As the little structures grow, their constituents specialize into different types of brain cells, begin to form connections and emit brain waves. They could be useful models for development and neurological conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Squirrels constantly scan their surroundings for hawks, owls and other predators. But they also surveil for threats by eavesdropping on bird chatter. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lava flow records and sedimentary and Antarctic ice core data show evidence of planetary magnetic field activity 20,000 years before the beginning of the last pole reversal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
At the Kermadec Islands, humpbacks from all over the South Pacific converge and swap songs. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Better food labeling could prevent people from throwing away a lot of “expired” food that’s still perfectly edible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The conditions of sunlight, temperature, humidity and wind that make cropland good for agriculture also maximize solar panel efficiency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s not easy to recycle polyurethane, so it’s usually tossed out or burned. But a chemical tweak can turn polyurethane into glue. Christine Herman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wild animals that live near humans have higher cholesterol than their rural counterparts—and our food could be to blame. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida, consider that feeding style means that aggressive tangle-web spider colonies produce more offspring after severe weather, while docile colonies do better in calm conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A small patch of graphene on human skin seemed to block the mosquitoes’ ability to sense certain molecules that trigger a bite. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Microbes fly tens of miles over Chile’s dry, UV-blasted Atacama Desert—and scientists say the same could happen on Mars. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A program at the University of Illinois trains indigenous scientists in genomics—in hopes that future work will be aimed at benefiting those communities. Christine Herman reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
U.S. Military Academy cadets wear the colors black, gray and gold for reasons found in gunpowder’s chemistry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Scientists found an interstellar iron isotope in Antarctic snow samples—which hints that our region of the universe may be the remnant of an ancient exploding star. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Some people go on dates just to score a free meal—a phenomenon known as a “foodie call.” But it takes a certain personality type. Karen Hopkin reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Researchers trained machine-learning algorithms to read Amazon reviews for hints that a food product would be recalled by the FDA. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Slight changes around the eyes are indeed a giveaway as to whether a smile is sincere or faked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Researchers slowed the approach of greedy gulls by an average of 21 seconds by staring at the birds versus looking elsewhere. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Honest, involuntary laughter cued people to laugh more at some really bad jokes than they did when hearing forced laughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
By killing off many of New Zealand’s endemic birds, humans destroyed 50 million years’ worth of evolutionary history. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nearly half of bacteria gathered in public settings around the city were resistant to two or more commonly used antibiotics, such as penicillin and erythromycin. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mating is risky business for black widow males—so they hitchhike on the silk threads left by competitors to more quickly find a mate. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Babies as young as a year and a half want leaders to fix situations in which they see someone else being treated unfairly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released or escaped parrots are now living in most states and are breeding in at least 21. For some, it’s a second chance at survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Guatemala to Australia, including one about the first recorded tornado in Nepal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Photographs snapped by safari tourists are a surprisingly accurate way to assess populations of African carnivores. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Computer modeling revealed that insects with a celestial compass can likely determine direction down to just a couple degrees of error. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Engineer John Houbolt pushed for a smaller ship to land on the lunar surface while the command module stayed in orbit around the moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Just before Neil Armstrong climbed back into the lunar module, he scooped up a few last-minute soil samples--which upturned our understanding of planetary formation. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Researchers dissected the jaws of ants infected with the Ophiocordyceps fungus to determine how the fungus hijacks the ants' behavior. Christopher Intagliata reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
