Better Memory Begets Boredom
The better study participants scored in the memory test, the faster they got bored. Karen Hopkin reports.
Stories by Karen Hopkin
Bacterially Boosted Mosquitoes Could Vex Viruses
Mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria are unable to transmit viruses to humans—and could curb the spread of viral disease. Karen Hopkin reports.
Why the Cross Put Chickens on a New Road
A religiously inspired change in the European diet about a thousand years ago led to the development of the modern domesticated chicken.
Shoelace Study Untangles a Knotty Problem
Researchers have trotted out data that show a combination of whipping and stomping forces is what causes laces to unravel without warning. Karen Hopkin reports.
Your Cat Thinks You're Cool
A study of house cats and shelter cats found that the felines actually tended to choose human company over treats or toys.
Aggressed-Upon Monkeys Take Revenge on Aggressor's Cronies
Japanese macaques at the receiving end of aggression tend to then take it out on a close associate or family member of the original aggressor.
Spaceflight Squishes Spacefarers' Brains
Astronauts’ gray matter is compressed by time in space—except in an area that controls feeling and movement in the legs. Karen Hopkin reports.
Super Bowl Snacks Need These Exercise Equivalents
Charles Platkin, director of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College, published tips on what it would take to burn off the calories we typically consume during the Super Bowl
Ants Use Celestial Cues to Travel in Reverse
The six-legged savants appear to use celestial cues and three forms of memory, as they blaze a trail back to the nest. Karen Hopkin reports.
High-Sugar Diet Makes Flies Drop Like...Flies
A study examines the effects of a high-sugar diet on the life spans of fruit flies. Another studies how the flies’ appetite-suppressing pathways may be similar to ours. Karen Hopkin reports.
Adult Daughter Orcas May Trigger Moms' Menopause
Competition between older female orcas and their adult daughters when they can breed simultaneously may cause the matriarch to enter menopause.
Mucus Lets Dolphins Emit Their Clicks
A model of the dolphin vocal apparatus shows that they need a coating of mucus to produce their distinctive sounds.
Menu Featured Mammoth but Diners Were Mocked
A genetic analysis of leftovers from an exotic dinner in 1951 reveals that the diners got less than they were promised.
Highway Sounds Might Mask Life-Saving Birdcalls
The call of the tufted titmouse conveys important information about the presence of potential predators. But only if other birds can hear it. Karen Hopkin reports.
Made Ya Look, Monkey
Over their lifetimes, macaques follow the same trajectory as humans in the amount of interest they have in observing what another individual is looking at.
Lemurs Issue Musky Memorandums
Male lemurs mix their scented secretions to send long-lasting messages to one another.
Lizard Stripes May Mess Up Predators' Timing
A lizard's stripes may make them look like they’re moving slower than they really are, confusing predators that tend to aim at the head but may wind up with the tail.
Fat Gets Gut Bacteria Working against the Waistline
In mice, intestinal microbes respond to a high-fat diet by producing acetate, which triggers the release of a hormone that makes mammals feel hungry, causing them to eat even more.
Shy Fish Prefer Like-Minded Leaders
When a shy fish ventures into the unknown, it prefers to follow a fish with a similarly cautious personality.
Shy Fish Prefer to Follow Other Shy Fish
Shy sticklebacks were more likely to emerge from under cover when an equally wary fellow was already out there, rather than when a bold individual was present.
