Magpie News Collector

animal

Tiger beetles may weaponize ultrasound against bats

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 5/14/2024 7:01 PM

In response to recordings of echolocating bats, tiger beetles emit noises that mimic toxic moths that bats avoid. ... Read full Story

animal

Cows might host both human and bird flus

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 5/14/2024 9:15 AM

Both kinds of influenza viruses may break into cattle cells using receptors similar to those in people, wild birds and poultry. ... Read full Story

animal

Getting wild mosquitoes back to the lab alive takes a custom backpack

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 5/9/2024 9:00 AM

The new low-tech transportation method could help scientists in Africa assess if malaria-carrying mosquitoes are resistant to a common insecticide. ... Read full Story

animal

This snake goes to extremes to play dead — and it appears to pay off

By Science News | Richard Kemeny | 5/7/2024 7:01 PM

When dice snakes fake their death to avoid predators, those that use a combination of blood, poop and musk spend less time pretending to be dead. ... Read full Story

animal

Lampreys have ‘fight or flight’ cells, challenging ideas about nervous system evolution

By Science News | Claudia López Lloreda | 5/7/2024 10:30 AM

The discovery of sympathetic nervous system cells in lampreys draws a closer tie between the animal and complex vertebrates — such as humans. ... Read full Story

animal

Want to see butterflies in your backyard? Try doing less yardwork

By Science News | Susan Milius | 5/3/2024 11:30 AM

Growing out patches of grass can lure adult butterflies and moths with nectar and offer lawn mower–free havens for toddler caterpillars. ... Read full Story

animal

This orangutan used a medicinal plant on his face wound

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 5/2/2024 11:00 AM

Rakus the orangutan appeared to be treating a cut to his face with a plant that’s also used in traditional human medicine. ... Read full Story

animal

Belugas may communicate by warping a blob of forehead fat

By Science News | Elizabeth Anne Brown | 5/2/2024 9:00 AM

Jiggling the “melon” like Jell-O seems to be associated with sexual behaviors, scientists say. ... Read full Story

animal

Ximena Velez-Liendo is saving Andean bears with honey

By Science News | Brianna Randall | 4/30/2024 8:00 AM

By training beekeepers, biologist Ximena Velez-Liendo is helping rural agricultural communities of southern Bolivia coexist with Andean bears. ... Read full Story

animal

Traces of bird flu are showing up in cow milk. Here’s what to know

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 4/25/2024 5:10 PM

We asked the experts: Should people be worried? Pasteurization and the H5N1 virus’s route to infection suggests risks to people remains low. ... Read full Story

animal

Noise pollution can harm birds even before they hatch

By Science News | Jonathan Lambert | 4/25/2024 2:00 PM

Exposing zebra finch eggs and hatchlings to traffic sounds had lifelong health impacts, raising concerns about increased anthropogenic noise. ... Read full Story

animal

Glowing octocorals have been around for at least 540 million years

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 4/23/2024 7:01 PM

Genetic and fossil analyses shine a light on how long the invertebrates have had bioluminescence — a trait thought to be volatile. ... Read full Story

animal

A new road map shows how to prevent pandemics

By Science News | Brianna Randall | 4/19/2024 11:00 AM

Past viral spillover events underscore the importance of protecting wildlife habitats. ... Read full Story

animal

Hibernating bumblebee queens have a superpower: Surviving for days underwater

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 4/16/2024 7:01 PM

After some bumblebee queens were accidentally submerged in water and survived, researchers found them to be surprisingly tolerant of flooding. ... Read full Story

animal

This newfound longhorn beetle species is unusually fluffy

By Science News | Saugat Bolakhe | 4/15/2024 10:00 AM

Discovered in Australia, the beetle is covered in whitish hairs and has distinctive eye lobes, antennae and leg shapes. ... Read full Story

animal

50 years ago, scientists wondered how birds find their way home

By Science News | Maria Temming | 4/15/2024 8:00 AM

In the 1970s, lab tests hinted that birds can navigate using magnetic fields. New studies suggest that beak and eye proteins are behind the ability. ... Read full Story

animal

In a first, these crab spiders appear to collaborate, creating camouflage

By Science News | Saugat Bolakhe | 4/12/2024 8:00 AM

Scientists found a pair of mating crab spiders blending in with a flower. The report may be the first known case of cooperative camouflage in spiders. ... Read full Story

animal

Flowers may be big antennas for bees’ electrical signals

By Science News | Rachel Berkowitz | 4/9/2024 12:00 PM

The finding suggests a way for plants to share information about nearby pollinators and communicate when to trigger nectar production. ... Read full Story

animal

Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 4/2/2024 11:30 AM

Scientists are on a quest to log all the sounds of fish communication. The result could lead to better monitoring of ecosystems and fish behavior. ... Read full Story

animal

Here’s why some pigeons do backflips

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 4/1/2024 8:30 AM

Meet the scientist homing in on the genes involved in making parlor roller pigeons do backward somersaults. ... Read full Story

basketball

Why Nikola Jokic's Game 5 evisceration of Rudy Gobert doesn't have anything to do with the DPOY conversation

by CBS Interactive Inc | May 15 2024

beauty

Melania Trump's Look Once Inspired A Major Plastic Surgery Trend

by The List | May 12 2024

entertainment

'The White Lotus' Season 3: Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan Among New Cast, Filming to Begin in Thailand

by ET Online | Dec 05 2024

exercise

Does Walking Build Muscle? Here’s What Expert Doctors Say

by thehealthy.com | May 02 2024

fashion

How Drake, Bad Bunny and Nicki Minaj became part of a new Natural History Museum exhibit

