Many people have seen dogs fetch, but cats like to get into the game too. Despite their very different hunting and play styles, fetching appears to combine elements of predatory and social behavior for both species.Although their domestication histories and natural behaviors are very different, cats and dogs share many similarities. Both species are predators, live closely with humans and are capable of enjoying rich social experiences with us.In our newly published study, we found that more tha ...read more

Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals. It is also one of the most enduring. Over the past few decades, paleontologists have found it in dinosaur fossils tens of millions of years old. Its persistence is perplexing, because the protein contains chemical bonds, that, on paper, should only last 500 years. So why does this stuff last so long? Chemists provide an answer to that mystery in an ACS Central Science report. The Strength of CollagenThe answer starts with collagen’s structure. ...read more

If you've ever seen a puffin, with its striking black-and-white feathers and vivid orange beak, you might have wondered: Are puffins penguins? The short answer is no, but the reasons why are as intriguing as these birds themselves. Puffins are unique creatures with their own fascinating characteristics. Here, we’ll explore what puffins are, where they live, how they hunt and fly, and why they are increasingly vulnerable to environmental threats — all while clearing up the puffin-penguin conf ...read more

On July 20, 1969, humanity achieved what was once thought impossible: landing on the Moon. The Apollo 11 mission, followed by five more successful Moon landings, marked a golden era of space exploration. However, after the last mission, Apollo 17 in 1972, humans haven’t set foot on the lunar surface again. It’s been more than 50 years, so why haven’t we returned to the Moon? The answer is complicated, involving politics, economics, and evolving priorities in space exploration.The End of th ...read more

Satellites have become a vital part of our daily lives, quietly orbiting Earth to enable technologies from weather forecasting to global communications. But while these modern marvels work tirelessly above us, they don’t last forever. Eventually, every satellite reaches the end of its life — and that often involves a fiery dive back through Earth’s atmosphere. But how often do satellites fall back to Earth, and what happens when they do?The Rise of the Satellite EraThe satellite era began ...read more

Sometimes, it’s a shark-eat-shark world. Documented cases of larger sharks dining on smaller ones are relatively rare. Scientists have now found the first evidence of a larger species consuming the porbeagle shark, according to a report in Frontiers in Marine Science.Porbeagles live in the Atlantic Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. They grow to around 12 feet and weigh up to about 500 pounds. Scientists started tracking a group of porbeagles in 2020 — not to see if th ...read more

Nature is disordered, messy, chaotic. But upon closer look, you might start noticing patterns, sequences, and symmetry on all sorts of varying scales, from the grandest spiral galaxies to the tiniest snail shell. One popular pattern spotted in many places is the Fibonacci sequence. You’ve likely encountered it before, perhaps as a spiral graphic often superimposed over images of human ears, hurricanes, or nautilus shells. How many of them are actually examples of the Fibonacci sequence arising ...read more

If you’re feeling groggy during the day, and a cup or several cups of coffee just isn’t doing the trick, you might resign yourself to a cat nap. As the name suggests, those kinds of power naps are reminiscent of the ways our feline friends seem to laze and doze their entire days away. Sleeping may appear to be your cat’s favorite, or at least, most commonplace activity, and there’s good reason for it. Here's what to know about the ways cats sleep. Why Cats Sleep So Much(Credit: Svetlana ...read more

Imagine packing for a trip to space. Your suitcase would contain apparel that is much different from your usual vacation gear. Instead of swimsuits, flip-flops, and sun hats, you'll need life-supporting attire — gear that can protect you from the vacuum of space, extreme temperatures, and harmful radiation.But what do astronauts really wear in space? Let’s unpack the essentials.The Space Suit: Your Personal Spacecraft[embedded content]When you think of spacewear, the iconic spacesuit likely ...read more

When Elizabeth Edgerly’s mother was living with memory loss, Edgerly had to help her with daily care activities like getting dressed. At times, her mother became frustrated and couldn’t communicate what she needed.“I remember a couple instances in which she went to hit me with a cane,” says Elizabeth Edgerly, the senior director of care and support for The Alzheimer’s Association.People with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), dementia, or other forms of memory loss can display aggression or a ...read more