings, Mexican cavefish have gone blind, lost their pigment, and changed their sleep cycle. You can see one in the photo up top. Here’s the weird thing though…all those fish are the same species. The cavefish, known as Astyanax mexicanus, is really the same species as a surface-dwelling fish…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

According to 1950s futurists, women of the year 2000 would be giantesses

In the early 1950s, Associated Press writer Dorothy Roe weighed in on her predictions for the fantastic faraway year of 2000 AD. Among her on-point prognostications about greater gender parity was the belief that future ladies would evolve into Amazonian superwomen. Here’s her verdict, courtesy of Paleofuture’s Matt Novak: The woman of the year 2000…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

How to collect genetic material from a male grey goose

There are few things more disturbing in the natural world than waterfowl reproduction. This video tutorial on how to procure semen from a grey goose only adds to my waxing apprehension of all things Anatidae. A hearty thanks goes out to Improbable Research for teaching us that geese are a David Cronenberg flick waiting to…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

A roofing crew stumbles upon a massive bat colony, horror ensues

Yesterday, we saw hundreds of skittering spiders and one very adorable bat. Today is Sunday, which we all know is just Bizarro Saturday, so we’ll naturally be observing several hundred of these buggers losing their guano. A roofing crew in Miami discovered this endless colony lurking under shingles. You’ll simultaneously feel bad for the displaced…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Watch an army of baby spiders explode from their slain mama

It’s the alternate, terrible ending to Charlotte’s Web, in which Charlotte’s babies, instead of flying off on the breeze, burst forth in the midst of a human-spider battle in a spectacular explosion of scuttling little legs. Warning: may cause spontaneous arachnophobia. Apparently, this particular spider carries its egg sacs on its body, which is why…

io9 Lauren Davis

Watch a staggeringly beautiful time-lapse video of Yosemite National Park

If you’ve ever visited California’s Yosemite National Park, then you have an appreciation for how absurdly majestic its scenery is. You also know how difficult it can be to encapsulate that majesty when describing it to others; somehow, adjectives like “breathtaking” don’t even begin to describe it. For years, I’ve referred to Ansel Adams’ iconic…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

When this orphaned baby bat learns to fly, you will be misty-eyed

Remember Lil’ Drac the motherless baby bat who was nursed back to health? Well, the folks at Bat World Sanctuary have sent io9 an update of his progress, and the little guy turned out alright. Watch above as he takes flight and discovers the joys of solid food. https://gizmodo.com/this-orphaned-baby-bat-is-the-cutest-thing-youll-see-al-5866893

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

Drinking Doubles Your Lifespan and Makes You Impervious to Stress*

*Restrictions may apply. Someone get me my whiskey-drinking cap, I’m gonna live forever! Wait, whaddya mean it only works for worms?!?! A recent study by a team at UCLA suggests that moderate alcohol consumption can drastically lengthen one’s life-span while simultaneously reducing the effects of environmental stresses—so long as one is a member of the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

ScienceOnline2012 is the coolest (un)conference you’ve probably never heard of

Are you big on science and science communication? If you are, do yourself favor and check out ScienceOnline2012 (or scio12 to those in the know), the sixth annual international meeting on science and the internet. Scio12 kicked off yesterday and will run through tomorrow — and odds are high that many of your favorite bloggers,…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

The first artificial sweetener poisoned lots of Romans

Romans used an artificial sweetener, Sugar of Lead, to sweeten and preserve their foods without taking on additional calories. Sugar of Lead, likely the first artificial sweetener, is now known as the chemical compound Lead (II) Acetate, and it’s a poisonous crystalline solid that resembles table salt. Let’s take a look at how the Romans…

io9 Keith Veronese

What Pigeons Teach Us About Convergent Evolution

Picture a pigeon: gray body, iridescent neck feathers, probably pecking away at trash on a city sidewalk. But there are actually more than 350 different breeds of pigeon, and many of them look nothing like the familiar city pest. A new study examines the physical and genetic differences between the pigeon breeds, to come to…

io9 Sophie Bushwick

Bugs from your colon could produce the world’s next great energy source

For years, the energy industry has been looking to seaweed to become the next big source of biofuel. But the algae plant has its drawbacks. Much of its energy is stored in a form of sugar that is difficult to tap into; this snag drives the cost of biofuel produced from seaweed up, and its…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez

Boa constrictors only stop squeezing when your heart stops beating

Proving once again they deserve the title “most metal of all living animals”, Boa constrictors know when to stop squeezing around their prey — because they can feel their victim’s heart stop. The constricting method of subduing prey is a relatively costly one in terms of energy, so it behooves snakes to know as soon…

io9 Tim Barribeau

Stunning short film explores the underwater realm of manatees

Stem cells prevent blindness, suggests first-ever human trial

33,000 year old dog skull discovered in Siberian cave

Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson lay bare the decline of American science in 180 seconds

The snake whose bite can send you back through puberty

New study is very bad news for arsenic-based life

The sensory organs of insects are even weirder than you thought

Inside the bizarre evolution of blind, albino cavefish

According to 1950s futurists, women of the year 2000 would be giantesses

How to collect genetic material from a male grey goose

A roofing crew stumbles upon a massive bat colony, horror ensues

Watch an army of baby spiders explode from their slain mama

Watch a staggeringly beautiful time-lapse video of Yosemite National Park

When this orphaned baby bat learns to fly, you will be misty-eyed

Drinking Doubles Your Lifespan and Makes You Impervious to Stress*

ScienceOnline2012 is the coolest (un)conference you’ve probably never heard of

The first artificial sweetener poisoned lots of Romans

What Pigeons Teach Us About Convergent Evolution

Bugs from your colon could produce the world’s next great energy source

Boa constrictors only stop squeezing when your heart stops beating

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

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

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

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