Computing
Happy, with a 20 Percent Chance of Sadness
Researchers are developing wristbands and apps to predict moods—but the technology has pitfalls as well as promise
Stories by Matt Kaplan
Evolutionary Biology
Diving Birds Have 45 Percent Fewer Viable Babies after Oil Spill
A study of colonies of a diving bird on the Spanish coast shows the lingering effect during at least the first 10 years after the 2002 Prestige disaster
Biology
Elephants Recognize the Voices of Their Enemies
African elephants can distinguish human languages, genders and ages associated with danger.
Evolution
Did Iconic Archaeopteryx Lose Its Ability to Fly?
The early bird's anatomy matches that of modern flightless birds, a paleontologist says
The Sciences
First Venomous Crustacean Discovered
The cave-dwelling animal uses a neurotoxin to kill prey and digest it before eating it
Evolution
Fossil Scans Reveal Origins of Teeth
Toothlike structures have been found to originate from outer-body coverings
Evolution
Speed Test Devised for Wild Cheetahs
A state-of-the-art collar reveals the animal's quick reflexes and phenomenal acceleration
The Sciences
City Life Turns Blackbirds into Early Birds
Urban songbirds also stay active longer, due to an altered biological clock
Biology
Why Penguins Cannot Fly
The energy required to swim efficiently is likely what makes some seabirds poor fliers
Biology
Giant Squid Reality: There Were Once Few Kraken to Release
The genetic uniformity of giant squid shows that the legendary cephalopods are remarkably vulnerable to extinction today and came close to it at some point in the not too distant past
The Sciences
Bumblebees Sense Electric Fields in Flowers
Electroreception may help pollinators to guess where others have already fed on nectar
Evolution
How to Eat Triceratops
Tyrannosaurs tore the heads off armored prey to reach their tender neck meat
Evolution
Fossil Scars Capture Dinosaur Head-Butts
The way dome-skulled dinosaurs bashed heads may help tease apart juveniles from adults or one species from another
Biology
Dinos' DNA Demise: Genetic Material Has a 521-Year Half-Life
A new analysis confirms the widely held suspicion that DNA from dinosaurs and ancient insects trapped in amber cannot be recovered to make a 'Jurassic Park'-style theme park
Evolution
Human Ancestors Interbred with Related Species
Analysis suggests genetic mixing occurred in Africa around 35,000 years ago
Evolution
Stone Tools Shed Light on Early Human Migrations
Hominins with different toolmaking technologies coexisted
