Life
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AnimalsMegalodons may have become megahunters by running hot
O. megalodon sharks were warm-blooded mega-predators. But when food sources dwindled, colder-blooded sharks may have had an evolutionary edge.
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EcosystemsScientists Say: Predator and Prey
Ecological relationships between predators and their prey drive the evolution of plants, animals and microbes.
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PlantsA single particle of light can kick off photosynthesis
In a new experiment with bacteria, a lone photon sparked the process of turning light to chemical energy.
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AnimalsNorthern elephant seals snooze only two hours a day at sea
These marine mammals sleep only minutes at a time on months-long trips at sea.
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AnimalsExplainer: What is animal domestication?
The difference between a dog and a wolf isn’t looks or genes or even behavior. It’s the relationship these animals have with people.
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AnimalsScientists Say: Coral
Over 4,000 species of fish make their home among the reefs created by these colony-dwelling marine animals.
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BrainNeuroscientists use brain scans to decode people’s thoughts
The research may lead to new devices for people who can’t communicate easily. It also raises privacy concerns.
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FossilsT. rex may have hidden its teeth behind lips
Dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus have long been portrayed with their big teeth bared. But new research suggests this wasn’t so.
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Materials ScienceAnalyze This: A new fabric mimics polar bears’ pelts for warmth
With layers that work like polar bears’ skin and fur, a material absorbs light and keeps it from escaping.
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PlantsCould a plant ever eat a person?
For now, humans aren’t on the menu for carnivorous plants. But what would it take for one to consume a person?
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EnvironmentFungi help rescue crops being harmed by microplastics
Microplastics in the soil hinder plant growth. But two finalists at Regeneron ISEF found that fungi and farm waste can reduce the harm.
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FossilsThis ancient bird rocked a head like a T. rex
This bird from 120 million years ago had a head like a dinosaur and a body more like today’s birds.