Biology

Extinct, 10-Foot-Tall Bird May Have Been Nocturnal

Less than a thousand years ago, a bird roamed Madagascar that stood as tall as an elephant. You may have heard of the elephant bird—it’s the largest bird species to ever live. New research has presented evidence that this famous extinct bird was nocturnal and had poor vision. The scientists reconstructed the shape of the…

Biology Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Why Do Birds Have Colorful Eggs? Because They’re Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs laid colorful eggs. Birds lay colorful eggs. You do the math. But really though: A study from last year found that oviraptors, a dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period, laid blue-green eggs, containing the same pigments as modern bird eggs. This made scientists wonder whether birds evolved colored eggs on their own, or whether…

Tech News Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Dogs Can Sniff Out Malaria in Worn Socks

New research shows that dogs can be trained to detect the malaria parasite in infected individuals using their keen sense of smell. In 2016, an estimated 445,000 global deaths were attributed to malaria, according to the World Health Organization. The number barely budged from the year before, when 446,000 people succumbed to the malaria parasite,…

Health George Dvorsky

We Talked to the Graduate Student Who Made Bricks From Human Pee

Pee contains some pretty amazing stuff. Scientists have known for nearly a decade that it’s possible to produce bricks from bacteria, sand, and urea—a chemical found in urine. Researchers have gone ahead and produced those bricks, now for the first time with human pee. South African engineer Dyllon Randall from the University of Cape Town,…

Tech News Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Shallow Waters Allowed Early Fish-Like Creatures to Experiment With Evolution

The conditions under which early lifeforms originated and exploded into the many animal groups we see today is a mystery that has confounded scientists for decades. New research suggests shallow marine environments were a critical testbed for these early animals, providing the perfect space for them to evolve the physical characteristics required for them to…

Tech News George Dvorsky

These Crows Are More Clever Than Non-Human Apes When It Comes to Building Compound Tools

Let’s say there is a hundred dollar bill wedged behind a bookshelf just beyond your reach, and beside the shelf is a set of TinkerToys. Even a toddler could probably snap together a few of the sticks to fish the bill out. But what about an animal? One especially smart crow species seems to have…

Tech News Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Will Cryogenically Frozen People Ever Be Revived?

Corpse-freezing hasn’t exactly gone mainstream, but most people are now familiar with the concept: you lay out a ton of cash, sign some papers, and spend a couple post-death decades in a cutting-edge meat locker, calmly awaiting the conditions for your eventual revival. Over 300 cold, dead Americans—or dead, cold American brains, depending on which…

Tech News Daniel Kolitz

Demand for Chocolate Labs Is Making Them Sick and Prone to Early Death

New research shows that chocolate Labrador retrievers are more likely to experience health problems and die younger compared to their black and yellow canine compatriots. A likely reason, say scientists, is a tightening genetic bottleneck caused by consumer demand. Chocolate-colored Labrador retrievers have a 10 percent shorter lifespan than black or yellow Labradors, according to…

Biology George Dvorsky

New Clues May Explain Why This Fearsome Marsupial Lion Disappeared From Australia

New research suggests it was climate change—not human activity—that caused Thylacoleo carnifex, an Australian marsupial lion, to go extinct. For millions of years, Thylacoleo carnifex ruled the forests of Australia, but this predatory species disappeared around 35,000 to 45,000 years ago. Humans first appeared in Australia around 60,000 years ago, leading scientists to wonder if…

Biology George Dvorsky

New Theory Explains Why Europe’s Original Dogs Vanished

The first farmers to arrive in Europe from the Middle East brought their dogs along with them, effectively wiping out the original population of European canines, according to new research. Starting around 11,000 years ago, Neolithic farmers who had established themselves in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East—what is now modern day Egypt, Syria,…

Biology George Dvorsky

Ancient Steroid Suggests Sea Sponges Were One of Earth’s First Animals

Scientists from the University of California, Riverside, are claiming to have discovered the oldest known animal fossil—an ancient sea sponge that emerged between 660 million and 635 million years ago. New research published this week in Nature Ecology and Evolution describes a probable biomarker, or “chemical fossil,” linked to ancient sea sponges—a group of creatures…

Biology George Dvorsky

This Hilarious Optical Illusion for Birds Could Save Your Life

Birds and planes are a bad combination, but it’s not so easy to shoo our avian friends away from airport runways. Thankfully, scientists from France have stumbled upon an ingenious solution to the problem—an optical illusion that appears to scare the crap out of large predatory birds. In addition to their sharp talons, strong claws,…

Biology George Dvorsky

Hungry Dinosaurs May Be the Reason Humans Need Sunscreen

What do blind cavefish, dinosaurs, and sunburnt humans have in common? A lot more than you may realize, according to a thought-provoking new study. New research published today in Current Biology shows that Somalian blind cavefish (Phreatichthys andruzzii) are missing an ancient DNA repair kit that protects many animals from the harmful effects of sunlight. This…