by NY Post | May 15 2024

health

I Never Thought I'd Paint My Nails This "Controversial" Colour—Now I'm a Big Fan

by The Thirty | May 15 2024

knowledge

19 Etiquette Mistakes You’re Making at the Doctor’s Office

by Reader's Digest | May 07 2024

metro

Columbia grad’s mic gets cut off during anti-Israel commencement rant

by New York Post | May 15 2024

music

TLC Postpone Four Canadian Tour Dates After T-Boz Hit With Flu Bug

by Billboard | May 15 2024

opinion

Stop letting the skeevy legal lending industry make bank off New Yorkers

by New York Post | May 15 2024

people

Nicolas Cage is the new live-action Spider-Man in Amazon TV Series

by marca.com | May 14 2024

science

Sun launches strongest solar flare of current cycle in monster X8.7-class eruption

by LIVE SCIENCE | May 14 2024

sports

'See you Game 7': Timberwolves still confident down 3-2

by ESPN Inc. | May 15 2024

technology

How to change the color of the Windows taskbar

by PCWorld | May 15 2024

wellness

How to Stop Automatically Counting Calories Every Time You Eat

by Self.com | May 13 2024

Word of the Day

wane

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2024 is:

wane • \WAYN\ • verb

To wane is to become smaller or less, or in other words, to decrease in size, extent, or degree.

// The national scandal caused her popularity to wane.

See the entry >

Examples:

“In 2023, Royal Caribbean's bookings hit an all-time high ahead of the launch of its newest ship, the Icon of the Seas. Interest has yet to wane: The three strongest booking weeks in the company’s history were at the start of 2024 and ‘wave season,’ when cruise lines typically roll out flashy discounts to incentivize reservations.” — Brittany Chang, Business Insider, 20 Mar. 2024

Did you know?

In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer, an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, recounts some of the stories of her people surrounding Windigos, fearsome, shrieking monsters that prey on human flesh: “The Windigo is most powerful in the Hungry Times. With the warm breezes his power wanes.” Wane is a verb used when something—such as strength, power, or influence—decreases or diminishes, usually with the implication that the lessening is gradual, natural, or—as in the case of the Windigo—seasonal. Daylight wanes, as does summer. In a classroom, one’s attention may be said to wane if, minute by minute, one becomes more interested in watching birds through the window than following the points of the professor’s lecture. For centuries, wane has also been called upon to describe the seeming decrease in the size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of wane is wax, a once common but now rare synonym of grow. Wane and wax have been partnered in references to the moon since the Middle Ages.

Tiger beetles may weaponize ultrasound against bats

Cows might host both human and bird flus

Getting wild mosquitoes back to the lab alive takes a custom backpack

This snake goes to extremes to play dead — and it appears to pay off

Lampreys have ‘fight or flight’ cells, challenging ideas about nervous system evolution

Want to see butterflies in your backyard? Try doing less yardwork

This orangutan used a medicinal plant on his face wound

Belugas may communicate by warping a blob of forehead fat

Ximena Velez-Liendo is saving Andean bears with honey

Traces of bird flu are showing up in cow milk. Here’s what to know

Noise pollution can harm birds even before they hatch

Glowing octocorals have been around for at least 540 million years

A new road map shows how to prevent pandemics

Hibernating bumblebee queens have a superpower: Surviving for days underwater

This newfound longhorn beetle species is unusually fluffy

50 years ago, scientists wondered how birds find their way home

In a first, these crab spiders appear to collaborate, creating camouflage

Flowers may be big antennas for bees’ electrical signals

Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds

Here’s why some pigeons do backflips

Why Nikola Jokic's Game 5 evisceration of Rudy Gobert doesn't have anything to do with the DPOY conversation

Melania Trump's Look Once Inspired A Major Plastic Surgery Trend

'The White Lotus' Season 3: Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan Among New Cast, Filming to Begin in Thailand

Does Walking Build Muscle? Here’s What Expert Doctors Say

How Drake, Bad Bunny and Nicki Minaj became part of a new Natural History Museum exhibit

I Never Thought I'd Paint My Nails This "Controversial" Colour—Now I'm a Big Fan

19 Etiquette Mistakes You’re Making at the Doctor’s Office

Columbia grad’s mic gets cut off during anti-Israel commencement rant

TLC Postpone Four Canadian Tour Dates After T-Boz Hit With Flu Bug

Stop letting the skeevy legal lending industry make bank off New Yorkers

Nicolas Cage is the new live-action Spider-Man in Amazon TV Series

Sun launches strongest solar flare of current cycle in monster X8.7-class eruption

'See you Game 7': Timberwolves still confident down 3-2

How to change the color of the Windows taskbar

How to Stop Automatically Counting Calories Every Time You Eat

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Trapped puppy rescued from inside wall of California home

2.Woman plays online lottery game by accident, wins $736,874

3.Watch: Baby gator beats the heat in Florida fountain

4.New York-Dublin 'Portal' shut down due to 'inappropriate behavior'

5.Watch: Heirloom carving returned to family thanks to social media search

6.Bison spotted wandering loose on Wisconsin highway

7.Watch: 83-year-old woman becomes Howard University's oldest graduate

8.Watch: Man inserts 243 thumbtacks into a cork board in one minute

9.Snake on a train causes delays for 2,700 passengers

10.Virginia man stops to buy chicken, wins $500,000 lottery prize