Butterfly Medicine
Butterflies use plant-based medicine, but only when it is needed most.
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.
Flamingo Makeup
Just being pink isn't good enough for a flamingo. A new study reveals that they apply makeup to their feathers to stand out even more.
Ant Epigenetics
In some ant species, queens and workers are genetically identical. A new study reveals how they develop different behaviors and appearance.
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.
Mad Cow Eyes
It may be possible to detect mad cow disease by shining light into an animal's eyes.
Podcast
ANIMALS: How dolphins breathe, sea snails that hide their gender, the genetics and epigenetics of ant colonies, and looking mad-cow disease in the eye.
Pain-Killing Snails
A compound from cone snail saliva may be an extremely efficient painkiller.
Dolphin DNA
Scientists are testing a new method for obtaining DNA samples from dolphins.
Pigeon Illusions
A listener asks: Why do pigeons bob their heads back and forth when they walk?
Fearless Aphids
Habituating crop-munching aphids to their own distress pheromone may make them more vulnerable to ladybugs.
Podcast
ANIMALS: A new way to sample dolphin DNA, pain-relief from sea snail venom, beetles born with bifocals, and why pigeons bob their heads when they walk.
Tail-Wagging Birds
A listener asks: Why do some birds bob their tails up and down?
Podcast
ANIMAL UPDATE: Beating aphids at their own game, why some birds bob their tails, ancient terror birds of South America, and more.
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Octopus Venom
Scientists think venom from Antarctic octopi may have pain-killing properties.
Podcast
CUTTING-EDGE MEDICINE: Re-growing joints and re-constructing faces, the link between gut bacteria and multiple sclerosis, and octopus venoms that could treat pain.
Penguin Calls
The steadiness of a male Adélie penguin's call is what attracts a mate.
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
Arctic Fish
Because of climate change, an Arctic fish's survival strategy might not work much longer.
Flamingo Romance
Playing flamingo calls from speakers helps put captive birds in the mood to breed.