BIOLOGY

8 Bodily Secretions You’d Rather Not Think About

Rheum, cerumen, and mucus are just a few of our gross bodily fluids.

Elephant Recorded Peeling a Banana With Its Trunk for the First Time

In this video, Pang Pha the elephant is shown peeling a banana using only her trunk—a first for the species.

Anglerfish Mating Is Horrific—and Here’s How It Works

If you thought modern-day dating was rough, just wait until you find out how these deep-sea dwellers get it on.

Chemistry between couples does involve actual chemistry.

When You Feel “Chemistry” With Someone, What’s Actually Going On?

We know chemistry when we feel it, but we don't always know why we're drawn to one person over another. Science has some answers … but not all of them.

10 Brilliant Facts About Teeth

The average adult human has 28 to 32 teeth, give or take a set of wisdom teeth. But besides the importance of brushing and flossing, how well do you know your chompers?

What’s That White Stuff on Your Salmon (And Is It Safe to Eat)?

That’s the salmon’s albumin—here’s everything you need to know about what it is and how to avoid it when cooking salmon.

For the First Time Ever, Scientists Witnessed—and Recorded—Orcas Stalking and Killing a Blue Whale

New video evidence shows that orcas are capable of hunting and killing blue whales—the largest animals on Earth.

Are Zebras Black With White Stripes or White With Black Stripes?

What color are a zebra's stripes? Though it may sound like a philosophical query, it is possible to answer this question with science.

Here's What Really Happens When You Swallow Gum

If you've managed to get this far in life without swallowing gum, you may ask yourself: Can ingesting gum really hurt you?

Koalas Have Fingerprints That Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Ours

Though humans and koalas don't have much in common, there is one big similarity: fingerprints. Koalas have looping fingerprints just like humans, and some might not be able to tell them apart.

mihailomilovanovic/iStock via Getty Images

The Surprising Reason Your Muscles Get Tired When You Exercise

Though it may be annoying, sudden muscle fatigue during exercise is nothing to worry about. It's a byproduct of the way your body uses energy.

David Clark, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Don’t Smell the Flowers: How Alnwick Castle’s Poison Garden Finds Beauty in the World’s Deadliest Plants

Smelling or touching the plants in the Poison Garden at the UK's Alnwick Castle could send you to the hospital.

Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?

Pink flamingos’ ability to stand on one leg seems impressive—but it might be less of a balancing act than you think.

Scientists Are Unlocking the Mysteries of an Echidna’s Fancy, Four-Headed Penis

An echidna’s penis doesn’t have to excrete any urine, which may help explain why it’s fancier than a human’s.

The chocolate frog on a very green leaf.

Scientists Have Identified a New ‘Chocolate Frog’ Species

We simply have to assume that at least one researcher made some reference to Harry Potter’s chocolate frogs when they found it.

Why Does the Sun Make Hair Lighter?

If you get natural blond highlights in the summer, your hair may be damaged by too much exposure to the sun.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

9 Fascinating Facts About Urine

You might think that urine is just bodily waste—but you would be wrong. It's been used in cleansers, medicine, and infertility treatments for centuries.

A fox near the Chernobyl power plant in 2017.

Chernobyl May Not Be Habitable for Humans for Another 24,000 Years, But Wildlife Is Thriving

Rare animal species in Chernobyl, from lynxes to wild horses, seem to be weathering all that radiation relatively well.

Louder Than Traffic: Listen to the Deafening Sounds of a Cicada Chorus

When the Brood X cicadas emerge in late spring 2021, their mating calls will rival the volume of lawn mowers, car stereos, and low-flying planes.

Octopuses never have to say a farewell to arms for long.

On a Limb: How an Octopus Regrows Its Arms

The cephalopod is strikingly intelligent, but its most spectacular talent may be its ability to fully regrow arms lost to predators.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Recycle Your Giant CVS Receipts

You can blame that glossy finish, which comes from a mysterious, potentially harmful chemical called BPA.

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