What has: (1) ancestors that lived with the dinosaurs; (2) many eyes and blue blood; (3) helped save the lives of many humans and; (4) been the subject of discoveries leading to a Nobel Prize? If you answered, horseshoe crabs, you are correct! Horseshoe crabs have been wandering around our oceans and estuaries for more than 400 million years. We are lucky they have been around for so long, because currently their blood is used to make sure that the medicines and devices used in hospitals are free of contaminants. They are also one of the few marine species to mate along the shoreline, so it is easy to observe them and inspect all their interesting parts. There are so many interesting things about these unique creatures that it is hard to summarize them all, but I will try to do so in this article.
Have you ever followed a recipe to make your favorite cake? Sometimes it turns out perfect, and sometimes you must adjust the amount of sugar or baking time to improve it. But what would you do if you needed to develop a brand-new recipe from scratch? Building artificial intelligence (AI) is similar, but requires a much more complex recipe! To “cook up” smart AI, scientists combine billions of instructions in just the right way, so the program can recognize patterns, solve problems, and reason like a human. However, it is nearly impossible to guess the best sequence of instructions in advance. Optimization algorithms are like helpful chefs in the kitchen, testing how well the AI performs, figuring out what is wrong, and tweaking the recipe to improve it. Optimization algorithms help computer scientists discover better versions of the recipe, until the AI becomes smarter and more powerful—just like perfecting a delicious cake!
Vampire bats are the only mammals that live on nothing but blood. Blood is almost entirely made of water and protein and contains very little sugar or fat, which most animals rely upon for energy. So how do vampire bats power flight or the stealthy stalking needed to find their next meal? To find out, scientists put bats on tiny treadmills and fed them blood with special “tags” to track how their meal was used. The results showed that vampire bats are unique in that they can burn protein directly and quickly for fuel, even during exercise. This unusual dietary “hack” is common in blood-sucking insects but has never been seen in mammals. However, a high-protein diet is not an efficient way to store energy, so vampire bats must feed almost every day. These discoveries show how an extreme diet can reshape animals’ bodies and social lives in amazing ways.
Treasure hunts are exciting because they can uncover things that people have overlooked. Kelp forests are like hidden underwater treasure. Their golden blades create habitats for incredible biodiversity, support fisheries, improve water quality, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Scientists and governments have estimated that kelp forests provide millions of dollars of value to human societies each year. Yet, many people do not even realize a kelp forest lives nearby. This lack of awareness can make it harder to protect these ecosystems. Today, kelp forests face multiple threats, including climate change, pollution, and overgrazing by sea urchins. Scientists are now trying to answer difficult questions: which forests are most at risk, which may survive in future oceans, and how can we help bring them back? Understanding and sharing the story of kelp forests may become one of the most important ways to protect them.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing challenges facing our world. In response, many people are turning to renewable energy sources (e.g., sunlight, wind, and moving water), which are much better for the environment and help reduce the impacts of climate change. However, wind turbines, solar panels, and dams for waterpower can sometimes harm animals that are already in trouble. In this article, we explore what renewable energy is, how it can negatively affect animals, and what we can do to keep animals safe as renewable energy becomes more common. We should not stop using renewable energy, but we need smart planning and information to power the planet and protect animals at the same time.
Inside your body, there are tiny cells working non-stop to protect you. Among them are eosinophils—special white blood cells that play a major role in defending your health. These immune cells are known for attacking parasites, but they also regulate inflammation, respond to allergens, and assist in healing damaged tissues. In this article, you will learn about the many jobs performed by eosinophils and why they are essential to keep you healthy. Let us dive into the microscopic world of these amazing protectors!
Kelp forests are one of the most important marine ecosystems on Earth. They provide shelter for many marine species, help capture carbon, protect coastlines, and keep water clean. However, they are heavily impacted by plastic pollution. Microplastics—tiny plastic particles—are one of the most common types of plastic waste in the ocean. Marine animals can easily ingest them, which can negatively affect their health. For this reason, we study the presence of microplastics in the animals that live in kelp forests to understand how widespread microplastics are and to raise awareness about their potential harm to marine life.
