Magpie News Collector

animal

In a first, zebra cams reveal herds on the move with giraffes

By Science News | Elie Dolgin | 2/13/2025 11:30 AM

Six zebras wore video cameras attached to collars, capturing the equines’ daily life. Sticking with giraffes may let the two species protect each other. ... Read full Story

animal

Migrating whale sharks make pit stops at oil and gas rigs

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 2/12/2025 9:00 AM

Human-made structures act as artificial reefs, luring plankton and, in turn, Earth’s largest fish. That could put whale sharks at risk of ship strikes. ... Read full Story

animal

A fungus named after Sir David Attenborough zombifies cave spiders

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 2/10/2025 11:00 AM

The new fungus species Gibellula attenboroughii forces reclusive cave spiders to exposed areas, likely to benefit spore dispersal. ... Read full Story

animal

Cuttlefish ink may overwhelm sharks’ sense of smell

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 2/7/2025 11:30 AM

The main component of common cuttlefish ink — melanin — strongly sticks to shark smell sensors, possibly explaining why the predators avoid ink. ... Read full Story

animal

This bird’s eye view of a shark hunt won a photo contest

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 2/7/2025 9:00 AM

A snapshot of blacktip reef sharks hunting hardyhead silverside fish won the 2024 Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition. ... Read full Story

animal

A second version of bird flu is infecting cows. What does that mean?

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 2/6/2025 2:48 PM

While the risk to humans of exposure from cows or milk remains low, this new flu spillover from birds into cows raises the need for continued surveillance. ... Read full Story

animal

How mantis shrimp deliver punishing blows without hurting themselves

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 2/6/2025 2:00 PM

A mantis shrimp's punch creates high-energy waves. Its exoskeleton is designed to absorb that energy, preventing cracking and tissue damage. ... Read full Story

animal

Extinct moa ate purple trufflelike fungi, fossil bird droppings reveal

By Science News | Susan Milius | 2/6/2025 9:00 AM

DNA analysis reveals the big, flightless moa birds ate — and pooped out — 13 kinds of fungi, including ones crucial for New Zealand’s forest ecosystem. ... Read full Story

animal

Will the Endangered Species Act survive Trump?

By Science News | Amanda Heidt | 2/5/2025 10:00 AM

President Trump has already begun to introduce changes that weaken the Endangered Species Act, a cornerstone of U.S. conservation law. ... Read full Story

animal

A new book explores the evolutionary romance between plants and animals

By Science News | Alka Tripathy-Lang | 2/4/2025 9:00 AM

Riley Black’s new book, When the Earth was Green, uses the latest research to envision the ancient worlds of our favorite prehistoric animals. ... Read full Story

animal

Hotter cities? Here come the rats

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 1/31/2025 2:00 PM

Well, rats. A study of 16 cities shows that higher ambient temperatures and loss of green space are associated with increasing rodent complaints. ... Read full Story

animal

Wild baboons don’t recognize themselves in a mirror

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 1/31/2025 9:00 AM

In a lab test, chimps and orangutans can recognize their own reflection. But in the wild, baboons seemingly can’t do the same. ... Read full Story

animal

Feeding sharks ‘junk food’ takes a toll on their health

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 1/30/2025 10:45 AM

Many blacktip reef sharks in French Polynesia are commonly fed by tourists. But the low-quality diet is changing the sharks’ behavior and physiology. ... Read full Story

animal

This drawing is the oldest known sketch of an insect brain

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 1/28/2025 7:01 PM

Found in a roughly 350-year-old manuscript by Dutch biologist Johannes Swammerdam, the scientific illustration shows the brain of a honeybee drone. ... Read full Story

animal

Chatty bats are more likely to take risks

By Science News | Richard Kemeny | 1/28/2025 7:01 PM

Bats may broadcast their personalities to others from a distance, new experiments suggest, which could play into social dynamics within a colony. ... Read full Story

animal

Like flyways for birds, we need to map swimways for fish

By Science News | Stefan Lovgren | 1/28/2025 9:00 AM

Mapping fish migration routes and identifying threats is crucial to protecting freshwater species and their habitats, ecologists argue. ... Read full Story

animal

Cricket frogs belly flop their way across water

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 1/27/2025 11:00 AM

Cricket frogs were once thought to hop on the water’s surface. They actually leap in and out of the water in a form of locomotion called porpoising. ... Read full Story

animal

Fever’s link with a key kind of immunity is surprisingly ancient

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 1/24/2025 9:00 AM

When sick, Nile tilapia seek warmer water. That behavioral fever triggers a specialized immune response, hinting the connection evolved long ago. ... Read full Story

animal

Mole or marsupial? This subterranean critter with a backward pouch is both

By Science News | Susan Milius | 1/23/2025 9:00 AM

Genetic analyses have solved the riddle of where a marsupial mole fits on the tree of life: It’s a cousin to bilbies, bandicoots and Tasmanian devils. ... Read full Story

animal

In chimpanzees, peeing is contagious

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 1/20/2025 11:00 AM

The first study of copycat urination in an animal documents how one chimpanzee peeing prompts others to follow suit. Now researchers are exploring why. ... Read full Story

