Upside-Down Jellyfish and the Mucus of Death
You could get stung by a jellyfish even when there don't seem to be any around. Meet Cassiopea xamachana and its "stinging water" weirdness.
Biomimicry Comes for the Noble Hedgehog
Inventors often use animals' adaptations to the environment in applications that benefit humans, from sharky swimsuits to hedgehog-inspired helmets.
Plant of the Month: Turmeric
The plant’s golden color has inspired a long—and potentially deadly—fascination.
What Do Pesticides and Chrysanthemums Have in Common?
They both contain insecticides called pyrethrins, used in ancient Persia. Today we use them in lice-killing shampoos.
Are Galls Miracle Cures or Just Weird Growths on Plants?
For millennia, humans have exploited galls for medicine, fuel, food, tanning, and dyeing. Some people have considered them miraculous.
The Myth of the Noble Racehorse
Despite all the whips and spurs involved, nineteenth-century Americans believed racehorses loved a little manly competition.
Are Insects Capable of Moral Behavior?
Some 19th-century naturalists believed that bugs could think and should therefore definitely know that biting is out of line.
Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant
This plant’s animal-like behavior and alleged love-provoking abilities have sparked the imagination of everyone from early modern yogis to today’s scientists.
Puffins Seen Using Tools, Breaking Dumb-Puffin Stereotypes
Reputed to be a less intelligent bird species, puffins have been observed scratching themselves with sticks.
The 1876 Map of the World’s Ecozones That Still Holds Up
The 19th-century naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace created a visualization that tied different species to specific regions of the world.