Cats have a reputation for being distant and aloof, although people who share their homes with cats often disagree with that. But even the most devoted cat lovers might be surprised by the results of a new study. Saho Takagi, an animal behavior researcher at Azabu University in Kanagawa, Japan, and her colleagues adapted a method often used with human babies to test cats’ ability to learn words. The cats — 31 of them — aced the test. In fact, they learned the words faster than the average ...read more

Bringing up the topic of gnats tends to conjure varying degrees of annoyance. Whether you’re an aspiring gardener, or simply taking a walk by the water during the right season, chances are you’ve noticed – or ran right into – clouds of these tiny flies that suspiciously resemble mosquitoes.Luckily for us, gnats don’t bite, nor do they transmit or carry diseases. They’re not harmful to humans, except when it comes to the nuisance spectrum. Fungus gnats, which are the most common speci ...read more

Finding a tick embedded in your dog’s skin can send a shiver down your spine. And these tiny parasites are more than just a creepy nuisance — they’re potential carriers of diseases that can affect both your dog and your family. But with the right knowledge and a bit of patience, removing a tick and protecting your pup from future encounters is easier than you might think.Here’s everything you need to know about safely removing a tick from your dog, what to do afterward, and how to reduce ...read more

The United States is in the midst of the biggest boom in clean energy manufacturing investments in history, spurred by laws like the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.These laws have leveraged billions of dollars in government support to drive private sector investments in clean energy supply chains across the country.For several years, one of us, Jay Turner, and his students at Wellesley College have been tracking clean energy investments in the U ...read more

Since September, the polar night of winter has been spreading steadily southward in the Arctic. But sea ice hasn't been keeping pace. During October, growth of the floating ice was held back by significantly warmer temperatures than average. All told, October saw the fourth lowest extent of Arctic sea ice for the month in records stretching back 46 years to 1979, according to the latest analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. An expanding black circle marks the spread of polar night i ...read more

As TVs across Florida broadcast the all-too-familiar images of a powerful hurricane headed for the coast in early October 2024, people whose homes had been damaged less than two weeks earlier by the Hurricane watched anxiously. Hurricane Milton was rapidly intensifying into a dangerous storm fueled by the Gulf of Mexico’s record-breaking temperatures.Many residents scrambled to evacuate, clogging roads away from the region. Officials urged those near the coast who ignored evacuation warnings t ...read more

LabX Media Group has acquired Discover magazine and its comprehensive digital platform, DiscoverMagazine.com, from Kalmbach Media Co. The addition of Discover to LabX’s portfolio strengthens its position as a leading voice in science and research media, bringing one of the most recognized science publications into its family. "We’re excited to bring Discover into LabX Media Group," said LabX Media Group President Bob Kafato. “This acquisition aligns with our mission to provide insightful, ...read more

Because there are typically no symptoms until the first fracture occurs, osteoporosis is considered a silent disease. Some call it a silent killer.Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by decreased bone density and strength, leading to fragile, brittle bones that increase the risk of fractures, especially in the spine, hips, and wrists.The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that more than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. Another 43 million have low bone mass, which is the p ...read more

To paraphrase Joyce Kilmer, you’ll never see an article as lovely as a tree, but this one should inspire you to go out and not only see trees, but help scientists working to understand and protect them. You’ll track down endangered trees for TreeSnap; monitor urban trees for ISeaTree; learn about trees with the Girl Scout Tree Promise project; spy on woodpeckers making their homes in trees with Woodpecker Cavity Cam; and help NASA and the GLOBE program discover how much carbon trees are capt ...read more

We all know what happens when we assume. Turns out that saying rings true for the folks who thought they understood the nature of the Pompeii residents killed in 79 C.E. after Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried, then preserved their bodies in ash.The conventional wisdom held that Pompeii’s residents were wealthy Romans — either on holiday or enjoying their second home. That notion appears to be very, very wrong, according to a study in Current Biology.DNA Shows Diverse BackgroundsResearchers ex ...read more