Though many dog owners may not be aware of it, our canine friends can develop dementia too. Dementia in dogs — also known as canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome — often follows a similar pattern of development as it does in humans, says Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviorist and senior veterinary scientific director with the research organization CanCog. Read More: We’re Not Alone: Animals Suffer From Mental Health Issues Too “Dogs have neurodegenerative disease disorders that they d ...read more
A growing body of research is making some surprising discoveries about insects. Honeybees have emotional ups and downs. Bumblebees play with toys. Cockroaches have personalities, recognize their relatives and team up to make decisions. Fruit flies experience something very like what we might call fear. Read More: Bumble Bees Like To Play Just For Fun Insects having emotions is not a new idea. In 1872, in The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin wrote, "Even inse ...read more
The world was an unrecognizable place more than 2.45 billion years ago. But for most of the tiny organisms that lived on the planet at the time, things were just fine; at least, until the cyanobacteria started to proliferate.  As a result, these photosynthetic bacteria began to produce oxygen — so much of it that the tiny microbes sparked the "Great Oxidation Event" that infused the gas into our atmosphere. “You could argue that that’s the biggest poisoning event of Earth’s history,†...read more
On Sunday, February 12, the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix, AZ! Below, find ways to learn about eagles (and other birds) from almost anywhere; and discover where to check out a free kit from libraries in Missouri (Kansas City is in Missouri after all) to help measure light pollution. Leading up to the Super Bowl, the Science Cheerleaders, who were recently featured on the cover of Diversity in STEAM Magazine, will be busy with events in Phoen ...read more
Physiologically, human adolescents are late bloomers on many fronts: learning to walk, securing and preparing their own food, and reproducing sexually. And that’s especially true for the development process inside our heads. Even after a young adult has finished growing, perhaps married or claimed independence by most social standards, their brain typically continues developing — until they reach their mid- to late 20s. Adolescence, in fact, spans from the age of 10 until at least age 24, ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine