Swamp Magic
I have a new article out in Science News Explores, and I’m very excited about it. It’s about the Okefenokee swamp. The thing is, I like swamps. I like the...
Thumbs up!
Ok. I have two things for you today that you may not know. I certainly didn’t. First, rodents are the most common mammal on the planet. Forty percent of all...
Is it something about the language?
Aliens are real. At least that’s what former President Obama said last week. Of course, he later explained that what he meant was that the math favors...
Talk listen to the animals
Over the years, I’ve written a lot about the animal language experiments that were done back in the 60s and 70s. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of...
Something Soothing
I’m just getting over a bout with the flu (and to keep with that boxing metaphor, it totally KO’d me). Actually I don’t know that it was flu. I was way too...
Hang on, hang on — I’ll get around to it
I’ve never thought of myself as a procrastinator. I get my assignments in on time, often ahead of time, and I generally get started early enough that I don’t...
Can Animals Predict the Weather?
Can non-human animals predict the weather? Well, Punxsutawney Phil certainly gives it a go. He’s the groundhog who every February 2 pops his head out to...
Happy Holidays!
Hello everyone, I just finished two HUGE projects, and so I’m taking a much-needed break for the rest of the year. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday...
The Sight of Infection
Yawns are contagious. For some people just reading about a yawn can set off a yawn in response. A lot of people (including my husband) get nauseous when they...
They’ll do anything to get your data
According to a report by The Pew Research Center, 73% of adults in the US have been victimized by online scams, such as phishing attacks. I tell you this so...
Sweet Dreams
I’m taking a few days off to catch-up on a few neglected projects. So today’s newsletter is a re-run of an old favorite. If you need some cheering up, this...
We otter be surfin’ mon
Regular readers of this newsletter may recall that I’m fascinated by orcas wrecking ships. Of course, I agree with scientists — these whales are just having...
Thank you, Jane
You may have heard that Jane Goodall died last week. Goodall did what most of us aim for: She left the world a better place than she found it. She completely...
Friendly Genes
Spaying and neutering cats seems uncontroversial. Clearly, if we care about cats, we should make sure all cats are well fed and cared for, and a burgeoning...
Thumbs up!
Ok. I have two things for you today that you may not know (I certainly didn’t). First, rodents are the most common mammal on the planet. Forty percent of all...
Zombie Fires
This week I was planning to write about tree farts (gases released by dead trees). Because who can resist a good fart joke? Not me. But then I learned about...
Don’t Go Batty
This summer, several states have seen an alarming increase in rabies cases, including a couple of rabid raccoons in a neighborhood near me. Still, human...
Junk Food
The movie Jaws turned 50 years old this summer. As fun summer entertainment, it has held up well. And it gave us some very useful lines: “We need a bigger...
Kindness and Cruelty in the Animal Kingdom
When you take a close look, the insect world is a very strange place. I just finished a story about parasitoid wasps. These charming little buzzers inject...
Trees Remember Hard Times
Not long ago I wrote an article for Science News Explores about plant intelligence. It sounds a bit woo-woo, I know, but if you really look at the science,...