In the animal kingdom, counting skills usually help creatures in going after larger meals or finding safety in groups. But a new study on clownfish showed that the colorful marine species is able to “count” to identify other fish, Science Magazine reported. The vibrant-looking fish, made famous...
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Johann Sebastian Bach is held as one of the greatest composers of Western classical music that ever lived. Now, scientists say they know why, New Scientist reported. That conclusion came about after researcher Suman Kulkarni and her colleagues wanted to understand how the ability to recall...
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Rosy-faced lovebirds, known for their intelligence, have surprised researchers with their problem-solving abilities, particularly while navigating tricky situations by literally using their heads, according to the New York Times. In a new study, biomechanist Edwin Dickinson and his team observed how the small parrot moved along...
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Astronauts: Beware of the lettuce. That’s because while a 2020 study found that lettuce grown in space was as safe and nutritious as the leafy greens found on Earth, new research has shown that space-grown salad could make space explorers very sick, according to Science Alert. In...
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The ancient tradition of carpet weaving in the northern Indian region of Kashmir features patterns that rely on a symbolic code, called talim. Designers have used the method for centuries to communicate information to weavers, who make the carpets by hand. In the traditional process, a...
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Ancient teenagers likely liked chewing gum, too. And now, the remnants of these chews are helping scientists to unveil fascinating details about Stone Age teenagers’ diets and oral health in Sweden, Agence France-Presse reported. The gum – made from birch bark pitch – was first discovered at...
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A new study found that three pandemics in the Roman Empire aligned with periods of abnormally cold and dry weather, indicating a potential link between climate change and Rome’s decline, New Scientist reported. Researcher Kyle Harper and his team analyzed sediment core data from the Adriatic...
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There is no question that honeybees are very industrious insects – but that doesn’t mean they don’t engage in the occasional bit of larceny, Science News reported. Researchers in Italy recently discovered that honeybees steal pollen from the bodies of bumblebees, in a study marked as...
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A team of paleontologists came up with a creative way to test an evolutionary theory about why some dinosaur species had feathers, Cosmos Magazine reported. Because they lacked an actual living dinosaur, researchers built a robot resembling a Caudipteryx – a bipedal, peacock-sized predator from the...
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When individuals try to recall something, the wheels begin turning in the brain in what is turning out to be a highly complex process. And now, new research has uncovered a new gear – a “neural coding mechanism” in the brain that allows information to be...
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When dogs wag their tails, humans think they are happy. However, a new study shows that tail-wagging likely evolved because of human happiness, the Washington Post reported. Watching YouTube videos of wolves, animal researcher Taylor Hersh noticed they hardly wagged their tails. That was odd considering that...
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Artistic depictions and recent popular culture have described the megalodon shark as a leviathan-sized predator that terrorized Earth’s oceans tens of millions of years ago. But a new study suggested it was nothing like the great white shark on steroids portrayed in the recent “The Meg”...
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More than 8,000 years ago, Storeggaslide, a massive underwater landslide off western Norway, created towering waves of up to 65 feet that destroyed many coastal communities in northern Europe. The mega-tsunami devastated parts of northern Europe and contributed to a major decline in Stone Age Britain’s...
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The minuscule tardigrades are one of the toughest animals on Earth, capable of surviving the vacuum of space and extreme temperatures. Now, a new study recently unveiled the chemical mechanism that gave these invertebrates the title of extremophiles, Popular Science reported. Also known as “water bears,” they...
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Scientists discovered that some species of dung beetles spontaneously become couples to work faster in moving and burying balls of fecal matter, the Washington Post reported. The beetles are important in regulating the ecosystem by processing the dung of animals, which improves soil quality. But moving...
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Since they arrived in Australia two decades ago, fire ants have been considered super pests, feeding on crops and killing livestock, pets, and even people. Now, the nightmare could get even worse. While residents in Queensland have been dealing with the aftermath of the wild weather that...
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The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and its most dangerous, thanks to its hosting of wildlife such as anaconda snakes, black caimans and bullet ants. This reputation has prompted archaeologists to believe that the vast, thick canopy was only suited for hunter-gatherer societies. But the discovery...
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Paleontologists discovered the oldest known piece of fossilized skin, a find that will allow scientists to better understand how the ancestors of today’s animals evolved to live on land, the Washington Post reported. The small skin sample – about the size of a human fingernail –...
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As a beer, Guinness stands out for its flavor and color, but a new study is showing that it’s also genetically distinct: Scientists have discovered that the yeast strains used to produce the world’s most famous stout are different from those used to make other...
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Welshman Rodney Holbrook, 75, was in his backyard shed in October when he realized the bird food he was storing had been placed into a pair of shoes. “Something strange is going on here,” he thought. He installed an infrared camera in the shed to figure...
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