Science Update
Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS
The Ugly Animal Preservation society uses humor to raise awareness about conservation. Why whales have to worry about sunburns. And an ancient terror bird that wasn't so terrible after all. Also: transplanting gut bacteria from obese humans makes mice fat.
Underwater explosions scare sea lions away from commercial fishing operations. But the noise could be impacting whales and dolphins.
Making fish hatcheries more mentally stimulating may increase the fish's chance of survival in the wild.
ANCIENT ANATOMY - What dental records from the Mesozoic era can tell us about the lives of dinosaurs. How humans are uniquely adapted to throw baseballs. Also: an automated nature recording system that's monitoring environmental change. And, could vaccinating children protect the elderly as well?
Automated nature recordings track the effects of climate change and habitat disturbance.
AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS - Male lyrebirds groove to their own music. Young fairywrens learn who their enemies are by watching their parents. Robotic seals help improve the quality of life of dementia patients. Also, could rats could help people keep their voices strong in old age?
Young Australian birds learn who their enemies are by watching their parents.
Social fish gravitate toward their relatives even if they've never met.
BRAINS & BEHAVIOR - When apes take a gamble. The value of precision in negotiations. And a new approach to targeting drug addiction in the brain. Also: what above-ground nuclear tests in the mid-20th century can tell scientists about the brain.
The superb lyrebird of Australia combines its songs with specific dance moves to create an elaborate courtship ritual.
When large animals like toucans are removed from tropical rainforests, the trees suffer.
A 260 million-year-old fossil could be the ancestor of turtles.
Rare species can have a surprising impact on ecosystems.
Weddell seal pups survive infancy with the help of surprisingly large brains.
EAT OR BE EATEN - Cannibal baby sharks, ladybugs that eat other ladybugs, and monkeys that adopt the local cuisine. Also: how baby seals learn to hunt. And, why global warming could turn snowshoe hares into easy prey.
Some of the most useful medicines come from dangerous toxins found in nature.
Greater wax moths have evolved the ability to hear sounds at frequencies even their predators can't detect.
Seabirds and their eggs help scientists track global pollution.
Unborn baby sharks gobble up their brothers and sisters in the womb.
Vervet monkeys usually adopt the food preferences of whatever social group they join.
An invasive species could be an unexpected boon for salt marshes.
Climate change could make snowshoe hare camouflage less protective.
Giant East African land snails are wreaking havoc in South Florida.
Mysterious “fairy circles” on African plains are caused by termites, which destroy patches of grass but help the surrounding grass thrive.
