Faulty memory sometimes gets the best of us, like when we're scrambling to find a lost pair of keys or a phone. There's good reason to invest in recent research on the humble chickadee, which apparently has the mind of a steel trap. In fact, these birds can remember things so well that they could help us understand how a memory takes form. Researchers from Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute took a closer look at the brains of black-capped chickadees, an endeavor that has hatched an exc ...read more
Striped polecats (Ictonyx striatus), or the African zorilla, are small carnivores that look like North American skunks but aren't. They're more closely related to weasels and have smaller, slender bodies. There are plenty of fun facts about this creature, like what they actually use a stink gland for, and more. Let's take a closer look at the striped polecat.1. Striped Polecats Are the Skunk’s Doppelgänger (Credit: Karel Bock/Getty Images)If a striped polecat looked at a North American skunk ...read more
When you think about dirt, you’re probably picturing soil. There’s so much more going on under our feet than the rock dust, or “dirt,” that gets on your pants.When I began studying soil, I was amazed at how much of it is actually alive. Soil is teeming with life, and not just the earthworms that you see on rainy days.Keeping this vibrant world healthy is crucial for food, forests and flowers to grow and for the animals that live in the ground to thrive. Here’s a closer look at what’s ...read more
It resembles a mouse with big round ears and the tiniest little pouch to hold its young. But this isn’t your average rodent, in fact, it’s the world’s smallest marsupial. Yet, it should never be underestimated. The long-tailed planigale is an itty-bitty but fierce carnivorous mammal found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.Linette Umbrello is a biologist at the Western Australian Museum who has spent her career studying the planigale, a tiny creature that makes its home down under. The smal ...read more
Eclipse day is almost here! Come April 8, 2024, the next solar eclipse will capture the awe of millions of people in North America and across the globe. To prepare for this historical event, we invite you to join us on April 1, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. CST for a live Q&A session with our friends David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of Astronomy Magazine, and Michael Bakich, Contributing Editor at Astronomy Magazine, as we dive into the wonders of the upcoming solar eclipse. Hop on the live stream here: ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine