A Moment of Science

Water molecules attract each other. The molecules at the surface of a body of water make a film under tension. That film is strong enough to support a needle or a small insect like a water strider.

Researchers reported that they discovered a tiny spider in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest that has a behavior that’s surprisingly similar to the web-slinging superhero.

One mirror is not enough to see yourself as others see you. When you look at a bathroom mirror you see an image of yourself with left and right reversed.

If you look at a map of Scotland, you may notice a line cutting straight through the country. This line, called the Great Glen Fault, is the result of a long geological history that has in turn impacted the history of Scotland itself.

A cool, dry cotton fiber springs back after being bent. A warm, damp cotton fiber doesn't. Moisture and temperature make the difference.

Blue jays, poison dart frogs, and peacocks—each of these animals is distinct for their same vibrant color. But have you ever seen a blue spider?

Why a mix of red light and green light looks yellow, in this Moment of Science.

Evolutionary biologists thought it was a general rule among mammals that males are bigger, but that's not always the case.

The 17th-century English physicist Robert Hooke was curious about the remarkable properties of cork -- its ability to float, its springy quality, its usefulness in sealing bottles. Hooke investigated the structure of cork with a new scientific instrument he was very enthusiastic about: the microscope.

One of the more mysterious pleasures of a warm summer evening is the spectacle of lightning from distant thunderstorms, flickering silently on the horizon while stars shine overhead. People usually call it heat lightning.

Learn about the role that ethylene plays in ripening fruit with today's A Moment of Science

Over the past 100,000 years, a snail species has done what it normally takes a species millions of years to do: give live birth.

The distant past is poorly known, and paleontologists find fossil evidence for new large animals all the time.

Jabuticaba is a fruit native to Brazil. It’s the size and color of a plum, with a white pulp and several seeds

Perhaps you’ve heard that the average person dreams four to six times each night. But did you know that most of us are unable to recall 90% of our dreams?

The carefree southern sea otters of central California’s coast have had a secret mission: working to fight the devastating loss of kelp forests due to anthropogenic climate change.

Researchers used statistical tools to forecast which characteristics the animals of the future will likely have.

Research suggests there's a link between parenting styles and health effects later in life

As any aficionado will tell you, water can be just as important as the tea leaves themselves when it comes to a good brew.

If the color of the bottles was significant enough to control how they’re recycled, then surely the color was more than cosmetic. So what's the reason why wine bottles are olive-green and beer bottles are amber?

Because of the isolation, New Zealand has evolved a unique set of animals dominated by abundant bird species found nowhere else.

Exposure to music, art, and architecture can have a formative impact on our sense of self.

Fingerprints might be unique to one person, but they aren't unique to one species.

Have you ever made rice that was perfectly fluffy and then the next day, taken it out of the fridge only to find it hard and crumbly?

Normally, when tissue gets injured, cells start replicating and make new tissue. But what about the heart?

In a letter written in 1761, Benjamin Franklin tells how he collected some little squares of broadcloth. Franklin wanted to demonstrate that these colors would absorb different amounts of light from the sun and convert the light to different amounts of heat.

Just like Goldilocks, humans have searched for a place that's "just right" to live in. That's not the same for all species, though.

We usually think of paint as a substance that adds color to things. But, from a physical point of view, paint works by taking colors away.

Tennis players are known for the loud grunts they make during a game. Why do they do it?

In 2019 a team of Swedish and British scientists published a study claiming that whether we chose to own a dog may be influenced by our genes.

Physicists are searching for new materials with better semiconductor properties so that computers can continue to improve.

We just covered why the sky is blue, but there are a few areas without color above us.

It can't be the atmosphere, or dust, or water droplets. So what makes the sky blue?

Water temperature is a major element of quality control in making coffee. Why exactly is temperature important?

Proboscis monkeys from Borneo and cows do have something in common: they both chew their cuds.

The Atacama Desert in Northern Chile is the driest desert on Earth. The only life there is microbial, and researchers study it to get an idea of what we might find on Mars.

One study proposes that this “sort of a man” described as “shortish, and oldish, and brownish and mossy” could have been inspired by the patas monkey.

Paleontologists constantly search for new species of fossilized creatures from the distant past to expand our understanding of the history of life on Earth.

Mosquitoes always seem to find us, no matter how hard we try to get away. How do they do it?

The next time you're driving during a rain shower, glance back at the rear window. You'll notice that while raindrops batter the front windshield, they seem to avoid the back window as long as the car is moving. How is that possible?

