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Roman gladiators really fought big cats, ancient bite marks suggest 

Writing and art from ancient Rome are full of battles between armed performers and big cats like lions and tigers. Roman records also tell grisly tales of those creatures killing…

This squirrel-like robot has some serious hops

Salto the robot is acting a bit squirrelly. It can take a flying leap and land on a narrow pipe, just like a squirrel soaring from branch to branch. It’s…

The ‘bone collector’ caterpillar wears its prey as camouflage

A severed ant head. A fly wing. A beetle abdomen. These body parts ripped from dead insects adorn a caterpillar’s protective coat. That’s why scientists are calling this newfound species…

Scientists Say: Chiral

Chiral (adjective, “KY-rul”) A chiral molecule is one that comes in a left- and right-handed form. If a molecule is chiral, it cannot be placed over its mirror image in…

A giant, busted planet fuels a nebula’s mysterious glow

A never-ending, X-ray explosion coming from a dead star has posed a mystery — until now. This steady radiation appears to come from scorching-hot wreckage left behind by the annihilation of a…

Research without lab animals? New tech is making it possible

Animals have long been a big part of science. Frogs helped researchers discover how cells communicate. Pig studies helped pave the way to the CT scan, a now common diagnostic…

Tick, tick, tick. In a first, a shark is heard making noise

Sharks have a reputation for being silent predators. But an accidental discovery shows the small rig shark isn’t silent after all. It clicks its short, wide teeth. That chatter appears…

Eco-friendly sunscreen? That’s bananas!

Columbus, Ohio — Bananas grow best in full sun. To protect their sensitive skins from damaging ultraviolet rays, banana peels produce a natural sunscreen. A teen has now peeled back…

Three U.S tick species may trigger a mysterious red-meat allergy

In June 2017, Cathy Raley was about to take her dog on a hike when she suddenly broke out in hives. Her tongue swelled and her throat got tight. “That’s…

Scientists Say: Caldera

Caldera (noun, “Kal-DER-ah”) A caldera is a type of crater. It forms when a volcano collapses after a massive eruption. When volcanoes erupt, material bursts from underground cavities. That material…