Science
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Scientists Calculated the Energy Needed to Carry a Baby. Shocker: It’s a Lot.
In humans, the energetic cost of pregnancy is about 50,000 dietary calories — far higher than previously believed, a new study found.
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The Itsy Bitsy Spider Inspired a Microphone
If spiders use their webs like a large external eardrum, researchers reasoned, perhaps spider silk could be the basis for a powerful listening device.
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Why Do People Make Music?
Music baffled Charles Darwin. Mankind’s ability to produce and enjoy melodies, he wrote in 1874, “must be ranked amongst the most mysterious with which he is endowed.” All human societies made music, and yet, for Darwin, it seemed to offer no ...
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The Unusual Evolutionary Journey of the Baobab Tree
New research shows the “upside-down trees” originated in Madagascar and then caught a ride on ocean currents to reach mainland Africa and Australia.
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Fossil Catches Starfish Cousin in the Act of Cloning Itself
The brittle star specimen suggests that the sea creatures have been splitting themselves in two to reproduce for more than 150 million years.
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Alarmed by Climate Change, Astronomers Train Their Sights on Earth
A growing number of researchers in the field are using their expertise to fight the climate crisis.
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The Solar Storm Fried GPS Systems Used by Some Farmers, Stalling Planting
The storm interfered with navigational systems used in tractors and other farming equipment, leaving some farmers temporarily unable to plant their crops.
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Where to See the Northern Lights on Sunday Night
The best weather conditions for viewing the colorful light display will be in much of the West while New England was “a question mark,” a forecaster said.
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Can Parrots Converse? Polly Says That’s the Wrong Question.
Half a century ago, one of the hottest questions in science was whether humans could teach animals to talk. Scientists tried using sign language to converse with apes and trained parrots to deploy growing English vocabularies. The work quickly ...
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Northern Lights Set to Return During Extreme Solar Storm’s 2nd Night
Electrical utilities said they weathered earlier conditions as persistent geomagnetic storms were expected to cause another light show in evening skies.