Megachile pluto, commonly called “Wallace’s giant bee” is the world’s largest bee. And perhaps its most elusive.

Do you prefer the jolt of coffee or a more gentle start to your day with tea?

Situs inversus totalis means that all the organs, blood vessels, and nerves in the chest and abdomen are flipped to the opposite side.

Normally you’d just see waves coming in parallel to the shore. But what if there were also waves moving perpendicular to the shore?

A grave in Cyprus from 7500 BC shows a furry feline and human owner buried together. It’s the oldest known site of a tame cat.

How did dinosaurs keep themselves cool?

Did you know it’s possible to have a gene mutation that really does make bumping into furniture or even getting surgery totally painless?

What makes walking uphill so much harder?

Have you ever wondered why giraffes have such long necks?

Scientists think that as many as a billion people around the world could be newly exposed to the diseases spread by mosquitoes within the next fifty years as global temperatures rise.

This small species lives throughout southern China, from high eastern Tibetan mountains to low coastal mountains, preferring forests and shrubby habitats. And its most interesting feature is its tusks.

There’s a big gap between how we act in virtual reality and how we act in real life, as scientists who did an experiment focused on yawning found out.

We've heard a lot about how antioxidants can help prevent disease. Does that mean we should eat as many antioxidant-rich foods as possible?

Most moth species are active at night. It must be really dangerous to be a moth. Luckily, they've developed a few ways to protect themselves.

Scientists think that animals evolved the ability to detect bitter tastes in order to avoid things that are harmful or even poisonous. So why do we like coffee?

Where most of us are concerned, the question is not whether we would hurt a fly but whether we could.

In October, 2017 astronomers at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii discovered something strange. It was an object, moving through the solar system too fast to have been captured by the sun’s gravitational pull.

Did you know that compared to creatures such as dogs and cats, humans can distinguish millions more shades of color?

There's evidence that the northern lowlands of Mars are the basin of a huge ocean that existed more than 3 billion years ago, and covered about a third of the planet's surface.

Root rot is a condition of indoor and outdoor plants. Root rot may be caused by poorly drained or overwatered soil, or soil-borne pathogens and nematodes.

Microbes are everywhere, from the deepest ocean to the highest mountaintop. They're also in the air all around, riding the breeze up, up, up into sky.

But a cheetah isn’t the fastest animal in the world, even though a lot of people think it is. The animal that can move the fastest is actually a lot smaller: the Dracula ant.

Background white noise can help some peoples’ sleep quality by minimizing the length of time it takes them to get to sleep. So, what exactly is white noise?

Mid-Atlantic states such as North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland have been hit particularly hard by rising sea levels

Do other species have healthcare?

Our attitudes might affect us more than our genes do.

Does your pet give you the evil eye when they get fed a few minutes late? Its like they know...but do they?

The Gulf Stream is a current of warm water in the North Atlantic Ocean that travels up the Eastern coast of North America. Media reports have raised concerns that it may collapse as the climate warms due to human activities like burning fossil fuels.

Like a science fiction time traveler, an arctic plant of the late Pleistocene age, over 31,000 years old, was resurrected after a long frozen sleep.

Figs have their thousands of individual flowers folded up inside them, so they can't rely on bees or wind to pollinate them with a male fig's pollen. That's where the fig wasp comes in.

Has your brain been feeling foggy lately? Or maybe, smoggy? If you live somewhere affected by air pollution, there might be a connection.

Scientists once thought that aging and death were the inevitable fate of all complex living things. But then, by accident, they discovered they were wrong.

On today's Moment of Science, we'll be sniffing our way through a controversial culinary conundrum: the great cilantro debate.

Grandmother elephants are important for the survival of baby calves.

English is full of phrases that connect appearance to taste. However, scientists have been discovering that the connection between the two runs deeper than simple metaphors.

Sometimes, when a frog eats a large insect, you can see it squirming in the frog’s belly, desperate to escape. Lack of air, acids, and digestive enzymes seal its inevitable doom.

Scientists looked at the nestbox choices of pied flycatchers after the birds observed the "success" of nesting great tits.

Is there a reason operating rooms are always so cold and drafty?

Colorful or plain, skinny or chubby, big or small, the nearly 2,000 species have it all.

Vaccine skeptics might see vaccines the way they do because they tend to overestimate the likelihood of rare negative events.

How do scientists figure out even basic facts such as whether an animal walked on land or swam in the sea?

Researchers classify an animal behavior as play when it doesn’t involve an external reward, such as food, seems to serve no purpose, occurs repeatedly, and happens when the animal is relaxed and not facing threats.

