Some animals possess sensitive hearing to help pinpoint prey and map the world

Some animals may anchor their brain cells to specific landmarks to determine direction

In a study of bats exploring a new area, specific sets of "head direction cells" were seen becoming active based on bats' orientation when moving, and this activity became more coordinated over time. Researchers suspect, like humans, bats and other animals establish this sense of direction based on movement relative to known points of interest.

If hearing is damaged, the brain may amplify remaining sounds, perhaps causing tinnitus

Recent mouse brain and ear imaging revealed that the creature compensates for hearing loss by sending signals to the cochlea in the inner ear. This triggers nerve fibers in the inner ear to increase volume and become more sensitive. Learning about these boosted-sensitivity messages from the brain to the cochlea—if they're similar in humans—might help explain tinnitus and fuel experimental approaches to turn down that sensitivity.

Some animals may speak because of duplicated connections in the brain

Neuroscience suggests that connections responsible for motion made during embryonic brain development—such as those connecting hearing and movement pathways that allow reactive motion when started—are duplicated and connected to the larynx in some animals. This allows some mammals and song-learning birds to speak, provided they have the necessary physiological structures.

Squeaky toys mimic prey sounds, appealing to dogs' hunting instincts

Squeaky toys provide instant feedback and gratification, and they can also prevent boredom and improve canine dental health. Some toys contain seemingly silent squeakers that use ultrasonic technology to emit sounds only audible to dogs.

Some dinosaurs evolved night vision and acute hearing for nocturnal hunting

Paleontologists analyzed the fossilized eye and ear structures of 16 theropods, finding that some had owl-like hearing and huge pupils. These characteristics are consistent with modern-day nocturnal species, including nightjars and geckos.

Listen to recordings of different fish species

Scientists have captured and curated this collection of species-specific recordings, helping us gain a deeper understanding of underwater ecosystems. Uncover their sounds, which include a lot of thumps, burps, and grunts.

Foghorn honks helped duckbills set the mood

Examining the unique crest of the Parasaurolophus, which researchers think allowed the creatures to emit loud, unique vocalizations as part of their social interactions.

Octopuses have taste receptors along their tentacles

Octopus suction cups are filled with modified sensory receptors that can bind with a greater variety of materials and transport a wider array of information, such as flavor, from tactile stimuli. These structures allow the animal to search for food as it crawls the ocean floor.

Nine different studies exploring animals' relationship to music

Researchers have conducted multiple studies attempting to answer a certain question: do animals like human music? Across species, they observed different results and no clear pattern. Primates appear to prefer silence, and cockatoos appear to dance to funky beats.

Ultrasound machines emit and collect high-frequency sound waves to construct images

Before its use in medical imaging, the technology was employed in World War I for submarine detection, the same way bats use sound for echolocation of obstacles. Differences in the penetrating power of different frequencies allow medical professionals to detect different structures in the body.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

Tornadoes produce inaudible signals to humans hours before forming

Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have found that tornado-producing storms generate specific sounds below the range of human hearing, much like the infrasonic signals produced by earthquakes and avalanches. Although difficult to distinguish from wind noise, scientists hope to build systems that use these signals to improve tornado forecasting.

The purpose of narwhal tusks has mystified researchers for centuries

Nicknamed the "unicorn of the sea," narwhals have no teeth aside from two canines that grow directly forward as tusks. For roughly 85% of females, they stay embedded in the bone. For males, they grow into large, spirally tusks that are full of nerve endings and blood vessels. Scientists today believe that tusks likely formed for sexual selection purposes and eventually evolved to assist in other processes, such as hunting.

The science behind why some noises have color names

Different noise colors (white, brown, pink, blue) have been proven to affect mood and focus. An audiologist explains that these sounds are named after specific light wave frequencies. While individual preferences vary, certain noises consistently impact sleep, stress reduction, cognitive performance, and problem-solving. The article highlights how these sounds can enhance productivity, relaxation, and even gaming experiences.

View illustrations of bioluminescent functions in marine organisms

Bioluminescence can startle predators, camouflage, lure prey, confuse rivals, or facilitate mate recognition. One tactic—the burglar alarm—involves an organism releasing light to attract a larger predator to its attacker as a means of defense.

Similarities between human and animal sleep

Have you ever noticed the wide-ranging differences in sleep between humans and animals? Sleep as a necessity is present amongst all animal species, but the specific patterns of sleep vary widely. Just think of the differences between how an owl, a whale, and a horse might sleep. This helpful resource from the Sleep Foundation explores the relations between human and animal sleep, complete with some fascinating statistics about sleep patterns throughout the animal kingdom!

