Biology

Two Rare Snow Leopard Cubs Just Made Their Debut At The Bronx Zoo

And yes, they are painfully adorable. The two cubs, both males, were born on May 6th, but are just making their first appearance in the zoo’s Himalayan Highlands exhibit. They look pretty stoked to be there: The pair was bred through one of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plans, cooperative conservation and…

The Woodpecker’s Guide to Avoiding Head Injuries

How do woodpeckers repeatedly hammer their heads into tree trunks without suffering brain damage? Their skull superpowers are made possible by everything from their unique brains, to their hammering techniques. And a new study of these birds could help humans avoid head injuries, too. Photo by Jean-Jacques Boujot https://gizmodo.com/the-woodpeckers-guide-to-avoiding-head-injuries-1625319496

How Lizard Tails Could Help Scientists Study Human Limb Regeneration

Prosthetic technology is getting insanely good. But what if we just didn’t need it any more? What if we could simply program our genes to regrow human limbs as easily as lizards regrow lost tails? Well, scientists are getting closer to that fantastic future. A huge team of 19 scientists from around the world just…

Is It Okay To Pee In The Ocean?

According to the folks at the American Chemical Society’s Reactions channel: Yes. In a pool, though? That’s a different story. https://gizmodo.com/peeing-in-swimming-pools-isnt-just-gross-it-may-also-b-1540668727 For more details, check out the post at Chemical & Engineering News that inspired this video. [ACS]

Watch This Goliath Fish Take Down A Shark In One Swift Move

Sportfishers off the coast of Bonita Springs Florida captured the footage earlier this month. The shark caught on the line is a blacktip shark, the big fella an appropriately named goliath grouper. The best thing about this video is the way it turns your expectation of shark-as-predator on its head. When a lot of us…

Our Hot, Bright Cities Are Spawning Gigantic Spiders

File this one under: Oh HELL no. While we know that our ever-industrializing lifestyles make survival tough for animals like birds and mountain lions, in at least one case urbanization is helping a species to thrive. Thanks to the artificial conditions we create, our cities are growing ultrafertile megaspiders. A study by University of Sydney…

A Plant that Survives by Stealing Genetic Material

Beneath our feet, plants are locked in a slow-motion struggle for the elements necessary for survival: water, sunlight, and nutrition. But some plants have learned to game the system, stealing water and nutrients from their neighbors. Some of these parasites even steal genetic material. A recent paper in the journal Science examined interactions between the…

DIY Diagnosis: How One Woman Uncovered Her Own Genetic Flaw

When Kim Goodsell discovered that she had two extremely rare genetic diseases, she taught herself genetics to help find out why. Kim Goodsell was running along a mountain trail when her left ankle began turning inward, unbidden. A few weeks later she started having trouble lifting her feet properly near the end of her runs,…

At Last, We May Understand What Causes Hangovers

There are a lot of hangover myths. No, they are not caused by dehydration, so drinking lots of water with your booze won’t help. And no, they are not caused by blood sugar levels. Scientists do have one hypothesis about what causes them, however — and luckily we have a cure for it. Science journalist…

The Bird Who Can Mimic Laser Guns and Camera Shutters

Superb lyrebirds have the ability to mimic any sounds from their environment, including chainsaws, toy laser guns, camera shutters, jackhammers and also human voice. Sometimes, in summer, they sing for hours a day. Here are some of their most amazing songs. Alarm Camera shutter Camera with a motor drive Chainsaw Hand saw Kookaburra The sound…

Why Did Plants Evolve These Weird and Horrific Flowers?

Most people don’t have very strong feelings about flowers, unless they are incredibly beautiful or smell really good. But it turns out that flowers represent a major technological advance for plants, and evolution has generated some pretty unimaginably weird specimens. Prior to the evolution of flowers, plant reproduction was a little…hit or miss. Lots of…

Want to Get Rid of an Invasive Species? Try Eating Them.

In Maryland, revenge is a dish best served fried. Invasive species of fish that wreck havoc on the local ecosystem are being featured in promotional campaigns that tout their culinary virtues: “Malicious, but delicious.” As NPR reports: Take the northern snakehead, which has made its way into tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. It competes with…

This Microscopic Footage Shows What Happens When A Jellyfish Stings You

Cnidarians like anemones and jellyfish extend nematocysts, stinging organelles capable of shooting venom into another creature. The nematocysts are too small and move too quickly to be seen by the naked eye—but now they’ve been captured through a microscope with a high-speed camera. Destin Sandlin of Smarter Every Day took the necessary camera equipment down…

Do Different Kinds Of Alcohol Get You Different Kinds Of Drunk?

When your friend gets tipsy and starts rambling about how tequila turns her into a savage party monster, and then your other friend vehemently calls bullshit, calmly put your hands up and say this: “Friends. Please. I got this.” And then explain to them what I’m about to explain to you. First off: alcohol is…

Cat owners may claim that their pets love ice cream and doughnuts, but it’s the fat they enjoy. The taste receptor for sweet is encoded in two genes. In cats, a chance mutation appears to have broken one of these genes. That’s why tigers, lions, and your kitty will never have a sweet tooth.

Two-Headed Dolphin Washes Ashore In Turkey, Current Whereabouts Unknown

A rare, two-headed dolphin calf was discovered on a beach in Dikili, Turkey last week – now local marine biologists are trying to track it down. Photo Credit: Tugrul Metin/Associated Press According to Akdeniz University marine biologist Mehmet Gokoglu, conjoined cetaceans like this one are rare. Original reports maintained the dolphins, which are estimated to…

A Common Bacteria Can Be Injected Directly Into Tumors to Fight Cancer

In its natural form, Clostridium novyi is at best benign (it lives in the soil) and at worst harmful (it can cause infections). But a slightly modified version of the bacterium could be a completely new treatment for cancer. Injecting thousands of spores of a modified C. novyi into rats, dogs, and one human patient…

Why Are So Few People Left-Handed?

Today marks the 22nd annual International Left-Handers Day. To celebrate, let’s look at why only around one in ten people is left-handed. Why, pray tell, are lefties are so rare – or, said another way, why are most of us righties? It seems like a simple question, but it’s actually one of the biggest mysteries…

18 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Poop

The simple act of pooping is one of the most universal experiences on the planet. Let’s celebrate our similarities with 18 bits of fascinating, little-known facts about feces! Photo Credit: Taylor McKnight via flickr | CC BY 2.0. 1. It’s not totally clear why coffee makes you poop Caffeine may be partly responsible, but studies…

Crayfish Can Turn Ordinary Blood Cells Into Neurons

Whatever you happen to call them—crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs—crayfish are pretty tasty. They also have a pretty remarkable ability to regenerate neurons from blood cells. Understanding brain regeneration in these little crustaceans might one day help us understand how it could work in humans. This discovery that a creature that can continually make new neurons is…