Scientists find clues to how the earth's climate is changing by looking to the past.

Demand for rare earth elements is soaring, and it will continue to grow in the future.

When the bismuth combines with the trace amounts of sulfur in your saliva and in your gastrointestinal tract, it reacts to form a black substance called bismuth sulfide.

King Tutankhamen of Egypt has fascinated people ever since archeologist Howard Carter discovered his splendid tomb in 1922.

Bitterness, like sweetness or saltiness, is one of the major taste sensations. And while it makes our food flavorful, detecting bitterness can sometimes be a warning that we’re eating something toxic.

What's your earliest memory?

It takes much less time for the sun to light up the sky at dawn than it does for all the light to disappear after the sun sets at dusk.

If you drink a glass of ice water on a hot day, what temperature is the ice?

There are some biological differences between the sexes, but do they extend to the brain?

Where does color come from?

In 2019 a team of Israeli scientists published evidence that the evening primrose plant can detect the specific sound vibration frequencies of the buzz of an insect’s wings.

Every student who has ever taken a course in neuroscience or psychology has heard of Patient HM.

We share a lot of genetic material in common with our chimpanzee relatives, and maybe some personal characteristics too.

One frosty morning you awake to a blanket of fresh snow. Adventure awaits! Do you go skiing? Skating? Building snowmen? Or you could do some physics!

French scientists tested dogs to see if they could recognize the faces of other dogs on a computer screen.

While not an ordinary part of the cuisine of the United States, insects are a common food source for millions of people around the world. It might be time Americans reconsidered their lack of bug-based eating.

In evolutionary theory, an inherited trait is favored by natural selection when it helps an individual to produce more offspring than its competitors.

Modern birds are the descendants of dinosaurs. Specifically, paleontologists have shown that birds evolved from a group of two legged dinosaurs called theropods.

June 1969. Not one airliner but two, plus the pilot of an Air National Guard fighter plane, report being harassed by a team of UFOs.

Coffee and cacao beans are fermented. Similar to wine, the flavor of the beans is determined by the type of yeasts and microorganisms present.

From DIY oven cleaner to removing odor from rugs, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has long been known as an essential home cleaning agent.

A "niche" is an organism's special "slot" in an ecosystem that allows it to co-exist with other species.

When someone moves, fluid sloshes inside the ears’ semicircular canals. The fluid tugs at tiny strands of hair.

The Apollo astronauts were at risk of something many people don't know about. The Sun.

We all know someone who goes for a walk in the woods, and comes back with many ticks crawling on them.

Why do airplanes sometimes leave contrails behind, and what are they exactly?

At high levels, carbon dioxide can affect the brain to cause impaired thinking.

Scientists discovered a type of malaria in a twenty-million-year-old mosquito fossil from the Dominican Republic preserved in amber.

If you're eating toast, and you accidentally bump it to the floor, it seems more likely to land buttered side down.

We've been hearing a lot about the importance of gut bacteria. Now it seems that bacteria also have a say in how and when we eat.

The instant you decide to move your foot, the part of your brain's motor cortex responsible for sending commands to the foot goes into action. So what does this mean?

Have you ever prepared a meal that required lots of garlic and found that after all of that chopping your hands reek of garlic for the rest of the night?

You take a plate off the top of one stack. The other plates in the stack rise from below just far enough to present the next plate at the same height as the one you just took!

A few seeds from fruits such as watermelons or apples passing through your digestive tract won't hurt you. But they won't help you much either.

Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey. But what even is that?

It may surprise you to learn that vampire bats are one of the most well-known examples of sharing in the animal kingdom.

How fast are your reflexes? Test them out with a falling dollar.

Since elephants are so big, they have way more cells than most animals. Which means more opportunities for elephant cells to go crazy and become cancerous. So why don't they get cancer?

Major events often make people happy, but does this last very long?

When ants first leave their nest to begin their jobs as foragers, they first have to make sure they can find their way home.

From stories of giant monsters to little green Martians, we humans can imagine some pretty strange creatures. Life, however, offers plenty of surprises here on Earth.

Moths are a lot less attracted to artificial light than they used to be. Learn more about what that means with today's A Moment of Science!

Other animals besides humans learn to recognize their relatives

Jellyfish, delicate and soft as they may be, thrive even in places you might not go swimming—including the Arctic.

Any list of the world's top ten most famous paintings will surely include da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." Part of the painting's appeal is its mystery.