Have you ever wanted to feel better before starting a physical activity? Or maybe you have experienced the need to recover a little bit after playing a sport or doing some form of exercise? Understanding how to do a proper warm-up before physical activity and how to cool down properly after physical activity are two important ideas that will help you feel your best when being active. A proper warm-up will help you get ready to perform at your best, and a cool-down will help your recovery process. Preparing your body for physical activity and recovering after physical activity are both very important for your fitness, health, and overall wellbeing. Do you want to learn more about how to warm up and cool down so you can feel better when you participate in physical activities? Keep reading for more information on these topics, and try out some of the examples that we provide!
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of everyday life. It suggests songs and videos, helps students learn, and supports doctors, teachers, and scientists in solving real problems. But AI is not just a tool; it can also be a teammate. When people and AI work together, they mix human creativity and judgment with the speed of machines. This kind of teamwork is called hybrid collective intelligence. However, AI can make mistakes or give answers that sound right but are not true. That is why humans must stay curious, check facts, and make the final decisions. This article explains how to work with AI responsibly through co-creation, keeping people, fairness, and learning at the center. Using a class science project as an example, it shows how humans and AI can think together, learn together, and solve problems better as a team.
Scientists believe that most of the matter in our universe is made of invisible stuff called dark matter. Scientists still do not know what dark matter actually is but they are quite sure that it cannot be built of the same elementary particles that normal, visible matter is made of. So, it looks like there is a new invisible particle hiding in the universe... But wait! What if dark matter is only the tip of the iceberg? What if there is a whole hidden world with several kinds of particles and forces between them? Scientists call this mysterious world the Dark Sector. In this article, we will explore what the Dark Sector might look like, and how it could be connected to our visible world.
Chinook salmon have long been an important food source and central part of many Indigenous cultures along the Pacific Ocean. Salmon are also nature’s bridge between the ocean and the land because they carry nutrients from the sea to rivers and forests, feeding many animals and plants. But today, salmon are in trouble. Dams, habitat loss, overfishing, and climate change have caused their numbers to drop sharply. To protect salmon, scientists need to understand how they lived long ago. By studying ancient salmon bones, such as tiny ear stones (called otoliths) and backbones (called vertebrae), found at old Indigenous village sites, researchers can discover where salmon lived, how old they were, and how their environment has changed. These clues from the past help us make better choices to care for salmon, the ecosystem, and all the people that depend on them.
Animals fight over things they need. Males fight more than females, but females also fight. We studied how female fruit flies fight over food. We thought that females would need more food after mating, when they produce eggs. We measured fighting in eight species of fruit flies using artificial intelligence to measure how many times females fought. We found that females decrease fighting after mating or do not fight much at all. Females who produce lots of eggs fought more than females that produce few eggs. We think this means that the value of food increases when females lay many eggs.
The Earth is made of minerals, and things made from minerals are all around you. Anything that contains batteries or wires or any type of metal came from minerals. There would be no smartphones or computers without minerals! Some minerals are so important that countries call them “critical”. Critical minerals are minerals or the elements they contain that countries need but do not have enough of on their own. Examples are cobalt, copper, graphite (carbon), iron, lithium, and nickel. Some countries have a good supply of a needed mineral and others do not. The geological history of the Earth determined what minerals formed where. That history controls which regions have good supplies of the minerals they need, and which do not. Geologists help find critical minerals using knowledge of how and where different kinds of minerals form.
Would you sell your favorite cuddly toy to save children who have nothing to eat? This is a moral choice, a decision about what each person believes is right or wrong. Scientists have found ways to understand these types of decisions better by using an experimental scenario in which someone must choose whether to actively harm one person to save many others. These scenarios have helped scientists to unravel the mystery of moral decisions. Research shows that our choices come from a mix of emotions and reasoning. Studies also show that culture, values, and personal beliefs all play a role. Today, research into human morality provides answers that can help us improve our daily lives and our futures. Thanks to this kind of research, we will also be able to see whether our companions of the future, such as robots, self-driving cars, and artificial intelligence, make the same moral choices as we do.
Have you ever thought about being a scientist? While many people might image scientists working alone in the lab, there is also a much more social part of science that is not as well-known: research cruises. Scientists can get much more than data when they spend weeks on a wild adventure at sea! In this article, I will describe some of the unique social aspects of living on a research ship. You will learn how important is to get out of your comfort zone, keep an open mind, help colleagues, and spend time socializing. The coolest part of a scientist’s job can be the friends they make on board!
Computation is not just something computers do—it is happening everywhere, from inside our cells to the circuits of artificial intelligence. It is the foundation of our greatest superpower: learning—and now, it is becoming the superpower of machines too. Did you know that AI systems learn by mimicking how our brains work, and can even create brand-new ideas from past experiences? In this article, we explore how learning unfolds through “recipes” called algorithms—in both brains and machines—and why AI is not here to replace us, but to work with us. As these tools become part of our daily lives, they may also help us “close the loop” and better understand the most powerful computational system of all: the human brain.
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to health problems both now and in the future. In the Netherlands, people are advised to drink no more than one glass of alcohol a day. Sadly, many people, especially young adults, do not follow this advice. To help young adults stick to these limits, researchers created Boozebuster, a self-guided mobile app. The app has modules for setting goals, practicing mindfulness, keeping a diary, and tips for better sleep. The purpose of this study was to see if Boozebuster could help young adults drink less alcohol. In the study, 506 young adults aged 18–30 used either the app or an educational website. The results showed that both groups drank less alcohol after 6 weeks. Motivation was important—those who said they wanted to change did better. By presenting information about alcohol in a fun and easy way, young adults were able to make healthier choices.
Imagine your brain as a busy company with many departments working together—co-ordinating your memory, movement, and emotions. To keep everything running smoothly, the brain needs a leader. A brain area called the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is your brain’s chief executive officer or CEO. The PFC oversees what are called the executive functions—the mental skills that allow you to make smart decisions that help you reach your goals. In this article, you will learn about some key executive functions and discover how they help you manage temptations, think creatively, and stay calm even when you feel upset. You will also get a few practical tips for helping your brain’s CEO do its job even better!
Crohn’s disease is an illness that involves the digestive system, which helps us break down and absorb nutrients from the foods we eat. In Crohn’s disease, the immune system, which is meant to protect people from germs, gets confused and acts against the healthy part of the digestive system. This accidental self-harm leads to inflammation of the intestine, causing ongoing stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss from the impaired absorption of nutrients. Crohn’s is believed to be caused by a mix of genes and environmental factors, along with an imbalance of the microbes that live in the gut—some of which are helpful while others can cause problems. Managing Crohn’s disease can include various medicines and supportive measures, such as a special diet aimed at reducing symptoms. By learning more about the gut, immune system and microbes, scientists hope to find even better ways to support people living with Crohn’s.
Do your parents or grandparents complain about their backs? Why do so many older people have low back pain? One possible answer to these questions lies in sections of the spine called spinal discs. Discs help the spine perform its many jobs, like holding the weight of the upper body and letting people twist and bend. These tasks put a lot of pressure on the discs. As people age, their discs start to break down and struggle to absorb forces as efficiently as they once did. This is called degenerative disc disease. The lower back discs degenerate the quickest and are often associated with low back pain. Degenerative disc disease will affect almost everyone, with varying levels of disc damage and pain ranging from undetected to intense. A deeper understanding of the disc structure and how it breaks down can help scientists and medical professionals develop better tools to treat this disease.
