Magpie News Collector

animal

Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 3/21/2025 12:00 PM

Plastic waste has let common coots reuse nests year after year. Scientists have now used the trash layers to date how old nests are. ... Read full Story

animal

Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 3/21/2025 1:00 AM

Understanding hammerhead sharks’ food preferences could aid efforts to protect the critically endangered fish. ... Read full Story

animal

Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 3/20/2025 2:00 PM

The seals’ ability to detect the amount of oxygen in their blood may help them make diving decisions and avoid drowning. ... Read full Story

animal

Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill

By Science News | Maria Temming | 3/20/2025 12:15 AM

A chemical in Adélie penguin guano may have cued krill to take evasive maneuvers in lab tests. ... Read full Story

animal

Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 3/18/2025 9:00 AM

Southwestern Sydney's koalas have avoided the chlamydia outbreak threatening the entire species. But their isolation has left them extremely inbred. ... Read full Story

animal

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 3/17/2025 3:00 PM

The iguanas' 8,000-kilometer trip — one-fifth of the Earth’s circumference — is the longest made by a flightless land vertebrate. ... Read full Story

animal

Narwhals may use their iconic tusks to play

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 3/14/2025 9:00 AM

Videos show narwhals using their tusks in several ways, including prodding and flipping a fish. It’s the first reported evidence of the whales playing. ... Read full Story

animal

Dolphins and humans team up to catch fish in Brazil

By Science News | Brianna Randall | 3/7/2025 11:00 AM

In Brazil, where humans and dolphins fish in tandem, cooperation both within and between species is essential for the longstanding tradition. ... Read full Story

animal

Some sea turtles are laying eggs earlier in response to climate change

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 3/7/2025 9:00 AM

A 1-degree-Celsius change in water temperature prompts sea turtles in Northern Cyprus to lay eggs nearly a week earlier on average. ... Read full Story

animal

How a Labrador retriever’s genes might affect the dog’s obesity risk

By Science News | Alex Viveros | 3/6/2025 2:00 PM

Understanding the genetics of Labrador retriever obesity may help dog owners mitigate their best friend’s weight gain. ... Read full Story

animal

Crickets and flies face off in a quiet evolutionary battle

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 3/4/2025 2:00 PM

Male crickets in Hawaii softened their chirps once parasitic flies started hunting them. Now, it seems, the flies are homing in on the new tunes. ... Read full Story

animal

How fish biologists discovered birds of paradise have fluorescent feathers

By Science News | Susan Milius | 2/24/2025 11:00 AM

A survey of museum specimens reveals that more than a dozen species of the birds sport biofluorescence in feathers, skin or even inside their throats. ... Read full Story

animal

How a puffin patrol in Iceland is saving the iconic seabirds

By Science News | Jenny Krumrine | 2/24/2025 10:00 AM

Light pollution disorients young puffins. The Puffling Patrol helps them find their way to the sea. ... Read full Story

animal

The butts of these blowfly larvae mimic termite faces

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 2/21/2025 9:00 AM

The young of a mysterious blowfly species look — and smell — like the termites they hide among. ... Read full Story

animal

How a mushroom coral goes for a walk without legs

By Science News | Susan Milius | 2/14/2025 9:00 AM

Time-lapse video shows how a mushroom coral polyp pulses and inflates, flinging its soft body into micro-hops to slowly move itself to a new location. ... Read full Story

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

basketball

Nikola Jokić injury update: Nuggets star expected to return during upcoming five-game homestand, coach says

by CBS Interactive Inc | Mar 23 2025

beauty

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

by The List | Mar 03 2025

book

Twist

by BookPage | Mar 24 2025

fashion

Inside a Long Island man’s journey from struggles with cerebral palsy to launching a skincare line with unique family remedies

by NY Post | Mar 23 2025

FFNEWS

Deutsche Bank eyes industrial rebound, endorses these transportation stocks

by FreightWaves | Mar 07 2025

finance

The stock market is riding an oversold rally for now. Here’s when it stalls out.

