Technology
Military Tries Out Fish as Underwater Spies
The sophisticated sensing behaviors of marine organisms could serve as a surveillance system that aids national security
Stories by Allie Wilkinson
Environment
Parakeet Invasion of Mexico Driven by Europe’s Ban on Bird Imports
Attempts to stop the spread of bird flu and protect wildlife had unintended consequences
Evolution
Endangered Cuban Crocodiles Are Losing Their Genetic Identity
Interbreeding with other species could overwhelm the animal, causing it to go extinct
Evolution
Endangered Cuban Crocodiles Are Losing Their Genetic Identity
Interbreeding with other species could overwhelm the animal, causing it to go extinct
The Sciences
Big Apple's Insects Eat Streets Clean
Researchers working in New York City found that hungry urban arthropods help dispose of tons of edible trash. Allie Wilkinson reports
Mind & Brain
Don Corleone: Not a Nice Guy but No Psychopath
Mafiosi incarcerated in Italy scored lower than the threshold level for psychopathy on a standard test whereas half the run-of-the-mill inmates qualified as psychopaths. Allie Wilkinson reports
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Rare Skin Disorder Gets Crude Media Treatment
Former basketball star Shaquille O'Neal recently apologized for an episode of cyber-bullying after he posted a photo to Instagram mocking Jahmel Binion, a 23-year-old affected by ectodermal dysplasia...
The Sciences
Twitter Opinion Quickly Stabilizes
A study of millions of tweets found that public opinion quickly solidifies, even without an overwhelming concensus. Allie Wilkinson reports
Mind & Brain
Different Brain Regions Handle Different Music Types
Functional MRI of the listening brain found that different regions become active when listening to different types of music and instrumental versus vocals. Allie Wilkinson reports
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Mind & Brain
Celebrity Auction Prices Depend on Contact and Character
The magical thinking concept of contagion, the transfer of essence through objects, comes into play at celebrity auctions, where items that were in close physical contact with the celeb fetch bigger bucks than other goods they owned...
Mind & Brain
Move to Greener Urban Area Helps Happiness
In the year after people moved from less green to greener urban spaces, they experienced a significant boost in mental health markers such as mood and confidence. Allie Wilkinson reports...
Mind & Brain
Hole-y Phobia May Have Evolutionary Origins
Images that induce trypophobia, the fear of holes, share visual features with images of certain venomous animals, implying that the aversion has an evolutionary basis. Allie Wilkinson reports...
Mind & Brain
Multiple Stresses Killed Snail Memory
When pond snails, a model organism used in memory research, faced multiple stressors simultaneously, it forgot a behavior it had trained for. Allie Wilkinson reports.
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Environment
Global Warming Freezes Penguin Chicks
More rain related to a warming climate soaks Magellanic penguin chicks to the skin before their waterproof feathers grow in, killing them from hypothermia. Allie Wilkinson reports
Environment
Seafood at risk: Dispersed oil poses a long-term threat
The two-hour drive from New Orleans to Venice, La., is like cutting into a slice of apple pie—it’s as American as it gets. Busy streets and high-rise buildings give way to farms, fields, and wetlands, in the perfect picture of rural, small-town America...
