Decades after the late 1970s, the death of disco has officially hit Europe. That's because the governing body behind most of the continent has banned the sale of several types of plastic glitter, due to the dangers they pose to the environment and to human health. The ban, which went into place on Oct. 17, 2023, comes as part of a larger commitment by the European Commission to reduce the release of microplastics. So, what makes glitter such a terrible threat to ecosystems, and which sorts of gl ...read more
When parents arrive at a daycare at the end of the day, their human toddlers often race into their arms while joyfully screaming, “Mommy!” or “Daddy!” That’s how parents know their kids recognize them.Cats, on the other hand, can be much harder to read. Do they really know the difference between you and your neighbor? Do Cats Recognize Their Owners?(Credit: Anastasiya Tsiasemnikava/ Shutterstock)For many cat owners, the answer to this question is a big fat “duh! Of course, my cat kno ...read more
If you’re anywhere on the Internet, you’ve probably seen them around. They look like a hodgepodge of a guinea pig, beaver, and coconut, but far upsized. They surf on the backs of their parents but double as free cabs and pillows for the rest of the animal kingdom. They’re capybaras, of course, the largest rodents in the world.But even though they are rodents, we adore these creatures. What’s their secret?What Are Capybaras and Why Are They So Popular?(Credit: Henner Damke/Shutterstock)Sc ...read more
During the Eocene Epoch, between 56 and 34 million years ago, West Texas wasn’t the desert it is today. Rather, the ecosystem would have been made up of closed canopied tropical rainforests similar to what we might find in places like Costa Rica today. It was rainy and damp with humidity you could cut with a knife.Many of the fossils found in this part of the world are preserved in the serpentine rivers that meandered through the forests in a landscape dotted with volcanic highlands. It was a ...read more
Walking is perhaps one of the most difficult maneuvers a living creature can perform. And turkeys have highly evolved muscular and skeletal systems that support an efficient mode of locomotion: the trot.Standing still, a turkey is in a state of stable equilibrium. Its center of gravity rests directly over its feet, with its muscles anchored to its skeleton, directing the turkey’s weight down below. While the turkey requires a small amount of energy to remain in balance, this is an efficient, l ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine