Advances

Novel artificial lungs could help keep people whose lungs no longer function alive long enough to get an organ transplant

Ice has many forms beyond the mundane stuff produced in a standard freezer

Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science

Deer antler rubs and hoof scrapes change how parts of the forest reflect short-wavelength light, perhaps leaving a glowing signal

Pick an unusual winning poker hand in this math puzzle

A pet cow named Veronika uses a tool in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life

Spiders scare off predators by seemingly supersizing themselves

A traditional card deck happens to dodge a tricky poker paradox. Other poker variants aren’t so lucky

A new study suggests that primate facial expressions may not just be reflexive

Sea anemones and jellyfish don’t have brains, but the way their neurons behave during sleep shows some surprising similarities to humans

A global catalog shows how creatures across the tree of life balance rigidity with flexibility in remarkably consistent ways

These birds’ drilling approach is more like extreme tennis playing than weight lifting