When playful pups skid across an icy pond or romp in a snowdrift, their paws plunge into frosty places. If people go barehanded and barefooted in such cold places, their skin may freeze in a painful condition called frostbite. Dogs frolic without fear of frostbite, and scientists from Japan say they’ve figured out why. Read […]
No frostbite for dogs Read More »
German scientists have found that Guiana dolphins can detect tiny electric fields using special organs in their snouts — which may help them pick up the scent of a future meal. This Science News for Kids snapshot was adapted from a Science News story by Nadia Drake. Photo credit: Richard Diepstraten
Dolphin dimples detect electricity Read More »
For every cell in your brain, bones, organs and blood, there are 10 bacteria. They’re not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to them. Bacteria can be helpful: Some live in the intestines and aid with digestion. They can also be harmful: Some bacteria cause serious disease. And some bacteria can be
Some people see hail; others see opportunity. I wrote a short snap for Science News for Kids about what a researcher found inside hailstones. Read it here. It was based on a longer Science News article by Janet Raloff.
Scientists have discovered a new kind of nematode living in three-quarters of a mile underground in a gold mine in South Africa. If worms can survive in extreme underground environments, then perhaps similar life exists deep beneath the surface of other planets. I wrote this snapshot news article for Science News for Kids; it’s adapted
Can spiders spin silk from their feet? A snapshot from Science News for Kids. This story was adapted from a Science News story by Susan Milius.
Silky spider footprints Read More »
How fast do bladderworts suck? I wrote about this question for a recent episode of the Loh Down on Science.
Once the most feared disease on the planet, smallpox killed countless people in the course of human history. The first signs of smallpox are fever and aches. Then come the disfiguring pustules, often followed by death. But there hasn’t been a case in nearly 30 years. I wrote a short piece about smallpox for the
Whatever Happened to… Smallpox? Read More »
