Like many parents, zebra finches sing to their young. But some parental songs seem to prepare the baby birds for hot weather, even before they leave the egg. Zebra finches…

Alloy (noun, “AL-oy”) An alloy is a metal-based mixture. Familiar examples of alloys include steel, bronze and brass. Some alloys are metal-metal mixtures. Others mix metals with nonmetals. Alloys offer…

A bank of fog might seem gloomy. But that mist may carry an unexpected community of environmental helpers. Ground-dwelling clouds can house bacteria that clean the air, a new study…

Glowy oils, tinted creams, misty sprays, chalky sticks, lightweight gels. Like many people, my pool bag is filled with many types of sunscreen. But all use the same sun-shielding chemicals.…

Objective: To investigate how, in the field of forensic science, the size of blood spatter correlates to the distance from which the blood fell. Areas of Science: Physics Difficulty: Intermediate medium…

In the sea, soft-bodied sea slugs crawl around without shells to protect them. Instead, they sport dazzling colors and flashy patterns to warn would-be predators that they’re toxic. Now, researchers…

Fjord (noun, “FYORD”) Fjords are long, narrow arms of the sea that often reach far inland. They are typically flanked by tall, steep cliffs on either side. Below water, their…

A common houseplant hides a splendid geometric pattern. This design, called a Voronoi diagram, appears on the leaves of the Chinese money plant. The layout may arise as waves of…

For a long time, scientists considered Ötzi the Iceman a messenger from the Copper Age. But new research shows this frozen mummy wasn’t alone. He hosts small companions — dormant,…