Scientists are now considering the role that dopamine plays in our bodies’ response to other stimuli, such as surprising, new, or negative events.

Did you know that dog’s noses can be tens of thousands of times more sensitive than ours?

‘Biological invasion’ is a phenomenon that occurs when a foreign organism establishes within a community of organisms that it otherwise wouldn’t be associated with.

Hair and fur are practically identical. How can that be?

When you think of beehive, your first thought may be of honey oozing out of the iconic hexagonal cells. Remarkable as the honey may be, though, the cells themselves are just as interesting.

Microscopic hydras will trap and paralyze their prey. The next step usually is to stuff their mouths, only hydras usually don't have mouths.

When it comes to researching extinct animals the focus has almost entirely been on DNA because it tends to stand the test of time better, but RNA is the real secret to understanding how animal’s cells functioned.

The all-too-familiar American cockroach almost seems to know where you're going to strike. What's the tip-off that sends the cockroach running?

If you look at a green door at the edge of your field of vision, it's still green. Simple right? Not quite.

Tardigrades look strange, but they're made up of even stranger stuff.

Some academics have turned to creative sources to translate what existing research tells us about climate problems and policy responses: fairy tale characters.

What sets MRI, CT, and PET scans apart?

In 2018, scientists from Johns Hopkins and the University of Cincinnati attempted the first study of extinct Hispaniolan rodents using isotopes. What can isotopes tell us about extinct animals?

Male fireflies cruise the evening air, flashing their lanterns in a pattern characteristic of their species, looking for females of their own kind.

About 56% of the ocean’s surface has changed in color. An expanse larger than Earth’s entire land surface has become slightly greener.

Have you ever wondered why fluorescent colors -- like you see in highlighters or clothing dyes, for instance - seem so much brighter than other colors?

What did the Earth need to become habitable?

Dogs aren't quite as graceful as we humans when it comes to taking a drink. But you might give your pooch more credit if you knew that her lapping method is the most effective one.

Imagine yourself walking through the English countryside. You might expect to come across some squirrels, moles, foxes, and badgers. However, you may find an unexpected animal friend crossing you path: a red-necked wallaby!

Have you ever watched a bunch of rats hanging out together? You might notice something interesting.

When you sit down to a glass of iced tea with a straw in it, you might say that you are sucking the tea up through the straw. But is this accurate?

If you want a piece of living history, where would you look? You could visit California’s giant redwoods, or simply watch the birds, those descendants of dinosaurs. But consider, instead, the humble sturgeon.

What temperature is comfortable for your skin? The answer might be different from air temperature.

When you think of pollination, you probably think of bees buzzing around on a bright summer day.

Scientists found a way to drive a cockroach the way you might drive a car. What does that mean?

Insects need water just like the rest of us, so how do they drink?

Some medical researchers are looking for new ways to prevent heart attack damage from happening.

According to that famous Beatles song, no: "Money Can't Buy Me Love." But, of course, the Beatles also had a hit with their cover of the Motown song "Money, That's What I Want."

Ask any brewer and they will tell you that yeast is the secret to making beer.

Hurting a blade of grass isn't the end of its life. But how does it affect the soil?

Many species of stink bugs are also pests, but some are beneficial.

You might be sitting in your car. Or slouching at your desk. Or hunched over your phone. Take a minute to think: are you comfortable?

A lot of the time phishing is used by people who want to steal your personal information and bank account numbers.

There's been a long debate between nature and nurture. Scientists have found evidence of a quail's environment impacting egg development.

There’s research showing that social isolation is associated with increase inflammation in the body.

Our national parks are being coated in dust: plastic dust.

If you see a shooting star, make a wish. If you see scores of shooting stars, make a note: you’re witnessing a meteor shower.

All fruits and vegetables produce a natural, dull waxy coating that acts a barrier to the outside world.

Sometimes, something small can really set our anger off. Why does this happen?

While we all have different tastes when it comes to food, the process of chewing seems to be something we share.

Aardvarks are mighty predators in the insect world. How do they do it?

Unicorns are a legend, but there is growing evidence that the legend may have been inspired by a real animal.

Bonobos, our closest great ape relative, and orangutans, our most distant great ape relative, also appear to be capable of planning ahead.

Are there other ways plants respond to their environments that we just can’t perceive?

How does the shape of a glass affect how much you drink? A scientist set out to examine just this, and the results are rather astounding.

Koalas are more than just picky eaters. A Moment of Science looks into what makes their stomachs so sensitive

Are you looking for a new hobby? Do you love the thrill of discovery? Are you the kind of person who enjoys the great outdoors? Then meteorite hunting might be for you.

