Laughing is one of the best feelings in the world. It’s a sign of happiness and it has some serious health benefits to boot. We tend to associate laughter with humans and possibly primates, but we’re far the only mammals that enjoy a good chuckle. A new study by scientists at UCLA reveals that there …
When a species disappears for a short while there can be many reasons why. Perhaps its habitat is shifting — either due to natural circumstances or human encroachment — or maybe its primary food source has also relocated, forcing them to follow. Sometimes animals disappear from an area because they go extinct, which is obviously …
I breathe through my nose and, when I have a cold, my mouth. You probably do the same. It works well and it’s kept me alive for over 35 years, so I really can’t complain. But what if we were totally missing out on a novel way of breathing that nobody ever told us about? …
As the warm summer months creep nearer and spring flowers begin to bloom, many of us will find some less welcome blossoms on our lawns. Dandelions are one of the most troublesome weeds, and anyone that’s tended to a yard can tell you that they spread remarkably fast. The plants have a genius way of …
Understanding when and where life first took root on Earth is something that scientists have struggled with for a long time. The best evidence of the beginnings of life comes in the form of molecular signatures in ancient rocks, like those of the Dresser Formation which is located in present-day Australia. New research reveals the …
Scientists studying the nuances of human death have struggled with defining when death actually happens and when a person has crossed the threshold, making death an inevitability. New research reveals that end-of-life care, which is often a stressful topic for family and medical staff when a person is reaching their end, has a good handle …
Praying mantises, like most other complex organisms, mate to reproduce, but there’s a wrinkle. Female praying mantises often kill the male after they’re done mating, but one species of mantis has developed a defense. New research shows how male springbok mantises manage to escape sexual encounters without dying in the process. Sex is the reason …
New research into the effects of manmade chemicals on insects has revealed that common pesticides can dramatically affect the brains of flies and bees. The chemicals throw the insects out of sync with the typical sleep/wake cycle, causing them to act differently. The flies and bees in the study showed dramatic impacts on the memories …
Dinosaur bones have told scientists a lot about how the ancient animals lived, hunted, and died, but reproduction has remained largely a mystery. A new fossil from China provides such an incredibly well-preserved look at the dinosaur’s hindquarters that it shows the orifice that was likely used for expelling waste as well as for mating. …
A Queens neighborhood in NYC is apparently a hot spot for squirrel attacks, with some residents getting into physical altercations with the animals. Photos from one human/squirrel scuffle show snow soaked with blood. The residents aren’t sure why the squirrels have suddenly turned violent, but they’re trying to avoid them until things change. We’re all …
