Life with the ravens (The Atlantic)
by Helen Macdonald
The ravens of the Tower of London are a mysterious, storied tradition, and a tourist attraction. They’re also lively, smart, and funny individuals with their own social world.

On the hunt for hedgehogs (Atlas Obscura)
by Jessica Leigh Hester
Hedgehogs may be one of Great Britain’s most beloved creatures, but they don’t take well to the spotlight. So researchers had to develop some ingenious methods to see where the adorable little creatures hang out.

How we think with words (Aeon)
by Philip Jaekl
Why do children babble to themselves? Why do we sometimes form our thoughts in sentences structured just like the ones we say out loud? If we strip words away from our thoughts, what’s left? Experimental methods are shedding light on these age-old questions.

How plants fight back (The New York Times)
by JoAnna Klein
Plants may look like they’re just sitting there, but new research reveals how dramatically they really react when threatened by a caterpillar, or a mean scientist crushing their leaves.

Is DIY insulin the future of diabetes treatment? (The Conversation)
by Jenna E. Gallegos and Jean Peccoud
The high cost of insulin creates huge problems and even deadly dangers for many people with diabetes. In response, DIY scientists are trying to help patients evade big pharma by brewing their own insulin. Could this be a safe, effective way to solve the problem?

Got a hot tip about a well-researched story that belongs on this list? Email us here.