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Giant school bus–sized octopuses may have once ruled the oceans

The kraken — a giant, tentacled sea monster that dragged ships into the depths — is a creature of Norwegian myth. But millions of years ago, a similar, real-life animal…

Mosquitoes may learn to like DEET, a common insect repellent

Pesky mosquitoes on the hunt for blood may find the smell of a common repellent attractive, not repulsive. That’s the finding of new lab tests. The chemical is known as…

Why are Arctic rivers turning orange?

Abstract The Salmon River in Alaska’s Kobuk Valley National Park is wild and scenic. Recently, scientists were surprised to find many of the streams in the park turning a bright,…

Experiment: Remove microplastics from water with yeast

Objective: In this science project, you’ll investigate how much yeast is needed to remove microplastics from contaminated water.Areas of science: Environmental Science; Green ChemistryDifficulty: Intermediate easyTime required: Very Short (≤…

Scientists Say: Fluoride

Fluoride (noun, “FLOOR-ide”) Fluoride is an electrically charged form of the element fluorine. An atom that carries such an overall charge is called an ion. Fluoride is a negative ion…

Mystery solved: Why earthquakes haven’t wrecked Egypt’s Great Pyramid

Civilizations may fall. But Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza has stood for nearly 5,000 years. Scientists finally know how it survived earthquakes. The pyramid tends to vibrate differently than the…

This tree is the number one choice for forest mammals going number two

When a human has a sudden need to go number two, they might seek out a bathroom. When mammals in the forests of Costa Rica need to poop, they find…

How can fish help us deliver medicines?

Abstract Have you ever wondered how small animals survive in a giant ocean full of danger? Remora fish attach to sharks, whales, turtles, boats, and even divers to survive. We…

Analyze This: A rocket reentry spiked metal levels in the atmosphere

For the first time, scientists have measured metal pollutants leaching from a piece of space junk in the atmosphere. They caught a burst of lithium as a SpaceX rocket burned…

The dawn of animal evolution saw a bizarre array of sea creatures

Animals may have had a rich variety of complex body types far earlier than scientists had recently thought. A crucial moment in the history of life on Earth was the…