Science / Video
This Cactus Opens Its Petals Only One Night a Year
For the female lesser long-nosed bats in the Pinacate Desert, food is scarce. One possible source of nutrients: pollen from the saguaro cactus, whose milk-white petals open up only one …
Yellowstone Bison Are Built for Winter Survival
With a dense coat, a powerful mass of muscle and a large head ideally suited for clearing away snow and locating buried grass, bison are built for frigid conditions in …
How a Powerful Dust Storm Made Mars ‘Disappear’ In 2018
In just a few months in 2018, the landscape of Mars seemed to disappear, as a thick, red cloud enveloped the planet. It was one of Mars’ signature sand storms—obscuring …
How Ancient Water May Have Shaped the Surface of Mars
Mariner 9 showed that the surface of Mars closely resembled that of the moon. But the shape of the craters and canyons found there suggest that at one point, its …
The Sunken Titanic Led to Iceberg Patrols in the Atlantic
The sinking of the Titanic and the ensuing loss of life was horrific enough to prompt major action. In 1914, 16 nations formed an international patrol to scour the oceans …
The Most Toxic Frog Has a Beautiful Singing Voice
A male golden dart frog uses his unique singing ability to attract a mate. It’s hard to believe that such a melodic sound can come from one of the most …
How Alan Eustace Performed the World’s Highest Free Fall Jump
In 2014, Alan Eustace accomplished the highest altitude free fall jump ever recorded, from nearly 26 miles above earth. To accomplish this safely, he wore a revolutionary new liquid cooling …
The Shift in Prehistoric Apex Predators
At the end of the Cretaceous period, only one mega-predatory dinosaur ruled North America: Tyrannosaurus rex. The Borealopelta was alive around the mid-Cretaceous era, so eyes turn to one of …
Chicago’s Urban Coyotes Are Fascinating Scientists
Humans are the dominant species on the planet—and sometimes, that puts a strain on other animals. But the way coyotes have adapted to urban living is giving scientists hope that …
This Aggressive Male Orangutan Refuses to Be Sedated
A team of vets working to capture a group of orangutans living along the banks of the Rungan River, are waylaid by the leader of the group—an aggressive male, named …
A Rival Male Challenges the Alpha for Macaque Supremacy
An outsider male macaque has issued a direct challenge to the leader of a toque macaque clan. If he wins, he’ll become the new alpha and could decide to murder …
Infant Orangutans Get Ready for Their First Day of School
The nursery class of the Orangutan Jungle School in Borneo are about to visit their new forest classrooms for the first time. Some need a little encouragement – which is …
Pablo Escobar’s Hippos Have Created an Ecological Crisis in Colombia
In the late ‘80s, infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar illegally imported a group of hippos for his personal zoo. Today, these hippos are wreaking havoc and are protected by the …
How Drones Gather Samples From Inside Active Volcanoes
Measuring the level of carbon dioxide in an active volcano is an accurate gauge of whether it’s about to erupt. One team of scientists are attempting to fly a drone …
This Endangered Rhino Is Bigger Than Most Cars
The greater one-horned rhino is one of the most vulnerable animals in India—today, only 3,500 remain in the wild, spread out in isolated pockets from Nepal to the Myanmar border.
Is This African Insect the Strongest in the World?
Dung beetles, proportionally stronger than elephants, are able to move a ball of dung 40 times their own weight. In fact, for their size, dung beetles are among the strongest …
Fascinating: Hornets Build an Elaborate Nest Inside a Tree
Hornets often build their nests inside hollow trees, putting together an intricate structure that can reach up to 20 inches in height. Despite the effort that goes into it, the …
Winged Dinosaurs Didn’t Use Their Wings Only to Fly
It’s widely accepted that dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds. What’s less well known is that early feathered dinosaurs didn’t use their primitive wings to fly—they often used them to …
Regular dust bathing removes pest and parasites and keeps the wild bird’s iridescent feathers in top condition. (Credit: Carla Rhodes)
How Neil Armstrong Saved the Gemini 8 Spacecraft
Gemini 8 was in trouble. After completing the first space docking with another craft, it begins to spin uncontrollably. Ditching protocol, commanding officer Neil Armstrong tries an unorthodox plan.
Mesmerizing Footage of Monarch Butterflies Mating
After an epic 3,000 mile journey from Canada and the northern U.S. to the Oyamel fir forests of Central Mexico, these Monarch butterflies are ready to fulfill their purpose: mating.
Vivid Footage of One of the Rarest Primates in the World
Roughly 20 miles off the coast of West Africa, the island of Bioko sits alone in the Atlantic Ocean. This rainforest-dominated terrain is home to one of the rarest primates …
Watch an Amazing Time-Lapse of Growing Mushrooms
A mesmerizing 10,000-shot video captures the dramatic life cycles of several species (Owen Reiser)
There’s a Limit to the Comfort Level of NASA Space Suits
The space suits used by the astronauts on Gemini 7, known as grasshopper suits, were designed for comfort. But after two weeks inside them, that was the last thing on …
How Bison Are Helping Cliff Swallows Build Their Nests
It’s a partnership that’s as unlikely as any: herds of bison on the move are kicking up chunks of earth. This, in turn, gives cliff swallows the valuable mud pellets …
Bringing Classified Nuclear Test Footage to the Public
Greg Spriggs and Jim Moye are on a mission: to declassify all valuable film footage that exists of every U.S. nuclear test ever conducted.
These Condors Will Fight to Get a Seat at the Dinner Table
A flock of Andean condors have spotted a carcass in the Southern Cordillera region of Patagonia. It’s a rare feeding opportunity in this barren land - and there will be …
The Secret World of Animal Sleep: Asleep on the Wing
When birds need sleep, they do it on the fly—quite literally. They’re able to enter a special kind of half-sleep state that lets them rest midair, which is especially important …
Doodlebug Is a Misleading Name for an Accomplished Assassin
The name sounds innocuous, maybe even charming. But it’s also known by another name—the ant lion—and it’s every bit as predatory and remorseless as that name sounds.
Why Hummingbirds Don’t Like Flying in Rainy Conditions
No bird is more skilled at in-flight feeding than a hummingbird, thanks to their ability to hover in the air. But if it’s rainy, these fantastic flyers have to be …
The Secret and Busy Night Life of Adult Hippos
A military-grade thermal camera lifts the lid on the night time excursions of hippos on dry land. Those consist of grazing on a staggering amount of grass, while keeping a …
A Shy Orangutan Shares Her Breakfast With a Friend
A shy orangutan makes great strides by confidently securing her share of breakfast. But she’s not above sharing her bounty of turnips with another orangutan, whom she’s befriended.
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