animal

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

by Science News | Mar 28 2025

basketball

Hawks vs. Trail Blazers odds, score prediction, time: 2025 NBA picks, April 1 best bets from proven model

by CBS Interactive Inc | Apr 01 2025

beauty

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

by The List | Mar 03 2025

exercise

Office Chair Butt: Cleveland Clinic Experts on How To Prevent It

by thehealthy.com | Mar 31 2025

food

The Temperature Rule You Should Always Follow For Rye Bread

by The Daily Meal | Apr 01 2025

knowledge

Here’s Why Only Some Pickles Have Ridges

by Reader's Digest | Mar 20 2025

lifestyle

Jenna Bush Hager talks 'challenges' on Today without Hoda Kotb — exclusive

by Hello! Magazine | Apr 01 2025

opinion

JONATHAN TURLEY: Can Trump serve a third term?

by Opinion on Fox News | Apr 01 2025

real_estate

Here’s who rented the tallest — and priciest — home in Queens: ‘Everyone wanted this apartment!’

by NY Post | Apr 01 2025

shopping

This Tiny Travel Gadget Has a Standout Feature for the Apple Watch

by Gear Patrol | Apr 01 2025

soccer

Sky Sports: Liverpool ‘Seriously Considering’ Move to Sign 23-year-old Bundesliga Star

by Yahoo Sports | Apr 01 2025

sports

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

by ESPN Inc. | Aug 14 2024

travel

A travel guide to Teshikaga, Japan

by Wanderlust | Apr 01 2025

wellness

Snooze Better and Longer With Our Favorite Sleep Trackers

by Self.com | Mar 31 2025

world

Gold prices could keep climbing as Trump’s trade policies rock markets

by Global News | Apr 01 2025

Word of the Day

cynosure

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2025 is:

cynosure • \SYE-nuh-shur\ • noun

A cynosure is a person or thing that attracts a lot of attention or interest. As a proper noun, Cynosure may refer to the North Star or its constellation Ursa Minor.

// He was the cynosure of all eyes as he walked into the room.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Look at any picture of Kashmir and you'll understand why it is called heaven on earth. And Srinagar, framed by the majestic Zabarwan Mountains, is the cynosure of all travel itineraries, offering a mix of breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and spirituality." — Mallika Bhagat, Times Now (Mumbai, India), 17 Dec. 2024

Did you know?

Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynósoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kynósoura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.

In a first, zebra cams reveal herds on the move with giraffes

Migrating whale sharks make pit stops at oil and gas rigs

A fungus named after Sir David Attenborough zombifies cave spiders

Cuttlefish ink may overwhelm sharks’ sense of smell

This bird’s eye view of a shark hunt won a photo contest

A second version of bird flu is infecting cows. What does that mean?

How mantis shrimp deliver punishing blows without hurting themselves

Extinct moa ate purple trufflelike fungi, fossil bird droppings reveal

Will the Endangered Species Act survive Trump?

A new book explores the evolutionary romance between plants and animals

Hotter cities? Here come the rats

Wild baboons don’t recognize themselves in a mirror

Feeding sharks ‘junk food’ takes a toll on their health

This drawing is the oldest known sketch of an insect brain

Chatty bats are more likely to take risks

Like flyways for birds, we need to map swimways for fish

Cricket frogs belly flop their way across water

Fever’s link with a key kind of immunity is surprisingly ancient

Mole or marsupial? This subterranean critter with a backward pouch is both

In chimpanzees, peeing is contagious

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

Hawks vs. Trail Blazers odds, score prediction, time: 2025 NBA picks, April 1 best bets from proven model

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

Office Chair Butt: Cleveland Clinic Experts on How To Prevent It

The Temperature Rule You Should Always Follow For Rye Bread

Here’s Why Only Some Pickles Have Ridges

Jenna Bush Hager talks 'challenges' on Today without Hoda Kotb — exclusive

JONATHAN TURLEY: Can Trump serve a third term?

Here’s who rented the tallest — and priciest — home in Queens: ‘Everyone wanted this apartment!’

This Tiny Travel Gadget Has a Standout Feature for the Apple Watch

Sky Sports: Liverpool ‘Seriously Considering’ Move to Sign 23-year-old Bundesliga Star

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

A travel guide to Teshikaga, Japan

Snooze Better and Longer With Our Favorite Sleep Trackers

Gold prices could keep climbing as Trump’s trade policies rock markets

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.April Fools' 2025: 'Silent' Crunch bar, ranch-flavored Olipop

2.Small dog plucked out of 'ruff waters' of New York's East River

3.Gas station trip earns Florida woman $5M lottery jackpot

4.Watch: Chopstick 'ninja' skills earn Idaho man a Guinness World Record

5.North Carolina family reunited with missing dog after 3 years

6.Watch: Freshwater crocodile found far from home in Australia

7.Watch: California woman uses world's longest tongue to play Jenga

8.Watch: Snake handler rescues pet bird from hungry python

9.S.C. man makes lottery run for his wife, wins $200,000

10.Watch: Egyptian diver breaks world record for underwater pull-ups in Red Sea