Not just any old plant has what it takes to survive desert heat.

There are orchids that smell like rotting meat and orchids that smell like fish to attract pollinators. This one smells like us.

Just like Pigpen and his cloud of dust, we have a cloud of bacteria that follows us everywhere

A camel can travel hundreds of miles, over several days, without stopping to drink. On today's Moment of Science, we'll learn how camels survive the dry desert.

Compared to craving other things, such as alcohol for example, having a yearning for sweets seems relatively harmless.

A warm drink on a cold day is a great combo, and humans aren't the only species to discover this.

Do you live near a dormant volcano? You might have a weird wonderland right beneath your feet.

Kazumura is a lava cave over forty miles long, the largest in the world!

Deep in some underground pools lives a shadowy creature. Its existence has remained hidden away—until now.

Some days rain falls in a light, calm sweep across the earth. On other days rain falls in a torrential downpour, flooding the ground below. So, what causes this difference?

If we stub our toes or get other sudden injuries, sometimes a swear pops out. Could they be helpful?

Locusts gather into huge, ravenously hungry migratory swarms.

Hearing or reading language used in this shifted way causes a sudden jump in brain activity.

Cleaner wrasse have made it their jobs to clean their fish friends.

Where and how we interact with mosquitos has become complicated by climate change.

Researchers study earthquakes to learn more about our planet's interior, and new information came to light in 2023.

A researcher found a nose-horned lizard in 2018, which hadn't been seen for 130 years!

Some fungi are useful to plants, some can kill. But it turns out their relationship gets more complex than this.

Even if we can't see someone while they're talking, our brains still pick up their gestures.

Eastern wolves and coyotes have been interbreeding more frequently over the past several hundred years

Animals sometimes understand numbers without school or even language.

Researchers looked into the role texture plays in how full we feel after eating.

How do insects handle being upside-down for so long?

A eureka moment is an experience where a solution or idea suddenly appears in your mind and immediately feels true.

A cat’s facial whiskers are one example of a type of long stiff hair found in clusters on the bodies of most mammals.

Our ancestors may have made their own version of gum from birch bark.

While you’re out in nature, do you ever wonder if your presence changes the way animals interact with each other?

For many organisms, winter is a time to rest. But just because it's dormant doesn't mean the northern star coral isn't working.

What role does psychology play when it comes to how you use your money?

Who exactly was the Gigantopithecus?

Space dust possibly caused an ice age 466 million years ago. How?

Seeds are important for many things, from everything bagels to starting a garden, but can they be the key to preserving habitats for monarch butterflies?

Did you know that researchers have discovered that there are at least 250 kinds of bacteria that live on our skin?

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Are there more flavors out there for us to discover?

Learn about Bunostegos akokanensis, an animal that existed before the time of the dinosaurs.

Just three groups of animals with backbones have evolved the ability to fly: birds, bats, and pterosaurs.

How do honeybees determine their line of succession?

Mangrove forests add a great visual to the coastline, but they provide great benefits too.

Saber-toothed tigers were one of the largest cats to ever exist. How big was that really?

Could the Earth face solar storms in our future? What does that look like?

A decade ago, we knew of almost 25,000. One study has discovered an additional 19,000. And we know there are even more out there.

A simple question for today's A Moment of Science: do flying fish really fly?

If you look at ancient manuscripts, you may notice that beneath the text, there is often a faint outline of other words that have been erased and written over.

Some webs look tangled, while others look like delicate, perfect wheels. The latter are called orb webs.

Researchers discovered sea urchins keep their teeth sharp all on their own.

What if there was a food that could trick the brain into thinking that something sour, like a lemon or lime, was actually sweet?

There are some common hairstyles that can lead to traction alopecia, or hair loss.

Does the Monopoly Man wear a monocle? Is the evil queen’s incantation, “Mirror, mirror on the wall?” Does Curious George have a tail?

Without soap, clothes, dishes, and even your body don't get very clean. But even soap falls short of doing the job in areas with hard water.

Find out how scientists learned cuttlefish see in three dimensions with today's A Moment of Science

Why you should thank NASA for rainy-day road safety on this Moment of Science.

Scientists noted interesting findings in the brain activity of patients undergoing cardiac arrest.

Most people prefer clear apple juice, but cloudy has its own appeal as well.

How far south do the Northern Lights go?

The Damaraland mole-rats save up their energy for a rainy day.

How do pedometers work? Today's A Moment of Science explains.

