A taste for silky shark versus stingray may drive migration behavior Smaller fish surround this great hammerhead shark. The sharks’ taste for different foods might have a surprising conservation impact. Annie Guttridge Great hammerhead sharks are known for their long migrations, but scientists have now discovered that some individuals in the Bahamas instead spend all

Those sources now rival cars and factories in emitting the chemicals that help create ozone Wildfire smoke, seen here blanketing Los Angeles in 2020, can drive up ground-level ozone pollution. E4C/Getty Images Images of California’s wildfires this winter speak for themselves about the fires’ devastating effects. But those pictures don’t tell the whole story. Together

Why these early memories fade remains a mystery Babies were kept calm with ear protection and a parent nearby as they underwent brain scans. 160/90 A baby’s early life has a lot of milestones: first giggle, first tooth, first step. A brain scanning study adds to the list: first memory. Infants can form memories, and

The ability helps them time their underwater dives Gray seals (one shown) are aware of their blood oxygen levels and make diving decisions accordingly, a new study suggests. Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews Gray seals may possess a secret sense that helps them survive at sea. The marine mammals adjusted their time

Crustaceans exposed to guano moved in zigzags and ate less algae In lab experiments, Antarctic krill that smelled trouble — in the form of penguin poop — were quick to make a break for it. Gerald Corsi/iStock/Getty Images Plus The foul stench of penguin poop sets Antarctic krill on edge. In lab experiments, the mere

New data from the DESI survey reaffirm a previous hint that dark energy may vary over time Stars swirl across the sky in this time-lapse photo of the Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, which is conducting the DESI survey. B. Tafreshi/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Change is in the air. New data strengthen a hint

The robot can take flying leaps and adjust its landing — just like squirrels do A one-legged robot can hop from one narrow pipe to another and land balanced, like a squirrel leaping between branches. Justin K. Yim Salto the robot is acting a little squirrelly. The jumping bot can take a flying leap and

Budgerigar’s language centers use a "vocal keyboard" that’s surprisingly humanlike Specific nerve cells in budgerigars’ brains allow the parrots to combine different elements of sounds, a new study shows. Christopher Auger-Dominguez When it comes to speech, parrots have the gift of gab. And the way the brains of small parrots known as budgerigars bestow this

This is the second study in six months to find planets around Barnard’s star Four small, probably rocky planets orbit Barnard’s star (illustrated). The planetary system is the nearest one to the sun centered on a single star. R. Proctor and J. Pollard/International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/AURA/NSF The nearest single star to the sun, Barnard’s star, has

A planned eight-day mission turned into months aboard the International Space Station The capsule carrying American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Fla., after the pair's longer-than-planned stay aboard the International Space Station. NASA After spending more than nine months orbiting Earth, two U.S. astronauts finally returned home