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Author: Sarah Biren

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4 min read Learn

You may have seen dogs as part of airport security personnel. But while they sniff out drug smuggling, African giant pouched rats are trained to sniff out illegal wildlife trafficking. In this new study, researchers are using rats’ keen sense of smell to detect scents associated with the illegal trade, such as ivory from elephants...

4 min read Make

Some people come home from a beach vacation and notice their skin looks clear and glowy. It’s not their imagination. Unlike table salt, sea salt comes with many nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and more. Saltwater minerals can provide certain benefits when it comes to skincare, but there are some potential downsides to keep...

4 min read Eat

The healthiest vegetable in the world is not in most people’s fridges. It’s not broccoli or Brussels sprouts or even kale. According to a study from the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the #1 healthiest vegetable is watercress, a cruciferous leafyy green packed with nutrients that benefit the body in a multitude...

5 min read Learn

It can be awkward to talk about intelligence because it spotlights the fact some people aren’t very smart. And we all hope we aren’t one of them. And if geniuses are off being rich and successful, where does that leave the average- or simple-minded? Perhaps these anxieties are why there are many myths about intelligence...

4 min read

The well-known “Aunt Jemima” breakfast product has been renamed as Pearl Milling Company. This change honors the mill, established in 1888, that started making the iconic pancake mix in 1889. The brand had faced criticism for its racist origins involving a caricature of a Black “mammy” character. The decision to rebrand came in 2020, triggered...

3 min read Planet

A mother and daughter set out to catch some freshwater fish on the Mississippi River in their tandem kayak, but instead encountered an enormous snapping turtle with a prehistoric-looking head. They saw the turtle again the next day, with Shala Holm capturing a photo as it reached for their basket of fish. The image quickly...

3 min read

Indian Forest Service ranger Parveen Kaswan shared a video on Twitter showcasing intriguing elephant behavior. A mother elephant led her herd across a road, carrying her dead calf gently in her trunk. She laid it down briefly to graze while the others in the herd approached, touching and sniffing the calf, seemingly partaking in a...

5 min read Heal

A recent study has discovered a food linked to increased dementia risk. Presented at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July, the research pointed to processed red meat. Products like bacon and lunch meat are frequently touted as being unhealthy but this large scale observational study showed another reason why. However, the research also...

4 min read Planet

People may associate large snakes with tropical regions like Brazil and Africa. However, many types of large snakes live a lot closer to home. Plus, some have adapted to suburban living. Keep in mind, it’s hard to definitely determine the longest and heaviest snake species. Reported sightings could have exaggerated measurements, and serpents measured in...