
Implanting Memories in Birds Reveals How Learning Happens
Researchers activated specific brain cells in zebra finches to teach them songs they’d ordinarily have to hear to learn.
Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication. Follow Jason G. Goldman on Twitter @jgold85
Researchers activated specific brain cells in zebra finches to teach them songs they’d ordinarily have to hear to learn.
Beneficial blazes are critical to maintaining the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, but animals are eating the fuel
Meticulous work reveals the identity of sharks’ feathered prey
Mind and body benefit from two hours in nature each week
People who spent at least two hours outside—either all at once or totaled over several shorter visits—were more likely to report good health and psychological well-being. Jason G...
New research shows that primate calls deter predators in the wild
Female hyenas keep their clans in line by virtue of their complex social networks. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Coyotes become fearless around people in just a few generations—which isn’t good for their longterm co-existence with humans in cities. Jason G. Goldman reports.
When chimpanzees and elephants pass this classic test, they are said to have self-awareness. Can we say the same for a fish?
Humpback populations from the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet up south of Africa and trade song stylings.
Animals of both species can be assessed using many of the “big five” factors used to describe humans
Modeling the physics of bird jumping is helping engineers make more mobile machines
Detroit residents declined an offer of free street trees—but were more willing to accept them if they had a say in the type of tree. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Mice with the human version of a gene can run for longer without becoming fatigued
Peafowls' head crests are specifically tuned to the vibrations produced by feather-rattling male peacocks, thus acting as a sort of antenna. Jason G. Goldman reports.
The Bahia's broad-snout casque-headed tree frog needs a pool to raise its young that's just right.
When trouble lurks, juvenile aphids drop off of the plants they're eating and hitch a ride on bigger aphid escapees.
Researchers taught two dozen wild sparrows new songs, by playing them the recordings of sparrows that live thousands of miles away. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Twice a year, thousands of pronghorn antelope and mule deer migrate through Wyoming, and newly built highway crossings are sparing the lives of animals—and motorists. Jason G...
Tropical African birds have greater immunity to certain pathogens than northern or migratory ones
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