biology

Proof that it only takes a second for alcohol to totally mess with your body.

Tropical slipper limpets are pretty unremarkable—until it's mating time. Then things get interesting.

The fecal samples taken from hibernating bears were less diverse than those of their counterparts.

screenshot from infrared video by Animal Energetics / Powers Lab

Getting rid of excess heat is complicated when your body is covered in insulating feathers. Here's how hummingbirds do it.

It's not necessarily a bad thing.

Scientists are trying to better understand their iridescent shades.

A bit of physics and biology are to blame.

One of the things that makes people so special is that we’re all different. Each person you meet has their own special talents, their own favorite food, and a different face looking back at them in the mirror.

Vásquez V.E. et al. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 2015

The aptly named shark is cloaked in black from head to tail and emits a faint blue glow.

In this episode of 'Big Questions,' Craig answers a pressing question from one of our YouTube fans.

Compared to other primates, humans have shorter and deeper periods of sleep.

Hippos apparently find meat far too tasty to pass up—but that doesn't mean they should eat it.

And they could help determine time of death. Paging CSI.

Jaroslav Vogeltanz, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Burrows with high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) can become death traps for the insects.

A new study shows that ant colonies act like “a single organism would in response to attacks on different parts of its body.”

Christian Grill, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Off the east coast of Australia, some fish are doing something funny.

Short answer: Your internal clock doesn’t care what day it is.

Left photo: A. Diamant. Right photo: P. Cartwright

Sequencing the myxozoans’ genome revealed their unlikely cnidarian origins.

Thanks to a pair of glasses, Michael Arbeiter sees some colors for the first time.

Birds' nests are as diverse as the creatures who build them. The variety of locations, shapes, and sizes they’re built in and the materials they’re made from can be staggering.

“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day” is not a sentiment that many would disagree with. But then there’s Nepenthes gracilis, a carnivorous plant found in Southeast Asia that relies on rain to help it eat.

Drägüs, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.O

Stick bugs arrived on the Mascerene Islands 22 million years ago from a surprising place: Australia.

fir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.au via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-NC 3.0

No one has yet made an adhesive based on the spider’s glue. Now we're learning how it's affected by UV light.

The Strange Science Behind Why Alcohol Burns

This Snail's Sex Change Is Triggered by Touch

Gut Bacteria May Keep Fat, Hibernating Bears Healthy

Infrared Video Shows How Hummingbirds Shed Heat Through Their Eyes and Feet

Wear Deodorant? You Have More Armpit Bacteria Than Antiperspirant Users

Giant Clams Could Help Us Make Better Screens and Solar Cells

Why Does Your Nose Run When It's Cold Outside?

Why Does Skin Come in Different Colors?

Scientists Identify Stealthy Ninja Shark

Why Do Babies' Eyes Change Color?

Human Sleep Is Very Efficient, Scientists Argue

Hippos Eat Way More Meat than We Thought, and It Can Make Them Sick

The Same Microbes Help Bodies Decompose No Matter Where They're Buried

Fleas Need Fresh Air

Ant Colonies Earn Their 'Superorganism' Reputation

Newly Discovered Visual Sensors Aid Sperm’s Movement

In a First for Fish, Needlefish Attack Prey from the Air

Why Can't I Sleep In On Weekends Anymore?

Microscopic Parasite Revealed to Be Teeny, Tiny Jellyfish

What It's Like to See Pink for the First Time

How Some Birds Evolved to Build Protected Nests

Carnivorous Plant Uses Rain to Spring Its Trap

How Bugs From Australia Settled African Islands

The Strength of Spider Web Glue Is Affected by UV Light