What Makes A Human Brain Unique? A Newly Discovered Neuron May Be A Clue
The human brain isn't just bigger than a mouse brain. It contains at least one kind of brain cell that isn't found in rodents.
Animals
Talkin' Birds: The Damage Of Plastics
Single-use plastics like bags and straws are doing damage to the world's oceans and marine life. Ray Brown from Talkin' Birds tells NPR's Scott Simon that such plastics pose danger to birds as well.
Survival Of The Sluggish: Scientists Find An Upside To A Low Metabolism
A study of 5 million years of mollusks suggests that laziness could be a good survival strategy: species that have gone extinct had higher metabolic rates than the ones that exist today.
Marine Mammal Rescuers In Maine Perplexed By Dead Seals
More than 100 dead seals have washed onto Maine beaches this month. That has kicked up response efforts from marine mammal rescuers into overdrive as they try to determine the cause.
Cities Turn To An Innovative Method To Help With Rat Abatement
Dry ice, used to chill cocktails and create that smoky effect at haunted houses, is being used to exterminate rats. Cities are using federally approved "rat ice" to help abate the rodent population.
Eyeliner On Spiders: It's For Science
NPR's Jennifer Ludden talks with University of Florida scientist Lisa Taylor about her lab's use of human makeup in experiments about spider coloration and mating.
By Creating Habitats For Monarch Butterflies In Cities, Scientists Hope To Save Them
As summer draws to a close, conservationists are getting ready for the annual Monarch butterfly migration. One scientist thinks the best way to help the migration is to create more Monarch habitats in big cities.
Brigham Young University Geologists Discover Oldest Known Pterosaur Fossil
A pterosaur is not a dinosaur, but the oldest known powered flying vertebrates. Brigham Young University students and teachers have published the result of their findings of the oldest known fossil.
Watch This Native Pollinator Build Her Bee-Jeweled Nest
Research shows that 400 female blue orchard bees are as effective at pollinating almonds as the more than 10,000 bees in a honeybee hive. But they reproduce slowly and are prone to wandering.
French Theme Park Asks: Crows Can Pick Up Trash, Why Can't You?
A team of six trained birds — rooks, actually — is collecting paper and cigarette stubs at the Puy du Fou park in western France. They drop the trash into a container in exchange for food.