The Earth’s poles have been an area of intense study for the past several years. The North and South Poles are the coolest climatic regions on the planet, and they affect the climate of everywhere else on Earth. For this reason, climatologists use the poles as a measuring stick to determine the state of the...
Planet
The benefits of being outdoors have become increasingly evident over the last several years. Getting outside helps you get more exercise and vitamin D, helps ease anxiety, encourages social behavior, and improves your sleep, self-esteem, focus, immune system, and creativity [1]. Because of this, city planners are looking for ways to increase access to outdoor...
The recent and widely popular Netflix special, Tiger King, thrust the US big cat industry into the spotlight, showcasing the poor treatment and unhealthy environment in which these animals are kept. Unfortunately, the use of captive animals for tourism and entertainment is not a new, or uniquely American, problem. Lion farming is a massive and...
How do you say, “Aww… thank you”, in Dolphin? These animals are just too sweet and there’s nothing we can do but love them every day. A pod of nine Australian humpback dolphins at a popular tourist spot in Queensland is reportedly delivering “gifts” to the staff and volunteers [1]. The friendly long-nosed creatures are...
Summer is just starting and this bird has us wishing autumn was already here. The silver-eared mesia (Leiothrix argentauris) is a beautiful bird blessed with a plethora of stunning colors. It’s a songbird of the babbler family called Timaliidae and can be found in several countries across Asia. This colorful bird is named for the...
Elephants are some of India’s most beautiful, peaceful, and gentle creatures. The country has several measures in place to protect these important animals whose population is already at risk due to climate change and poaching. This is what makes this story so tragic. A pregnant elephant dies in Kerala after eating a pineapple laced with...
We tend to view the animal world as one where each species operates alone, avoiding contact with other animals and only forming bonds with those of their own species. This, however, is not always the case and occasionally unlikely friendships can form. This is what happened at a zoo in Belgium, where a family or...
Every spring a familiar pest reemerges from its winter hibernation: the carpenter bee. While they don’t have stingers, these large, noisy, black and yellow insects wreak havoc on our houses, decks, and patio furniture, boring holes into the wood to make their nests. The male bees then aggressively patrol the area surrounding their nest, which...
Birds are always looking for places to build nests where they can safely lay their eggs and raise their young, protected from the elements and hidden from potential predators. While the typical nesting place for most birds is high in a tree, it is not uncommon for them to occasionally take up residence on a...
Periodically throughout the year, different meteor showers come around for a few nights to light up the sky and give us the best light show the natural world has to offer. They’re easy to miss, however, if you don’t know when they are happening and where you need to go to see them. We’ve done...
Scientists and engineers around the world have been working to come up with innovative solutions for more sustainable, environmentally-friendly energy generation. While there have been several promising projects, one German company has come up with a solution that has stood out from the rest: floating solar panels. As our world has become increasingly advanced and...
There are many unexplained natural phenomena around the world. The sailing stones in California’s Death Valley National Park, Australia’s Pink Lake, and the Fairy Circles in the Namib Desert are just a few examples of natural wonders that have baffled scientists for decades. One lesser-known but equally fascinating occurrence that fits into this category is...