Brain Sides Both Busy In New Language Learning – Scientific American

A new study sheds light on why it’s so hard to learn to speak a new language, but reading and listening comprehension come more easily.

This Bat Wears a Facemask – Scientific American

The male wrinkle-faced bat uses an elaborate display, including a facemask and a combination of echolocation sounds, wingbeats, and whistles to attract females.

Duckbill Dino Odyssey Ended in Africa – Scientific American

At the tail end of the age of the dinosaurs, a pony-sized duckbill dinosaur called Ajnabia roamed North Africa. But to get there, duckbill dinosaurs had to cross oceans.

Play Helped Dogs Be Our Best Friends – Scientific American

Dogs are amazingly diverse. Selective breeding for a variety of traits created the breeds we have today. Play between humans and dogs was a key part of this process.

Blue Whale Song Timing Reveals Time to Go – Scientific American

Blue whales switch from singing at night to singing during the day when they’re about to migrate.

Cows with Eye Images Keep Predators in Arrears – Scientific American

Cows painted with eyespots kept predators at bay.

Paired Comparisons Could Mean Better Witness Identifications – Scientific American

New methods could lead to better police lineups.

Old Art Offers Agriculture Info – Scientific American

A biologist and an art historian have teamed up in search of old artworks that shed light on how fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains have changed through selective breeding over time.

Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19 – Scientific American

What virus was used to vaccinate soldiers against smallpox during the Civil War?

Sparrow Song Undergoes Key Change – Scientific American

A tweet goes viral across Canada.

Helping Kids Cope with COVID-19 Worries – Scientific American

How can parents help kids during quarantine?

Zombie Crickets Possessed by Water Worms – A Graphic Novel – San Diego Natural History Museum

A graphic novel I researched and co-wrote for the Coast to Cactus exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum

Donut Sugar Could Help Stored Blood Last – Scientific American

Don’t let the title fool you, tardigrades and sea-monkeys also figure prominently in this story.

Horses Recognize Pics of Their Keepers – Scientific American

Without being taught, horses understand that photos are two-dimensional representations of real life, and they remember photos of familiar human faces.

Birds on Rhinos’ Back Help Them Avoid Poachers – Scientific American

Red-billed oxpeckers serve as lookouts for black rhinos, sounding the alarm when poachers approach.

Squid Glowing Skin Patterns May Be Code – Scientific American

E-readers are cool. But what if you’re an e-squid?

City Birds: Big-Brained with Few Offspring or Small-Brained with a Lot – Scientific American

What predicts which bird species will make it in urban environments?

Tiny Wormlike Creature May Be Our Oldest Known Ancestor – Scientific American

Meet your oldest animal relative.

Swamp Wallaby Reproduction Give Tribbles a Run – Scientific American

Swamp wallabies are always pregnant.

Stress from Undersea Noise Interferes with Crab Camouflage – Scientific American

Loud noise from ships thwarts shore crab camouflage.

Indigenous Amazonians Managed Valuable Plant Life – Scientific American

Tropical forests keep a record of the history and culture surrounding them.

Wasp Nests Help Date Aboriginal Art – Scientific American

By radiocarbon-dating the remains of mud wasp nests on ancient Aboriginal paintings in rock shelters in Western Australia, scientists were able to pinpoint when the art was created.

Industrial Revolution Pollution Found in Himalayan Glacier – Scientific American

The Industrial Revolution didn’t just pollute the cities where coal-powered mechanization took off a little more than 200 years ago. It also left its mark on the Himalayas, more than 6,000 miles away.

Feral Dogs Respond to Human Hand Cues – Scientific American

Most studies of dog behavior have been done with pet dogs. But in India, stray dogs offer a different perspective on the evolution of the human-dog relationship. In this podcast, I spoke with Dr. Anindita Bhadra, who has been studying dogs on the streets of Kolkata and elsewhere for more than 10 years.

Neandertals Tooled Around with Clams – Scientific American

~50,000 years before modern humans stepped foot in what is now Italy, Neandertals were gathering clams from the Mediterranean and turning them into tools. My latest podcast for Scientific American.

Sign Languages Display Distinct Ancestries – Scientific American

Linguists studied the evolution and dispersal of sign languages using tools from evolutionary biology.

Moths Flee or Face Bats Depending on Toxicity – Scientific American

Being toxic makes tiger moths lazy when predators approach.

Linguists Hear An Accent Begin – Scientific American

The Antarctic winter was an ideal laboratory for linguists to study the very beginnings of accent formation.

Ick Factor Is High Hurdle for Recycled Drinking Water – Scientific American

The idea of drinking recycled water taps into people’s deep-seated sense of disgust.

Egyptian Vats 5,600 Years Old Were For Beer Brewing – Scientific American

Chemical analysis of vats at Hierakonpolis reveals that Ancient Egyptians mass-produced beer.