The Extremely Real Science behind the Basilisk’s Lethal Gaze
According to the extramission theory of vision, our eyes send out beams of elemental fire that spread, nerve like, to create the visual field.
The Mysterious Gynandromorph
Gynandromorphy is an extremely rare condition in which an animal is half male and half female. It's most visible in birds and butterflies.
Mating at the Zoo Can Be Dangerous
A Sumatran tiger killed the female he was meant to mate with. Mating endangered species in captivity has long been a problem, if not always to such dramatic effect.
Wollemi Pine, Dinosaur Tree
The Wollemi Pine is an ancient tree, virtually unchanged since herbivorous dinosaurs last munched on them.
Who Was Antony Van Leeuwenhoek?
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek is considered the first microbiologist. Some of his original letters can be read here.
The Curious Science of Animal Personalities
Any pet owner can tell you that different pets have different personalities, but actually measuring personality in non-human animals is a challenge.
How Francis Crick Almost Didn’t Make His Huge DNA Discovery
British biologist Francis Crick co-published a paper on the helical structure of DNA some fifty years ago. He followed a convoluted route to this discovery.
Who Needs Mitochondria Anyway?
Mitochondria was once thought to be an integral part of all complex organisms. Then this organism was discovered.
Guess What? You’re a Superorganism.
The White House has announced the "microbiome moonshot" – a push to understand the human microbiome.