Magpie News Collector

animal

Could Spinosaurus swim? The fierce dinosaur ignites debate

By Science News | Carolyn Gramling | 4/14/2025 11:00 AM

Researchers are still divided about whether Spinosaurus was a swimmer or a wader. What’s clear is that confirming the first swimming dinosaur would be a game-changer. ... Read full Story

animal

Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions

By Science News | Susan Milius | 4/11/2025 2:00 PM

As thousands of bats launch nightly hunting, the cacophony of a dense crowd should stymie echolocation, a so-called “cocktail party nightmare.” ... Read full Story

animal

Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake

By Science News | Victoria Jaggard | 4/11/2025 12:00 PM

From demon to danger noodle, human ideas about snakes can be as contradictory as the creatures themselves. In Slither, Stephen S. Hall challenges our serpent stereotypes. ... Read full Story

animal

The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction

By Science News | Meghan Rosen | 4/10/2025 3:59 PM

Some question whether the pups are really dire wolves, or just genetically tweaked gray wolves. But the technology could be used to help at-risk animals. ... Read full Story

animal

Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network

By Science News | Alex Viveros | 4/8/2025 7:01 PM

The furry seal skins may have made their way to French monasteries from as far away as Greenland. ... Read full Story

animal

Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 4/4/2025 9:00 AM

The Mojave Desert may lose and gain suitable habitat for Gila monsters. But the unathletic reptiles might be mostly stuck in the waning oases. ... Read full Story

animal

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

By Science News | Jason Bittel | 3/28/2025 11:00 AM

Scientists created transgenic mice with woolly mammoth–like traits. But does it really bring us closer to bringing back woolly mammoths? ... Read full Story

animal

You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 3/26/2025 10:00 AM

A dog's physical cues often take a back seat to environmental ones, skewing humans' perceptions, a small study suggests. ... Read full Story

animal

Is that shark ticking? In a first, a shark is recorded making noise

By Science News | Susan Milius | 3/25/2025 8:01 PM

The ocean can be a symphony of fish grunts, hums and growls. Now add tooth-clacking sharks to the score. ... Read full Story

animal

A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice

By Science News | Rohini Subrahmanyam | 3/25/2025 10:00 AM

Mouse cells tweaked to produce the tardigrade protein incurred less DNA damage than unaltered cells — hinting at a new tool for cancer patient care. ... Read full Story

animal

How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines

By Science News | Sarah Schwartz | 3/24/2025 3:00 PM

Treated plants fight pests without the need for toxic pesticides, oozing a "larval toffee" that stunts tomato pinworms’ growth and attracts predators. ... Read full Story

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

art

Gabrielle Garland’s House Portraits Illuminate Daily Life, Individuality, and the ‘Fabric of Society’

by Colossal | Jul 31 2025

connecticut

Grant discontinuation threatens CT student well-being

by CT Mirror | Aug 01 2025

exercise

If You Don’t Walk Backward Every Day, a Sports Medicine Doctor’s List of the Benefits Might Convince You To Start

by thehealthy.com | Jul 11 2025

finance

Trump hits dozens more countries with higher tariffs that start Aug. 7

by MarketWatch.com | Jul 31 2025

food

The Unexpected Ingredient In Costco's Italian Meatballs That Gives Them A Flavor Boost

by The Daily Meal | Jul 31 2025

game

Battlefield 6 Portal Map Creator Makes It Easier Than Ever To Design And Play

by GameSpot | Jul 31 2025

how_to

Marco Polo Uses AI for Back-and-Forth Video Messaging. Why You Should Try It

by CNET | Jul 31 2025

long_island

Sayville Summerfest returns with rides, food, live music and more

by greaterlongisland.com | Jul 31 2025

mental

Special Olympics Advocates: Don’t Leave This Community Out of Mental Health Discussions

by thehealthy.com | May 28 2025

nation

Judge halts Trump's termination of TPS for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua

by upi.com | Aug 01 2025

nutrition

Carnivore Diet: Expert Clinicians List the Foods, Effects, and Health Risks

by thehealthy.com | Jul 10 2025

politics

Trump Clashes With Reporter Over Tariffs, Citing Pandemic and ‘Fighting Lunatics’

by Fox News | Jul 31 2025

science

515-mile-long lightning bolt that spanned 5 states is the longest on record

by LIVE SCIENCE | Jul 31 2025

sports

Pelé's life in pictures

by CNN | Apr 16 2023

upstate

Gorski Street fire in Amsterdam under investigation

by NEWS10 ABC | Jul 31 2025

Word of the Day

dissociate

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

dissociate • \dih-SOH-shee-ayt\ • verb

To dissociate is to separate oneself from association or union with someone or something; in contexts relating to psychology, it has to do specifically with mentally detaching from one's physical or emotional experiences. In chemistry, dissociate means "to separate a chemical compound into its constituent parts especially through the application of heat or a solvent."

// The director has tried to dissociate herself from her earlier films.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Last spring, Sunrise Brown launched their 'DIRE' campaign—which stands for 'dissociate' and 'reinvest'—calling on the University to dissociate from the fossil fuel industry and prioritize issues of environmental justice in its relationships with the Providence community." — Kate Butts and Sophia Wotman, The Brown Daily Herald (Providence, Rhode Island), 31 Oct. 2024

Did you know?

Dissociate and its synonymous sibling disassociate can each mean "to separate from association or union with another." Both trace back to the Latin verb sociare, meaning "to join," which comes in turn from socius, a noun meaning "companion." (Socius is associated with many English words, including social and society.) Dis- in this case means "do the opposite of," so both dissociate and disassociate indicate severing that which is united. Some argue that disassociate is illogical because it indicates separating and uniting simultaneously. Dissociate is also preferred by some because it is shorter (and by a grand total of two letters) but both words are in current good use.

Could Spinosaurus swim? The fierce dinosaur ignites debate

Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions

Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake

The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction

Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network

Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change

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

You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong

Is that shark ticking? In a first, a shark is recorded making noise

A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice

How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines

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

Gabrielle Garland’s House Portraits Illuminate Daily Life, Individuality, and the ‘Fabric of Society’

Grant discontinuation threatens CT student well-being

If You Don’t Walk Backward Every Day, a Sports Medicine Doctor’s List of the Benefits Might Convince You To Start

Trump hits dozens more countries with higher tariffs that start Aug. 7

The Unexpected Ingredient In Costco's Italian Meatballs That Gives Them A Flavor Boost

Battlefield 6 Portal Map Creator Makes It Easier Than Ever To Design And Play

Marco Polo Uses AI for Back-and-Forth Video Messaging. Why You Should Try It

Sayville Summerfest returns with rides, food, live music and more

Special Olympics Advocates: Don’t Leave This Community Out of Mental Health Discussions

Judge halts Trump's termination of TPS for Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua

Carnivore Diet: Expert Clinicians List the Foods, Effects, and Health Risks

Trump Clashes With Reporter Over Tariffs, Citing Pandemic and ‘Fighting Lunatics’

515-mile-long lightning bolt that spanned 5 states is the longest on record

Pelé's life in pictures

Gorski Street fire in Amsterdam under investigation

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Giant baseball with 6,750 signatures breaks world record

2.Wayward sea lion found wandering in California road

3.27-year-old alpaca officially named the oldest in the world

4.Watch: Escaped goat leads police in chase through Colorado neighborhood

5.Look: Three capybara pups born at New Orleans zoo

6.Firefighters help free puppy's paw from bathtub drain

7.Dad's death date earns Maryland woman a $50,000 lottery prize

8.Look: Kitten rescued from storm drain near highway on-ramp

9.Look: Firefighters dig a hole, cut through pipe to reach stranded calf

10.Watch: Escape artist dog's shelter break-out caught on camera