Animals
Ultrathin Nets Catch Overlooked Bats
How a switch in netting material changes what bat biologists discover
Stories by Leslie Nemo
Ecology
See the Bizarre Fruiting Bodies of Slime Molds
Only about a tenth of an inch tall, these protist growths take on truly strange forms
Biochemistry
See Strands of Ice That Look like Hair Build up on a Dead Tree Branch
This mesmerizing ice formation has befuddled scientists for a century
Natural Disasters
See Ominous Supercell Storm Clouds as They Barrel across the U.S.
These storms can unleash hail, lighting and—most notoriously—tornadoes
Plants
See Bizarre Seeds and Fruits from around the Globe
Photographer Levon Biss reveals the amazing world of plant reproduction
Biology
See Iridescent Jellyfish and Glowing Wonders of the Sea in World Oceans Day Photos
Mysterious creatures of the deep shine in images by marine biologist Alexander Semenov
Biology
See the Most Bizarre and Beautiful Animal Eyes on Earth
Some of these peepers have eyepopping abilities
Conservation
See Stunning Collection of Portraits of Africa’s Most Endangered Wildlife
In his latest book, photographer Joachim Schmeisser gets up close and personal with the continent’s wildest creatures
Biology
Watch Blood Cells Stream around an Air Bubble—It’s Very Soothing.
A microscopy enthusiast captured a video of his own blood cells in action
Plants
Female Botanist Published the First Ever Photo Book
Nineteenth-century researcher Anna Atkins collected specimens of algae and imaged them using the then cutting-edge blueprinting process
Biology
Hummingbirds’ Iridescent Feathers Are Still a Bit of a Mystery
Scientists still don’t know the full purpose of this changeable biological trait
Space & Physics
Stunning Astronomy Photographs Look like They’re Shot from Space
Astrophotographer Miguel Claro’s portraits capture wonders of the universe
Biology
Even Tiny Phytoplankton Have Microbiomes
These algae exchange vital chemicals with bacteria that live around their surface
Neurology
Brain Cells Blinking in Rhythm May Hold Clues to Alzheimer’s Disease
Pulses of light and sound helped mice predisposed to the disease. Researchers hope to investigate the potential therapy for humans with neurons created in a petri dish
Space & Physics
Snowflake Structure Still Mystifies Physicists
Flakes’ final shape depends on an array of temperature, humidity and wind speed variables
Biology
Australian Bees Were Seen Foraging at Twilight for First Time
Bee morphological features can predict their nighttime feeding behaviors
Biology
A Stunning 3-D Journey inside a Cancer Cell
Created with a technique called Z stacking, this GIF brings the disease to life
Space & Physics
December’s Total Solar Eclipse as Seen from Space
The shadow of the moon is a brown blob moving across the face of Earth
Engineering
Alexander Graham Bell Goes and Flies a Kite—for Science
After patenting the telephone, the famous inventor turned his attention to giant tetrahedral kites capable of lifting people into the air
Space & Physics
Unrivaled View of Brilliant ‘Planetary Nebula’ NGC 2899
Its distinctive butterfly shape is caused by one star interfering with the gas expulsion pattern of another
