web analytics
December
/
/
/
Page 2

Global coral die-offs signal Earth’s first climate tipping point

Earth has entered a grim new climate reality. The planet has officially passed its first climate tipping point. That’s a point where the effects of many smaller changes cause a…

Who lives in the rainforest canopy?

Abstract Can you list all the animals that live at the top of rainforest trees? You might have seen pictures of birds or monkeys living in the rainforest canopy. The…

Here’s how to levitate something without magic

With a simple swish-and-flick of his wand, Ron Weasley yanks a troll’s club high above its head in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Through graceful martial arts moves, element…

Let’s learn about lab-grown meat

If you eat meat, you may have enjoyed gobbling up turkey on Thanksgiving. If you’re a vegetarian, you might have gone for Tofurky. (That tofu-based dish has been made to…

Flamingos hunt by creating their own underwater tornadoes

Flamingos are feeding machines. They spend a large part of their day with their heads upside down in water, gobbling up brine shrimp and other small prey. A new study…

Scientists Say: Exponent

Exponent (noun, “EX-poh-nent”) An exponent is a number that tells you how many times to multiply a number by itself. In math, an exponent appears as a superscript after another…

Beware the vipers: These snakes appear to strike the fastest

Some vipers are the sprinters of snakes. Researchers compared 36 venomous snakes from three families. Vipers wielded the fastest attacks. Some members of one of the other families could give…

How to invent a language — like that of Avatar’s Na’vi

The distant moon Pandora from the Avatar movies is a richly immersive alien world. Dragon-like creatures prowl the skies. Supersmart whalelike beasts write poetry under the sea. Jungle plants glow…

Rudolph’s red nose could glow through bioluminescence

This time of year, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is nearly inescapable. As the song goes, Rudolph is bullied for having a nose so bright it glows (like a lightbulb!). But…

Liquid from African tulip trees may protect honeybees from pests

Anya Terón Villodas and Lia González are childhood friends turned science partners. The idea for their project came from Anya’s sister, who had done a science-fair project involving honeybees. Through…