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Animals
Cognitive flexibility, opportunistic survival, and social cooperation have allowed rats to thrive in conditions that wipe out other species.
In this excerpt from "The Story of CO2," Peter Brennan explains how changes in the Earth's ecosystem led to fire, which in turn led our ancestors to become the "fire apes."
Science writer Matt Ridley joins us to discuss how “Darwin’s strangest idea” makes us all a bit feather-brained (in a good way).
In his book, "Birds, Sex and Beauty," Matt Ridley explores why learning isn't always nature versus nurture.
A fresh view of intelligence — spanning living systems from bacteria to human civilization — challenges the idea that it’s merely problem-solving.
Could studying the Oriental hornet lead to a treatment for people with alcohol use disorder?
Whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly, or kinky isn't just genetic in nature. It depends on the physics of your hair's very atoms.
It's high time owners learned to speak their dog's language.
Scientists still aren't sure how they perform without those restorative Z's.
Learning to decode complex communication on Earth may give us a leg up if intelligent life from space makes contact.
A poignant, 2,000-year-old burial in northern Italy could be the latest evidence of an ancient friendship.
More than 90% of ticks that bit treated volunteers were dead within 24 hours.
"She understood me and I understood her. I loved that pigeon.”
Hundreds of millions of animals get killed for meat every day.
The problem with carnivores turned omnivores.
See the world through the eyes of a horse — or a cake pan.
A new study provides the first proof-of-principle that genetic material transferred from one species to another can increase both longevity and healthspan in the recipient animal.
They're not just watching you; they're also calculating.
When the UK bans the American Bully XL this year, it won't rely on science to identify them.
In an attempt to prove Christianity inferior to communism, a Soviet scientist hoped to play God.
To this day, one cult believes that Lemuria was real, and that its people left us the sacred wisdom to revive their advanced civilization.
If cocaine affects sharks at all, it does so as an anesthetic, not as a stimulant.
Lab-grown meat may work better as a complement to animal agriculture rather than a replacement of it.
Hybrid animals emerge when two different species from the same family reproduce. For many years, the kunga’s lineage was just another genetic mystery.
![a photo of a [dog breed] on a pink background.](https://redesign.bigthink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/dog2.jpg?w=512&h=512&crop=1)
A dog's breed isn't as predictive of behavior as many think it is. Environment and upbringing play a much larger role.
Quantum physics is starting to show up in unexpected places. Indeed, it is at work in animals, plants, and our own bodies.
It is generally ineffective, occasionally poisonous, and driving numerous species to the brink of extinction.
Genetic profiles of many dog breeds appear as if siblings mated.
A photographer captured Bern’s eclectic and charming feline structures.