Animals
Rats can bop their heads to a musical beat
Rats’ rhythmic response to human music doesn’t mean they like to dance. But it may shed light on how brains evolved to perceive rhythm.
Life
More Stories in Life
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Health & MedicineHumans might be able to hibernate during space travel
Scientists are studying how animals hibernate and developing new technologies to help humans sleep through space travel.
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BrainLet’s learn about the science of language
The languages we speak may help shape how we see, smell and hear the world around us.
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PlantsAnalyze This: Plants sound off when they’re in trouble
When dry or cut, tomato and tobacco plants make sounds too high for humans to hear. Such sounds could provide a way to snoop on crops.
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Health & MedicineHand dryers can infect clean hands with bathroom germs
Hot-air hand dryers are a haven for microbes. A finalist at Regeneron ISEF found that these machines spray germs all over freshly washed hands.
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AnimalsHow to tell if cats are having fun — or if fur is flying
Quietly wrestling cats may be hard at play. But if they’re chasing and yowling, you might have a cat fight on your hands.
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MicrobesScientists Say: Virus
A virus must take over a living cell's machinery to make more viruses.
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FossilsOcean life may have bounced back after the ‘Great Dying’
Marine ecosystems may have been back in action just a million years after the most severe extinction event known.
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EcosystemsLet’s learn about how wildfires keep ecosystems healthy
Wildfires are so important for many ecosystems that sometimes professionals set them on purpose.
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BrainIngredients in popular snack foods can make them addictive
Researchers find that highly processed foods rich in sugar and added fat may be as addictive as tobacco.