Animals
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AnimalsMosquitoes taste you before they decide to bite
Mosquitoes seem to prefer some flavors over others. Knowing what they like — and hate — could lead to better ways to prevent bites.
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AnimalsDinosaurs are still alive. Today, we call them birds
Birds don’t look like the scaly giants of Jurassic World. But fossils are revealing how these modern-day dinosaurs descended from ancient reptiles.
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AnimalsWhat is a dinosaur?
Scientists have named more than 1,000 species of nonavian dinosaurs. Their legacy lives on in the 11,000-plus bird species alive today.
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AnimalsLet’s learn about bumblebees
In the spring, queen bumblebees emerge from their winter hibernation to start new colonies.
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Materials ScienceOrange food dye can temporarily turn skin transparent
When mixed with water and rubbed on the skin, a common food dye allows researchers to peer inside the body of a mouse.
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AnimalsAmong chimpanzees, peeing is contagious
One individual chimpanzee peeing prompts others to follow suit — but scientists don’t know why.
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Science & SocietyDoes your natural history museum need a makeover?
A lot of their old-fashioned dioramas — a type of exhibit — are biased, boring or even unscientific. Here’s what modern museums are doing to fix that.
By Amber Dance -
AnimalsA changing Arctic current seems to be impacting bowhead whales
A teen researcher investigated bowhead whales and found their migrations may be responding to a changing sea current.
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AnimalsScientists Say: Caecilian
Some of these amphibians can produce a milk-like liquid for their offspring and give birth to live young. And those aren't the only rules these rebels break.
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AnimalsTiger beetles weaponize sound to ward off bat predators
Some beetles make ultrasonic clicks that camouflage them as toxic tiger moths, warning hungry bats to stay away.
By Maria Temming and JoAnna Wendel -
AnimalsAnalyze This: When do cats move like liquids?
Cats flow through narrow openings but hesitate before short openings. That may help them avoid unseen danger in the wild.
By Carolyn Wilke and Andrea Tamayo -
TechMeet 5 types of robots with living body parts
Creature-machine mash-ups seem weird or even creepy. But biohybrids that make use of living tissue could be the future of robotics.