Who you interact with in a regular day might not be so different from a beluga whale's social life.

What's the psychological difference between getting a request in person versus over a message?

Aspergillus oryzae, or “koji,” received its important status because it lies at the heart of Japanese cuisine.

Ginkgo trees are very eye-catching during the fall, but they're special for another reason as well.

The unique Amami rabbit has an even more unique favorite snack: Balanophora yuwanensis.

Learn more about the Milky Way's center, the supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A-star.

Sometimes, after taking a long trip in a vehicle—like a plane or boat—you might feel unsteady on stable ground.

Near the Greek island of Zakynthos is an underwater rock formation, once thought to be remnants of a forgotten civilization.

If you've ever driven by a wind farm, you may have noticed that the turbines most likely have three blades. Not two, not five, but three.

Scientists have long known that seeing landscapes with blue skies and fair weather can brighten our mood. But what about fleeting features like rainbows that are here one moment and gone the next?

Monocarpic plants flower only once, but they make the most of it. What makes them so spectacular?

Animals sometimes need amputations, but are able to adapt pretty quickly to the lost limb. Why don't animals naturally evolve to have three legs?

Planetary scientists now have a mountain of evidence, accumulated over decades of exploration, that three to four billion years ago, Mars had accumulations of liquid water on its surface.

How do snakes stay hydrated in the desert? A Moment of Science looks to the western diamondback rattlesnake for the answer.

Do you find yourself prioritizing close friends and family over a wide circle of friends as you grow older?

Today's A Moment of Science cracks the code behind a knuckleball.

Find out how NASA prepared astronauts for the 1969 moon landing while staying here on Earth.

Today’s A Moment of Science brings you something you’ve never seen before: the black Amami rabbit.

Electric eels can release over 800 volts of electricity! How are these powerful shocks made?

“If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” But what if there were a way to make kitchens less hot?

Put this in your pipe and smoke it, with today's A Moment of Science.

When you burst out crying, you expect the bleary red eyes and the rivers of tears that stream down your cheeks. But on top of all that, your nose starts to run like a faucet. Why does this happen?

Climate scientists need models to help study the impacts of climate change. Feedback loops play an essential role in these models.

How do books and audiobooks differ in your brain?

Unlike social bees like the bumblebee, solitary bees don't have queens or worker bees, and they don't reside together in colonies.

There have been many advancements in online education in recent years, but our youngest students will still face some difficulties.

Rare earths are vital to green technologies, like wind turbines and electric cars, that will allow us to quit burning fossil fuels and solve the crisis of global climate change. They are vital for promising new technologies like quantum computers.

Have you ever seen a cartoon of a sleeping opossum hanging upside down by its tail? Well, you may be surprised to learn that 'possums don't actually sleep that way.

Having a thick skin is good if you don't want teasing to affect you. But what does it mean for our bodies?

In 2017, astronomers observed one of the most important and mysterious cosmic events: an explosion known as a kilonova.

Animals with stripes really stand out when you look at them. How could this pattern possible help them hide from predators?

There have always been anecdotes about stress causing hair to turn grey, but is there any scientific evidence to back these claims?

We have our circadian rhythm, but how does time impact other animals?

The huge ice sheet covering Greenland is pivotal to the threat of rising sea levels, but it presents some difficulties for scientists.

From potato chips to even our butter, salt is in a lot that we consume these days. But heavily salting our food isn't new behavior.

There are many uses for a hummingbird's bill besides just feeding.

If you ever travel to the Sichuan province in China, you may hear the word "mala" to describe much of the food.

Our tears are different when we cry for emotional reasons. What's the difference?

Making tea with hard water makes a noticeable difference, according to research.

How is superglue so sticky?

There's the popular advice to "sweat out a cold," but does it actually have any benefit?

Researchers found that, over this vast span of time, humans were, on average, about twenty six years old when they conceived children. But they also found a difference between the sexes.

Sea turtles try to keep their nests as safe as possible, even leaving behind a decoy.

In an interview with Dick Cavett, Lucille Ball made a spooky claim: while driving down a bumpy road, she began to hear music—not from her radio, from inside her mouth!

Why would it matter when you use mouthwash?

White or dark, what do you prefer?

The common cold, the flu, measles. What is a virus, anyway?

How do wind farm developers know exactly where to put the turbines?

TV shows and movies always show a pet rescuing their human friends. Is this really likely?

Could you recognize someone just by the way they walk?

Children grow up fast, and that's true for more animals than just humans.

It might not be common in the US right now, but eating insects have several benefits and could become more popular in the near future.