by MarketWatch.com | Mar 20 2025

golf

PGA Tour and LIV Golf Look for Merger Deal Under Trump

by NY Times | Feb 18 2025

long_island

Great photos: Shamrocks, bagpipes & smiling Irish eyes at Ronkonkoma parade

by greaterlongisland.com | Mar 23 2025

metro

Hochul admin caves on rollout of pro-union NY home care overhaul as whistleblower describes chaos: ‘S–t show’

by New York Post | Mar 23 2025

nation

Mia Love, first Black congressional Republican, has died

by upi.com | Mar 24 2025

odd_fun

Diamond earrings swallowed by suspected thief are recovered by police

by Sky News | Mar 21 2025

science

Controversial black hole radiation first described by Stephen Hawking may have changed the shape of the universe, study hints

by LIVE SCIENCE | Mar 23 2025

soccer

When Wales were grounded by a lost passport

by Yahoo Sports | Mar 24 2025

sports

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

by ESPN Inc. | Aug 14 2024

wellness

Why ‘Releasing Your Anger’ Could Backfire

by Self.com | Mar 21 2025

Word of the Day

garble

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2025 is:

garble • \GAR-bul\ • verb

To garble something, such as a word, name, message, etc., is to cause it to be unclear or distorted. This type of garbling can be the result of an accident, ignorance, or a transmission error. Garble can also mean "to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning."

// I was so nervous I garbled their names.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Noisy environments and interruptions garbled the audio or led to the services transcribing voices of people in the office who weren’t in our meeting." — Danielle Abril, The Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023

Did you know?

Garble is a word with a spicy history, and we're not just saying that to curry favor with gastronomes. It is presumed that this word was passed from Arabic to Mediterranean Europe through trade in Eastern spices, and was first introduced into English from the Anglo-French verb garbeler, used for the action of sifting out impurities—such as dust, dirt, husks, etc.—from spices. In the 15th century, the English garble carried this same meaning as well as "to cull," i.e., to sort or pick out the best parts of something. If these origins seem curious given garble’s now more common meanings of "to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression" and "to cause to be unclear or confusing; to introduce error into," consider that one way of garbling someone’s story is to take bits and pieces out of context.

Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests

Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home

Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels

Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill

Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

Narwhals may use their iconic tusks to play

Dolphins and humans team up to catch fish in Brazil

Some sea turtles are laying eggs earlier in response to climate change

How a Labrador retriever’s genes might affect the dog’s obesity risk

Crickets and flies face off in a quiet evolutionary battle

How fish biologists discovered birds of paradise have fluorescent feathers

How a puffin patrol in Iceland is saving the iconic seabirds

The butts of these blowfly larvae mimic termite faces

How a mushroom coral goes for a walk without legs

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

Nikola Jokić injury update: Nuggets star expected to return during upcoming five-game homestand, coach says

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

Twist

Inside a Long Island man’s journey from struggles with cerebral palsy to launching a skincare line with unique family remedies

Deutsche Bank eyes industrial rebound, endorses these transportation stocks

The stock market is riding an oversold rally for now. Here’s when it stalls out.

PGA Tour and LIV Golf Look for Merger Deal Under Trump

Great photos: Shamrocks, bagpipes & smiling Irish eyes at Ronkonkoma parade

Hochul admin caves on rollout of pro-union NY home care overhaul as whistleblower describes chaos: ‘S–t show’

Mia Love, first Black congressional Republican, has died

Diamond earrings swallowed by suspected thief are recovered by police

Controversial black hole radiation first described by Stephen Hawking may have changed the shape of the universe, study hints

When Wales were grounded by a lost passport

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

Why ‘Releasing Your Anger’ Could Backfire

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Diamond earrings swallowed by suspected thief are recovered by police

2.Watch: Georgia men play single basketball game for record-breaking 121 hours

3.Maryland man buys the wrong lottery ticket, wins $50,000

4.Look: Library book back in circulation after being 98 years overdue

5.Watch: Ohio police chase down loose goat on busy highway

6.New Zealand Parliament Ghost Tour Shows Off Its Spooky Side

7.Watch: Sheriff's office uses drone to rescue 3 deer from frozen lake

8.Errand to get new tires leads to $250,000 lottery prize

9.Watch: Animal rescuer captures magpie trapped inside grocery store

10.FAA: Ice chunk that crashed through Florida roof was not from a plane