Odor blockers use nonpolar oils to trap smelly polar molecules

In the case of feces, gut bacteria produce compounds such as skatole and hydrogen sulfide, which the brain registers as unpleasant. Because oils do not dissolve in water, they can be used to create a layer on the surface that prevents smelly compounds underwater from escaping into the air.

The science of dogs, from wolf origins to color-blindness

This under 10-minute podcast episode dives into the rich, fascinating science behind dogs: From their world-class sense of smell to their domestication from wolves.

Studying the circadian clock of a tiny swimming polar creature may help forecast polar ecosystem health

A 2025 study found that Antarctic krill, a food chain staple in the Southern Ocean, have an internal biological clock that helps regulate its swimming patterns and helps the tiny shrimp-like animals adapt to daily and seasonal environmental changes. Better understanding of how the clock and light cues interact may help scientists understand how well the species will respond to pronounced climate change in the polar region.

Pediatricians look for a list of behaviors to signal typical hearing development

These markers of typical hearing development among infants and toddlers include turning head to sound sources within the first five months of life, babbling by about 11 months, and trying to imitate simple words by 17 months of age.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

Explore the animals that populate the depths of the ocean, from fish and coral in the first few hundred feet, all the way down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Big Ocean is breaking barriers as the world's first deaf K-pop boy band

The three-person boy band—whose members have different levels of hearing loss—use light systems, vibrations, and a mix of Korean and American Sign Languages, as well as International Sign (which isn't a whole language), to communicate and keep their dance routines in sync. In this interview, a band member with partial hearing describes their challenges.

Window collisions and cats kill more birds than wind turbine farms

Researchers are developing solutions to reduce bird fatalities due to wind turbine farms, including radar systems integrating AI to detect birds and shut down systems. Painting blades with various patterns is also being tested, which may reduce bird strikes by 70%.

Humans aren't the only mammals who go through menopause, but it's rare in the animal world

While scientists are unsure how many mammals actually experience menopause, they do know for sure that humans aren't the only ones. Orcas and some toothed whales (like belugas and narwhals) go through menopause. And a recent study found chimpanzees also experience the condition, though it's late in life.

Disney Research developed a haptic interface where you can feel a fireworks display

Disney’s “Feeling Fireworks” uses water jets and a latex screen to replicate fireworks for blind individuals. Such technology may also provide inclusive experiences for the deaf community, though as of 2024, there are no plans to implement them in Disney parks.

Prosthetics and orthotics have been 3D printed to improve the lives of animals

Shells for hermit crabs, wheelchairs for guinea pigs and dogs, and horseshoes for improved running performance have been created using 3D printers. Other artificial body parts made using this technology include a jaw for a loggerhead turtle, a beak for a toucan, and a tail for an American alligator.

Animal wines: Wine bottles with pigs on the label had the lowest median prices at $23.22

If you’ve ever spent too much time staring at a shelf in a wine store, you might have noticed something similar: animals, specifically, cats, pigs, or birds on the labels. So, what do these wines have in common? This interactive tool attempts to figure out what wines that include the same animal have in common.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

When caught in the mouths of cardinal fish, seed shrimp release glowing, bioluminescent chemicals, which alert predators of the cardinal fish, prompting the shrimp's ejection.

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.

A pickleball's loud 'pop' sound can reach 120 decibels, which is equivalent to a hammer hitting a nail

Scientists have struggled to pin down Ebola's natural reservoir species for decades, but the available evidence suggests that it's very likely fruit and insect-eating bats found in Africa.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

All rainbows are 'raincircles' caused by water droplets separating white sunlight into a spectrum of colors, but Earth's surface blocks the bottom half of the circle from our line of sight.

Some Pokémon have been named after real and fictional organisms, while some real-world species have been named after Pokémon, such as Chilicola charizard and Binburrum zapdos.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

Poison ivy is in the same family as mangoes, cashews, and pistachios—and they all produce oily urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state—but they are typically prepared in ways to avoid causing human discomfort.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

Recent research found that the brain doesn't seem to massively rewire following amputation—upending earlier beliefs about the cause of phantom limb pain.

Walt Disney's early film 'Alice's Wonderland' was a groundbreaking innovation in the silent film era

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Long before Major League Baseball began allowing instant replay for balls and strikes, an umpire reluctantly used the technology to determine whether a hit was a home run, a move that inadvertently ushered in a new era for the sport.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.