Biology George Dvorsky

Newly Discovered Volcanic ‘Lost World’ Is a Haven for Marine Life

Australian scientists have discovered a previously unknown chain of volcanic seamounts near Tasmania. The area appears to be brimming with marine life, including a surprising number of whales who may be using the undersea volcanoes as a navigational tool. The volcanic chain was discovered by scientists from the Australian National University and CSIRO, Australia’s national…

Earth Science George Dvorsky

Bioweapons, Viagra, Wind Farms, and the Apocalypse: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week

Halloween may still be most of a month away, but the scares have already begun. Urine-craved vampires. Genetically engineered insects that do their masters’ bidding. Algal monstrosities. Dark magicks. iPhone XS bugs. Ward yourself from these dangers and more with the ultimate talisman: knowledge. Gizmodo’s best stories of the last week will arm you with…

Tech News Tom McKay

Neanderthals Survived in Ice Age Europe Thanks to Effective Healthcare

Neanderthals cared for their sick and wounded, and new research suggests this well-documented behavior was more than just a cultural phenomenon or an expression of compassion—it really did help them survive. To endure the harsh conditions of Ice Age Europe, Neanderthals adopted several strategies, including group hunting, collaborative parenting, and food sharing. New research published…

Human History George Dvorsky

Suspicious Packages Mailed to Pentagon Contained Only Castor Beans, Not Refined Ricin

Suspicious packages sent to defense officials and originally flagged as containing ricin, an extremely potent poison found in castor beans and that has no known antidote, have been confirmed to only contain the beans themselves rather than the toxin in a purer form. At least three packages were involved, two of which were sent to…

Privacy & Security Tom McKay

Photosynthesizing Bacteria Found Thriving Thousands of Feet Below Earth’s Surface

An international team of researchers has identified a peculiar population of cyanobacteria living within rocks deep below Earth’s surface—a surprising discovery given that cyanobacteria require sunlight to survive. Or so scientists thought. New research published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describes the unexpected discovery of cyanobacteria deep below the surface…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Moths Caught Drinking Tears From the Eyes of Sleeping Birds

In an oddly poetic act, moths will on occasion drink the tears from the eyes of a sleeping bird. Sounds harmless, but this rare interaction is an unmistakably one-sided affair. Scientists actually have a word for this unique tear-feeding behavior, which they call “lachryphagy.” To feed in this way, moths gently insert their straw-like proboscis…

Biology George Dvorsky

Award-Winning Microscopic Video of Growing Zebrafish Embryos Is Mesmerizing

A glowing, branching web slowly grows more and more tiny connections, with thin white tendrils reaching in to a black void. It looks like a fractal art piece. But in fact, it’s someone’s science research—the developing nervous system of a zebrafish embryo. Nikon announced the winners of the eighth annual Small World in Motion contest,…

Biology Ryan F. Mandelbaum

Extinct, 10-Foot-Tall Bird May Have Been Nocturnal

Why Do Birds Have Colorful Eggs? Because They’re Dinosaurs

Dogs Can Sniff Out Malaria in Worn Socks

We Talked to the Graduate Student Who Made Bricks From Human Pee

Shallow Waters Allowed Early Fish-Like Creatures to Experiment With Evolution

These Crows Are More Clever Than Non-Human Apes When It Comes to Building Compound Tools

Will Cryogenically Frozen People Ever Be Revived?

Demand for Chocolate Labs Is Making Them Sick and Prone to Early Death

New Clues May Explain Why This Fearsome Marsupial Lion Disappeared From Australia

New Theory Explains Why Europe’s Original Dogs Vanished

Ancient Steroid Suggests Sea Sponges Were One of Earth’s First Animals

This Hilarious Optical Illusion for Birds Could Save Your Life

Hungry Dinosaurs May Be the Reason Humans Need Sunscreen

Newly Discovered Volcanic ‘Lost World’ Is a Haven for Marine Life

Bioweapons, Viagra, Wind Farms, and the Apocalypse: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week

Neanderthals Survived in Ice Age Europe Thanks to Effective Healthcare

Suspicious Packages Mailed to Pentagon Contained Only Castor Beans, Not Refined Ricin

Photosynthesizing Bacteria Found Thriving Thousands of Feet Below Earth’s Surface

Moths Caught Drinking Tears From the Eyes of Sleeping Birds

Award-Winning Microscopic Video of Growing Zebrafish Embryos Is Mesmerizing

Do ‘Disclosure Day’ Prep With a Spielberg Sci-Fi Marathon

How to Watch the F1 Japanese GP 2026 on a Free Channel

Ranking 2016’s Superhero Debuts, 10 Years Later

Fourth Most Populous Country in the World Bans Most Social Media for Kids

How to watch UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs Pyfer live this Saturday

‘Steel Ball Run’ Will Return This Year…Eventually

‘The Mummy 4’ Is Getting the Family Back Together

JD Vance Says UFOs Are Actually Demons

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

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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