Just like animals, plants are driven to reproduce. Find out more about one of their methods of transportation, zoochory.

What do you look for in a home? Even creatures of the sea want to live somewhere nice, and their needs aren’t that different from yours.

Our age, the Anthropocene era, is distinctive in many ways. The fossils we leave behind might show this in the future.

Why do mammals live together? There's some benefits to living with others.

Most of us are probably pretty careful not to litter. Turns out, we might be doing the same thing just by wearing clothes.

Many birds have striking features, but the hummingbird's wings are unique.

Bananas are a staple fruit in our dieting habits, but scientists have some concerns about its future.

How distinctive are your dance moves?

Where did modern sled dogs originate?

Why do our recorded voices sound so different from inside our own heads?

A study suggests a valuable resource sits right on the surface of the Moon: dust.

With climate change, stronger droughts are challenging the world’s forests.

Things are not always as they seem, and this little demonstration will prove it.

Researchers sometimes make biomedically important findings in the strangest places. One such discovery took place with glass frogs--tiny amphibians that live in the tropical forests of Central and South America.

Overeating at Thanksgiving or other family functions feels pretty common. Is there a reason for that?

In the 1920s automotive engineers made one of the greatest mistakes of the twentieth century.

Iridescent coloring is pretty eye-catching, so how can it be used as camouflage?

What's the size of a toaster, weighs about three pounds, and orbits the Earth?

Today's A Moment of Science has the love story of a frog who can't sing.

Queen bees don't have to leave the hive, but that doesn't mean they have easy lives.

Research suggests how we receive information (reading vs hearing) can inform our opinions about the topic at hand.

Mouthfeel, or texture, is an important component of flavor while we eat.

New fossil evidence suggests previous assumptions about beak evolution weren't quite right.

Hotter weather makes humans more irritable. Turns out we aren't the only species impacted by the dog days of summer.

In most people’s brains, each finger is represented by its own small section in the brain, but the same isn’t true for toes.

Spitting cobras are dangerous because they don't even need to bite their victim in order to do damage. How do they do it?

Learn more about the practical effect known as Pepper's ghost illusion.

When groundhogs first emerge in February, they have very specific priorities.

Not much really compares to fresh picked sweet corn in the summer, and it turns out that there may be a very good scientific reason for why so many of us prefer farm-fresh corn.

Learn about the role of leverage in breaking mugs with today's A Moment of Science.

The internet is one of the most valuable resources of our time. What potential threats exist to our global network?

What's the importance of penguin poop?

Learn more about the Macrauchenia, a creature Charles Darwin considered as one of the strangest ever.

The idea of heading south for the winter isn’t exclusive to humans. Plenty of animals embark on huge trips as the seasons change.

One of the most bewildering developments of modern physics is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. On today's Moment of Science we'll learn what this is, and try to clear up some of the uncertainty.

It turns out flowers have some say in who carries their pollen.

They might not be welcome house guests, but your home probably has more arthropods than you think.

Have you ever seen a raptor stay motionless in the air?

Did you know eating grapefruit can be ill advised, depending on your medication?

Tornadoes can leave devastating destruction in their path, and impact an environment in surprising ways.

Researchers wondered whether the act of wielding a gun would make a person perceive other people as wielding a gun as well.

See how our visual systems invert images with this simple demonstration.

Usually less oxygen leads to problems, but that isn't the case for alligator eggs.

Why would a ship's wake be smooth and not more chaotic? A Moment of Science explains.

Why do ancient katydids have prehistoric significance?

Learn more about your muscles' sensory receptors with today's A Moment of Science!

Some sounds are involuntary, but crows have the ability to determine if they want to call.

There have been several devastating earthquakes in recent history. Today's A Moment of Science looks at what is suspected to be the biggest earthquake our ancestors experienced.

Have you ever felt hangry? Turns out this emotion is more complex than you might think.

Why do flightless birds still have their wings?

How does moisture-wicking fabric work while you're working out?

Despite appearances from the surface, the ocean has a surprising geographical range.

Learn more about the widespread technique of pickling with today's A Moment of Science.

Gardeners would tell you earthworms are a crucial species in keeping their plants healthy, but not all worms are beneficial for your plants

Not only leaves, but rocks, soil, and road surfaces all have more intense color when they're wet than when they're dry.

An asteroid striking our planet might be a popular storyline in science fiction, but how likely is this possibility really?

Find out more about leafhoppers and why they might like global warming with today's A Moment of Science.

