Science

Georgia Tech Studies Chickens' Emotions Based On Their Clucks

1:00pm May 08, 2015

When a chicken speaks, it's hard to tell whether it's a happy or sad cluck. That's what a research team at Georgia Tech is trying to decipher by recording more than 1,000 hours of chickens clucking.

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State Sens. Warren Limmer (left) and Bill Ingebrigtsen talk in the Senate chamber. Limmer said he has been scolded for looking at his colleagues during debate before, and had "to beg forgiveness to the Senate president."

What Eye Contact — And Dogs — Can Teach Us About Civility In Politics

11:09am May 08, 2015

by Ailsa Chang

Don't look at me! In Minnesota, lawmakers are banned from making eye contact during debate. The idea is it leads to more civility. But does it? And what can animal science teach us about it?

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A smallmouth bass with confirmed malignant tumor was caught by an angler in the Susquehanna River near Duncannon, Pa., on Nov. 3, 2014.

A Fish With Cancer Raises Questions About Health Of Susquehanna River

7:24pm May 07, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The smallmouth bass with a malignant tumor was caught late last year near Duncannon, Pa. Officials say it's the first time such a tumor has been found in the state on that type of fish.

At Long Last, Taxidermied Hyenas In Chicago Get Their Own Diorama

7:13pm May 07, 2015

After years tucked away in the Reptile Hall at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, four striped taxidermied hyenas are finally getting their own diorama.

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California Prepares For Difficult Fire Season Amid Drought

6:22pm May 07, 2015

by Katie Orr

Firefighters in California depend on water from lakes and reservoirs to help fight wildfires. But water levels have fallen because of the ongoing drought, and some water sources may be too low to use.

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks Wednesday with reporters in Washington, D.C., after a meeting with Sylvia Burwell, head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Fla. Governor Leaves Meeting With U.S. Health Secretary Empty-Handed

8:48am May 07, 2015

by Phil Galewitz

Despite a "good conversation" with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Gov. Rick Scott gets no sign that Florida will receive the more than $1 billion he wants for health care.

Loki's Castle, the field of deep sea vents between Norway and Greenland, is home to sediments containing DNA from the newly discovered archaea.

Missing Link Microbes May Help Explain How Single Cells Became Us

7:55pm May 06, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Near a field of deep sea vents between Norway and Greenland, scientists discovered the DNA of microbes that seem to be primitive archaea, but with a lot more genes — typical of complicated creatures.

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N. gardneri mushrooms grow at the base of young babassu palms in Brazil. A bland tan by day, the fungi emit an eerie green light by night.

Why Some Mushrooms Glow In The Dark

3:29pm May 06, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Scientists outfitted some fake fungi with LEDs and put them in a Brazilian forest to test their theory that light, not some funky mushroom fragrance, was luring bugs.

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Chipotle restaurant workers in Miami fill orders on April 27, the day the company said it would use only non-GMO ingredients in its food.

Science

Why We Can't Take Chipotle's GMO Announcement All That Seriously

3:06pm May 06, 2015

by Dan Charles

Chipotle says providing "food with integrity" means dropping genetically modified ingredients. But critics say the company's new policy is inconsistent and even dishonest.

Once the roots of the Eskimo potato got too tough to eat, Christopher McCandless started collecting the seeds in a plastic bag, says author Jon Krakauer.

'Into The Wild' Author Tries Science To Solve Toxic Seed Mystery

3:06pm May 06, 2015

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Jon Krakauer has long been haunted by how Christopher McCandless died in the Alaskan wilderness. In a scientific journal, he and a chemist show that the seeds McCandless consumed can contain a toxin.