The morpho butterfly is a flying marvel. It flits through the rainforests of Central and South America. With wings that can span 20 centimeters (8 inches), it can be bigger…

Each year, more than 2 million people worldwide undergo open-heart surgery. This involves opening the chest and briefly stopping the heart. Getting those hearts pumping again can sometimes be risky,…

Think about a fact you recently had to memorize for a test. Or a song that’s been stuck in your head. Or how you felt when you last hung out…

Imagine seeing cake in a video game — then tasting it. Researchers have taken a step toward that possibility. They’ve created a device that delivers virtual flavors by squirting chemicals…

Circumnutation (noun, Sir-kum-noo-TAY-shun) Circumnutation describes the slow, circular movements the growing tips of young plants make throughout the day. Although it usually can’t be seen with the naked eye, all…

Cheetahs sprint across the savanna. Impalas, antelopes and other prey gallop away. All these creatures were built for speed. In fact, mid-sized land animals are generally faster than huge or…

Annalisa Stevenson loves soil. Most of us ignore it as dirt. But soil is “literally the foundation of life,” notes this Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She considers…

A round of applause, please. Scientists have finally figured out what’s behind the sound of hand-clapping. It’s the same concept at work when you make sound by blowing across the…