Anthropologists think our ancestors solved the calorie problem by learning to cook their food with fire.

We’ve all heard of lab rats—but what about lab axolotls?

How exactly does exercise make us healthier?

Learn more about reforestation practices with today's A Moment of Science.

Check out today's A Moment of Science for more on one of nature's most basic and subtle shapes -- the winding, back-and-forth S-curve of a meandering river.

We recently looked at the internal GPS systems of insects, but what about other wildlife?

Today's A Moment of Science is all about the benefits of hippotherapy.

Pong is so easy you might say anyone could master it. And Pong’s newest players? A group of lab-grown brain cells.

Insects use their own GPS system to navigate, and scientists looked at how accurate their sense of direction is.

Learn more about alien hand syndrome with today's A Moment of Science!

The T. rex was one of the fiercest dinosaur predators, but why did it have such small arms?

Love makes you do crazy things, but what is it exactly that makes us behave so differently?

How personable are cockroaches?

There are some interesting physics to be found first thing in the morning.

Humans like to think of Earth as our planet, but biology tells us otherwise.

Learn all about Bernoulli's principle with today's A Moment of Science!

We often associate bats with echolocation, but did you know some humans can have this ability too?

For billions of years, life on Earth had included only microbes, and simple soft-bodied organisms. Then, within just a few tens of millions of years, a variety of complex aquatic animals appeared.

Rome had a fairly sophisticated sanitation system, but didn't have a reduction in internal parasites. What made this possible?

The ability to make comparisons and analogies is a mental capacity that distinguishes human beings from at least most other animals.

Not all magpie jays are alike. Some individuals are much bolder than others. Now, scientists think they may have discovered a clue to explain the differences.

Rats have good spacial mapping, but sometimes things can impact their mental image.

When scientists study parrots, they often appear as smart as monkeys and other mammals. How is this possible?

The older we get, the more trusting we tend to become.

"Come inside my web," said the spider to the fly...

The rare butterfly Mitchell's Satyr used to be found all over the Midwest.

Blue ice is relatively rare to see, so how does this formation get made?

Pyrosomes might seem like a creature from science fiction, but they really exist. Learn all about them with today's A Moment of Science.

Our hotter summers are also impacting our colder winters. Find out more with today's A Moment of Science.

Crabgrass might be an eyesore in your lawn, but it presents an even bigger for crop growth.

Would you ever mistake playground hoots as the call of a real baboon or great ape?

The Great American Eclipse of 2017 raised some interesting questions about bee behavior.

Nitrous oxide isn't often talked about these days, but it is still an important greenhouse gas.

They might be inconvenient on a personal level, but bees play a very important role in our environment.

What is the significance of an ecological niche? Today's A Moment of Science explains.

What is it about cute animals that calms us down?

Vitamins are a vital aspect of maintaining our help, but how did they get their name?

The truth behind the vampire finch is stranger than fiction!

How long have we had sophisticated medical knowledge?

Rescuing each other from predators isn't a common behavior seen in animals, but the harvester ant shows its possible.

Mole rats are immune to certain kinds of pain, including what makes wasabi and some peppers spicy for humans.

Chewing takes up a small part of our day, but researchers believed it takes up a significant part of our energy.

A large, white animal with fur and claws? The yeti might not exist, but today's A Moment of Science has the next best thing.

Why is a melting glacier such a cause for concern? Today's A Moment of Science looks closer at the research.

Want to know the secret to a perfect pizza? It all comes down to science.

Crows are some of the most intelligent birds on the planet. What keeps us fascinated with their behavior?

How well can you remember things you see every day, like logos?

Breathing at high altitudes gets incredibly difficult. How are yaks able to live in such drastic conditions?

People are now living longer than ever, but there are a few drawbacks that come with old age.

Our attitudes affect our bodies more than you might think. Find out how with today's A Moment of Science.

Despite our associations, vanilla is actually far from boring.

17th-century physicist Robert Hooke was fascinated with corks. Today's A Moment of Science takes a closer look at his findings.

Learn more about the tufted deer with today's A Moment of Science!

The complex circuitry of the brain is the source of our emotions, thoughts, and behavior. One of the most important types of behavior, in humans and other animals, are social interactions with others.

It might sound like a fairy tale detail, but sometimes the sky can briefly turn green. How does this happen?

Why do reflections change depending on the side of a spoon?

Learn more about stick bugs with today's A Moment of Science!

Either intentionally or not, we've all unfortunately opened a can of soda that was shaken. Find out how to potentially avoid this bubble trouble with today's A Moment of Science.