How hops create the compounds that give beer its iconic bitterness
Beer lovers owe much of their favorite drink’s flavor and aroma to hops—the cone-shaped flowers of the hop plant.
Now, scientists have finally solved a...
Ancient parasite that attacked shellfish 480 million years ago still infects oysters today
A new study has revealed that a parasite still plaguing oysters today has been around for nearly half a billion years—making it one of...
Why some humans grow horns
Equids, members of the horse family including horses, donkeys and zebras, share curious features called chestnuts.
Found on every horse, they appear as toughened growths...
Chimpanzees can think rationally and change their minds like humans, study finds
Chimpanzees may be more like human thinkers than we ever imagined.
A new study published in Science shows that chimpanzees can rationally change their beliefs...
6 ways to give your dog a richer life, from ‘sniffaris’ to sensory gardens
While we are captivated by a vivid sunset and breathtaking views, dogs have their noses to the ground, reading the odour stories left behind...
Kentucky’s giant salamanders reveal the secret to healthy streams
Deep in Kentucky’s rivers lives one of North America’s most mysterious creatures—the Eastern hellbender.
Growing up to two feet long, this flat, wrinkly salamander has...
Chimpanzees and bonobos have friendship circles just like humans, study finds
Chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest living relatives, organize their social lives in ways strikingly similar to humans, according to a new international study led...
Researchers grow mushroom chips that can think and remember
Mushrooms might soon do more than top your pizza—they could help power the computers of the future.
A new study suggests that common fungi, like...
Wolves turn to the sea: Coastal gray wolves are hunting sea otters for food
On Alaska’s remote Prince of Wales Island, gray wolves have developed an unexpected hunting habit: they’re preying on sea otters.
This surprising shift in diet...
Scientists discover how axolotls use the ‘fight or flight’ system to regrow limbs
For centuries, scientists have marveled at salamanders’ ability to regrow entire limbs, but exactly how they do it has remained a mystery—until now.
A new...