Sorcha McDonagh

All Stories by Sorcha McDonagh

  1. Health & Medicine

    Spitting Up Blobs to Get Around

    A nasty parasite finds a new host by making a fly cough up a blob of gel.

  2. Animals

    Sleep lessons from sparrows

    During migration season, certain sparrows remain amazingly alert even when they haven't had much sleep.

  3. Environment

    Little bits of trouble

    Extremely tiny particles known as buckyballs can harm living cells.

  4. Tech

    Flying the Hyper Skies

    A little airplane called the Hyper-X has broken the speed record for jet aircraft.

  5. Chemistry

    Cooking up superhard diamonds

    Popping diamonds into a high-pressure oven can make these hard minerals even harder.

  6. Brain

    Reading Verbs Revs Up Your Brain

    Silently reading the word "dance" gets your brain to react as though you're really dancing.

  7. Earth

    Earth’s early oxygen boost

    The steady buildup of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere may have helped life forms become more complex.

  8. Tech

    Roll-Up Computer Monitors to Go

    Future electronic displays may be paper-thin and as flexible as a stick of gum.

  9. Environment

    A vulture’s hidden enemy

    Vultures may be getting a deadly dose of medicine from the carcasses they feed upon.

  10. Planets

    Roving the Red Planet

    Two little robots have touched down on Mars, ready to study the planet's rocks and soil.

  11. Earth

    Slip slidin’ away — under the sea

    A thin layer of water can keep ocean avalanches moving far and fast.

  12. Animals

    A bowerbird’s guide to style

    To attract a mate, male bowerbirds go for a cheaper, low-key look instead of showy decorations.