Animals

A leopard frog catches a cricket using its sticky tongue.

Science

To Catch Prey, Frogs Turn to Sticky Spit

8:01pm January 31, 2017

by Madeline K. Sofia

Frogs are unmatched in their speed and ability to catch prey. It's all about their super-soft tongue and specialized saliva, say researchers, who got saliva to test by scraping frogs' tongues.

A Socorro dove perches at the Africam Safari Zoo in Puebla, Mexico. Scientists are planning to bring the dove species back to Socorro Island, the dove's ancestral home.

Move Over Sheep, Doves Are Returning Home To Tiny Island Of Socorro

4:40pm January 31, 2017

by Loretta Williams

On an island where sheep, cats and mice thrive, the doves died off. But scientists have a plan to reintroduce the Socorro dove to its ancestral home.

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An artist's impression of Saccorhytus coronarius, a sea creature that lived 540 million years ago.

Scientists Describe Ancient Bag-Like Sea Creatures From China

5:04pm January 30, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

They were ugly. And, unfortunately, they were not equipped with an anus. But the sand dwellers could be an important part of filling in our own early evolutionary tree.

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Washu chocolate is made from cacao arriba, a sought-after variety of cacao harvested in Ecuador.

Save The Monkeys, Save The Trees, Sell The Chocolate

1:53pm January 30, 2017

by April Fulton

An enterprise-minded ecologist from England is helping endangered brown-headed spider monkeys in Ecuador by connecting their preservation to high-end chocolate.

Red Panda Escapes From Virginia Zoo In Norfolk

4:28pm January 25, 2017

A red panda named Sunny has escaped from the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. Turns out, they have a reputation for escaping their enclosures.

How To Make Broadcast Towers More Bird-Friendly: Turn Off Some Lights

4:01pm January 24, 2017

by Ben Thorp

Millions of migratory birds die every year after slamming into broadcast and cell towers. Scientists found that turning off steady-beam lights on towers reduced bird fatalities by 70 percent.

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Artist's rendering of two individuals of Siamogale melilutra, one of them feeding on a freshwater clam.

Science

Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant Otter Species In China

7:49pm January 23, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Six million years ago, giant otters weighing more than 100 pounds lived among birds and water lilies in the wooded wetlands of China's Yunnan province. The discovery sheds light on how otters evolved.

Dr. Nicole Garneau talks about taste on the TED Stage.

Science
Arts

Are There More Than Five Basic Tastes?

6:25pm January 19, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Scientists have long believed we have just five tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami (or savory). Geneticist Nicole Garneau argues we might be able to taste a sixth — fat.

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Science
Arts

How Do Pheromones Really Work?

6:25pm January 19, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Pheromones are mysterious compounds that can make a mammal smell more sexy--but that's not true for humans. Zoologist Tristram Wyatt says human pheremones are hard to find.

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Cage-free chickens walk in a fenced pasture at an organic farm near Waukon, Iowa.

National

Organic Chickens Get More Room To Roam

7:20pm January 18, 2017

by Dan Charles

New rules for organic farming will require farmers to give chickens more pasture. Some of the biggest organic egg producers will have to change their practices, or stop calling their eggs organic.