Animals Expend 76,000 Gigajoules of Energy Sculpting Our Planet Every Year
This tally of animals’ effect on Earth’s geology, equivalent to that of thousands of extreme floods, most likely is an underestimate
Injured Skin Cells Fire like Neurons to ‘Scream’ for Help
Our skin’s epithelial cells send electrical signals like neurons to cry out for help
Velvet Worm Slime Reveals Its Sticky Secrets
The velvet worm’s extraordinary goo could inspire recyclable bioplastics
After 500 Years, the Beaver Is Back in Portugal and Ready to Give a Dam
"For the first time in 500 years, the European beaver has been seen in Portugal, a moment that one nonprofit has called “one of the most significant steps in the…
Queer Ecology Zine Series: Earthworms
Sarah Maloney
That Time Locusts Ate The Entire Midwest
In the 1870s the Midwest experienced a devastating natural disaster in the form of… an enormous cloud of extremely hungry locusts. Dylan and producer Amanda discuss what happens when a…
Bird’s-Eye View
Jennifer Ackerman on How Birds Adapt, Survive, and Think By Mark Leviton
Look for ‘Slow Flower’ Bouquets, Plants Grown without Health-Harming Chemicals Used in Overseas Operations
Flowers are so present in our lives that we almost do not see them: sheathed in paper in every market, plunked in a vase on a table in any cafe.…
The Brain Science of Elusive ‘Aha! Moments’
Scholars have sought to capture the elusive essence of the aha! moment for more than a century, and it is finally within our grasp. We now know where it happens…
Penguins Help to Map Antarctica’s Growing Mercury Threat
Mercury is a common by-product of gold mining, a growing industry in several southern countries. The toxic metal accumulates as it moves up the food chain by binding with amino…