You Like Acid, Metal, Punk Rock? Here’s Why.
July 12, 2012 by Michael Mountain
The study concludes that the distortion in rock music sounds similar to the noises an animal makes when in distress—which, as part of the animal kingdom, excites human listeners.
When Labs Are Tigers and Chows Are Pandas
July 12, 2012 by MichaelMountain
It started in China, but is spreading to the West: dyeing your dog to look like another animal. From tigers to turtles, it’s pets as fashion statements. Shelters used to have people dropping off their pets because “she doesn’t match the new furniture.” Now we’ll probably have them dropping them off because “the kids want [...]
Sensuous Snail Takes a Shower
July 3, 2012 by Michael Mountain
No Zombie Apocalypse, says CDC
June 12, 2012 by Michael Mountain
In real life, last week, the CDC issued an official statement saying it’s not expecting a zombie invasion. They may have slightly contributed to the problem themselves by issuing the tongue-in-cheek comic book-style novel Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic, which is really about how to be prepared for other kinds of emergencies.
When Turtles Divorce
June 11, 2012 by Michael Mountain
It may have been one of the longest relationships on record. But two Giant Turtles at the Austrian Zoo have fallen out of love and are making it clear they want to go their separate ways.
The Incredible Lightness of Being a Dinosaur
June 6, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Just about everything we ever thought we knew about dinosaurs has turned out to be wrong. These amazing beings who survived and adapted and are still with us (in the form of birds) were smart and colorful (literally), developed feathers and wings, and cared for their young. And now we’re learning that even the largest [...]
The Dead Kitty Copter
June 5, 2012 by Michael Mountain
This takes Monty Python’s dead parrot sketch to a whole other level. And the responses are mixed: from “cute” to “hilarious” to “utterly tasteless” to “completely grotesque and definitely not funny.”
Dinosaurs Live On as "Most Successful Land Species"
May 29, 2012 by Michael Mountain
It may be hard to imagine that your common house sparrow is the direct descendant of the dinosaurs (to be precise, she is a dinosaur). But we know it’s true. And now we know a little more about how the transition took place.
Imaginary Menagerie Takes to the Streets
May 25, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Imagine if the animals escaped from the zoo and took to the streets. That’s what the folks at Lichtfaktor in Cologne, Germany, did when they put together this remarkable light painting. Over four nights last winter, the team took their imaginary menagerie across Cologne’s streets and parks. There’s a huge octopus, a sea of jellyfish [...]
Masters of Camouflage
May 25, 2012 by Michael Mountain
Check out this beautiful conch shell … … Well, actually it’s an octopus. Octopuses have long been known to be able to change color and pattern to match their surroundings and hide from predators. But while other cephalopods can also use color and pattern to blend into the background, it turns out that the octopus [...]
