Tim Vernimmen is a freelance science journalist based near Antwerp, Belgium.
The First Amphibian Known to Beg Its Mother for Milk Is More Bizarre than You Might Imagine
Surprisingly, the young of limbless amphibians called ringed caecilians stimulate their mother by touch and sound to release a milklike substance
A Comic Guide to the Evolution of Ancient Cells into Complex Brains
“The anus was a prerequisite for intelligence” said one biologist
After COVID-19, Can mRNA Vaccines Help with Cancer as Well?
The COVID pandemic put mRNA technology, long in development, to the test. Here’s a look at how it might fight cancer and when it might reach patients
How Monarch Butterflies Evolved to Eat a Poisonous Plant
By engineering mutations into fruit flies, scientists reconstructed how the bright orange butterflies came to tolerate milkweed toxins
Business as Usual Threatens Thousands of Amazon Tree Species
Climate change and deforestation could also severely fragment much of the forest by 2050, a new model projects
Freshwater Is Getting Saltier, Threatening People and Wildlife
Road de-icing, industrial activity and other culprits are pushing salt levels in rivers and streams to alarming levels
Climate Change May Curtail Shorebirds’ Need to Fly North
Arctic predators have been eating twice as many shorebird eggs, threatening populations and potentially migration itself
Babysitting Mammals Keep It in the Family
Blood relations may be the key factor for mole rats, meerkats and others. But how do humans fit in?
El Niño Might Speed Up Climate Change
Scientists have evidence that El Niño boosts CO2 levels, and they are pinning down how
Where Creativity Comes From
Studies of humans and other animals indicate that inventiveness often stems from factors other than need