Notebook
- Animals
These lizards bleed green
Blood and bones turn naturally green in island lizards. Their evolutionary history still needs explaining.
By Susan Milius - Oceans
50 years ago, humans could pick the oceans clean
Scientists have long recognized that we might overfish the oceans. Despite quotas, some species are paying the price of human appetite.
- Animals
Newly discovered big-headed ants use spines for support
Two newly discovered ant species provide new insights into spiny evolution.
- Animals
To prevent cannibalism, bring chocolate
If a date goes bad for a nursery web spider, a romantic gift can serve as a shield.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
U.S. lags in road safety
The U.S. tops the list of 19 high-income countries for deaths from motor vehicle crashes.
By Alex Maddon - Oceans
Underwater city was built by microbes, not people
Submerged stoneworklike formations near the Greek island of Zakynthos were built by methane-munching microbes, not ancient Greeks.
- Life
Artificial hearing has come a long way since 1960s
Scientists envisioned artificial hearing 50 years ago. Today, they are working to make it superhuman.
- Animals
To zip through water, swordfish reduce drag
A newly discovered oil-producing organ inside the swordfish’s head gives the animal slick skin to swim faster.
- Physics
Sounds from gunshots may help solve crimes
Sound wave analysis may help forensic scientists figure out what types of guns were fired at a crime scene.
By Meghan Rosen - Materials Science
Shark jelly is strong proton conductor
A jelly found in sharks and skates, which helps them sense electric fields, is a strong proton conductor.
- Animals
Two newly identified dinosaurs donned weird horns
Two newly discovered relatives of Triceratops had unusual head adornments — even for horned dinosaurs.
- Planetary Science
Earth has a tiny tagalong, and no, it’s not a moon
Asteroid 2016 HO3 is a quasisatellite of Earth — orbiting the sun while never wandering far from our planet.