A Fairy-Wren Tale
A small Australian bird may benefit from the songs of one of its predators.
Ringing Brains
Ringing in the ears involves the reward centers of the brain.
Podcast
ANIMAL STORIES: An Australian bird benefits when its predator sings, what happens when bees get sleepy, the invasion of the giant fish, eating insects to slow global warming, and a female pterodactyl fossil is discovered in China.
Music & Emotion
Listening to music activates the reward centers of the brain.
Gangster Birds
In the Kalahari desert, a gangster-like bird provides protection to other birds, but at a high price.
Ancient Music
Playing ancient Peruvian instruments inside the ruins of a temple gives researchers clues to the music's cultural significance.
Podcast
UNUSUAL ANIMALS - Mice that smell light, asexual boa constrictors, unloving lobsters, butterfly medicine, and why simply being pink isn't good enough for flamingos.
Micro Musical Instrument
Engineers have developed the first micro-instrument that plays audible music.
Podcast
PSYCHOLOGY: Why listening to half of a cell phone conversation is so distracting, how we choose which hand to use, why we'll pay more if we can touch a product, and the mechanisms behind a fast-acting antidepressant.
Translator Phones
A specialized telephone may serve as a translator for troops in Afghanistan.
Penguin Calls
The steadiness of a male Adélie penguin's call is what attracts a mate.
Autism Vocal Screen
A new voice-analysis technique may help doctors screen young children for signs of autism.
Podcast
SCIENCE OF SOUND: Male penguins attract females by the sound of their voice, tropical wrens sing duets, and there's a new screening test for autism that analyzes speech patterns. Also: exposing "facilitated communication".
*Image originally appeared in: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020406
Flamingo Romance
Playing flamingo calls from speakers helps put captive birds in the mood to breed.
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Arctic fish respond to climate change, bees that aren't as busy as you'd think, adding some romance to the lives of flamingos, and training dogs to sniff out invasive plants.
Mating Psychology Roundup
Research suggests that we're more attracted to people when others find them attractive.
Mating Psychology Roundup
Research suggests that we're more attracted to people when others find them attractive.
Podcast
ANIMALS: Vibrating frogs, confused ducks, forgery-foiling butterflies, and the unsung heroes of the savanna.
Music Intelligence Roundup
Can listening to Mozart really make you smarter?
Finch Genes
The zebra finch genome could provide insight into vocal learning in humans.
Knuckle Cracking
A 60-year-long experiment shows that knuckle cracking does not cause arthritis.
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Birdsong in the genes, hummingbirds and heliconias, a more environmentally friendly pig, and cat-inspired computer circuits.