Our Friends the Vultures (BBC)
by Soutik Biswas
Vultures may not be most people’s favorite animal, but they provide an incredibly valuable service to humanity. So much so that, when their populations plummeted in India, it caused 500,000 human deaths.

The Colors of the Night Sky (Atlas Obscura)
by Rebecca Boyle
The night sky is pure, star-speckled blackness—if you’re on the Moon. Here on Earth, even in the most remote places, it’s filled with subtle reminders that our sky is part of our planet.

How Fish Do Politics (Nautilus)
by Elena Kazamia
Humans are just one of many social creatures. And living in a community means depending on others to help assess situations and take action. So what do fish do when they’re fed misinformation?

The Women of Pakistan’s Religious Right (Sapiens)
by Sana Malik
Pakistan’s feminist movement, and many of the country’s young women, are deeply opposed to politics that lean on religion to enforce traditional gender roles. But some older women, just beginning to engage in politics, are standing up for the other side.

Breaking Records in a Warming World (Sequencer)
by Shi En Kim
At the Olympics, breaking a record can be a matter of a second or a centimeter, so every aspect of the environment matters. Climate change may mean some athletic feats get more spectacular. In other sports, breaking records could become a thing of the past.

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