Magpie News Collector

animal

40,000-year-old woolly mammoth RNA offers a peek into its last moments

By Science News | Meghan Rosen | 11/14/2025 11:00 AM

Ancient RNA from Yuka, a 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth preserved in permafrost, can offer new biological insights into the Ice Age animal’s life. ... Read full Story

animal

Deep-sea mining might feed plankton a diet of junk food

By Science News | Carolyn Gramling | 11/13/2025 11:00 AM

An analysis of mining plumes in the Pacific Ocean reveals they kick up particles sized similarly to the more nutritious tidbits that plankton eat. ... Read full Story

animal

AI eavesdropped on whale chatter. It may have helped find something new

By Science News | Kathryn Hulick | 11/12/2025 11:00 AM

Some “clicks” made by sperm whales may actually be “clacks,” but marine biologists debate what, if anything, that means. ... Read full Story

animal

This fly’s flesh-eating maggot is making a comeback. Here’s what to know

By Science News | Carly Kay | 11/12/2025 10:00 AM

After a decades-long hiatus, new world screwworm populations have surged in Central America and Mexico — and are inching northward. ... Read full Story

animal

Woodpecker hammering is a full-body affair

By Science News | Anna Gibbs | 11/6/2025 11:00 PM

The birds grunt like tennis pros when generating their rat-a-tat, a performance strategy that may help stabilize core muscles. ... Read full Story

animal

Mosquitoes infiltrated Iceland. Will they survive the winter?

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 11/3/2025 6:31 PM

Mosquitoes have reached Iceland, a place once thought too harsh for them to survive. Climate change may play a role in this shift. ... Read full Story

animal

Deep Antarctic waters hold geometric communities of fish nests

By Science News | Carly Kay | 10/29/2025 4:00 AM

Scientists found thousands of patterned fish nests in Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, boosting calls for marine protected areas. ... Read full Story

animal

Polar bears provide millions of kilograms of food for other Arctic species

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 10/28/2025 9:00 AM

A new study shows how much food polar bears leave behind — and how their decline threatens scavengers across the Arctic. ... Read full Story

animal

Subway mosquitoes evolved millennia ago in ancient Mediterranean cities

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 10/23/2025 6:00 PM

A variety of subway-dwelling mosquito seems like a modern artifact. But genomic analysis reveals the insect got its evolutionary start millennia ago. ... Read full Story

animal

Which venomous snakes strike the fastest?

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 10/23/2025 2:43 PM

Vipers have the fastest strikes, but snakes from other families can give some slower vipers stiff competition. ... Read full Story

animal

Scientists and fishers have teamed up to find a way to save manta rays

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 10/22/2025 1:00 PM

Thousands of at-risk manta and devil rays become accidental bycatch in tuna fishing nets every year. A simple sorting grid could help save them. ... Read full Story

animal

Guppies fall for a classic optical illusion. Doves, usually, do too

By Science News | Sujata Gupta | 10/20/2025 6:00 PM

Comparing animals’ susceptibility to optical illusions can show how perception evolved. ... Read full Story

animal

A rice weevil frozen in flight won the 2025 Nikon Small World photo contest

By Science News | Carly Kay | 10/17/2025 4:00 PM

From fluorescent ferns to sprawling neurons, this year’s winning photos reveal the structures and artistry of life seen through a microscope. ... Read full Story

animal

These ancient bumblebees were found with their pollen source

By Science News | Taylor Mitchell Brown | 10/15/2025 5:00 PM

Insects have long pollinated plants, but evidence of ancient pairing is rare. Fossils now show bees and linden trees goes back 24 million years. ... Read full Story

animal

The viral Chicago ‘Rat Hole’ almost certainly wasn’t made by a rat

By Science News | Amanda Heidt | 10/14/2025 7:01 PM

Researchers used methods from paleontology to analyze the quirky local landmark, created when a rodent of a certain size fell into wet concrete. ... Read full Story

animal

New wetsuit designs offer a layer of protection against shark bites

By Science News | Carly Kay | 10/14/2025 9:00 AM

By weaving Kevlar or polyethylene nanofibers into standard neoprene in wetsuits, researchers found ways to limit injury during rare encounters with sharks. ... Read full Story

animal

Mic’d bats reveal midnight songbird attacks

By Science News | Alison Pearce Stevens | 10/9/2025 2:00 PM

Sensor data reveal greater noctule bats chasing, catching and chewing on birds during high-altitude, nighttime hunts. ... Read full Story

animal

Toy-obsessed dogs give clues to addictive behaviors

By Science News | Laura Sanders | 10/9/2025 11:00 AM

Some dogs love playing with toys so intensely they can’t stop—offering scientists a window into behavioral addictions. ... Read full Story

animal

What the longest woolly rhino horn tells us about the beasts’ biology

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 10/7/2025 10:00 AM

A nearly 20,000-year-old woolly rhino horn reveals the extinct herbivores lived as long as modern-day rhinos, despite harsher Ice Age conditions. ... Read full Story

animal

To make a tasty yogurt, just add ants (and their microbes)

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 10/3/2025 11:01 AM

Spiking milk with live ants makes tangy traditional yogurt. Researchers have identified the ants' microbial pals and enzymes that help the process. ... Read full Story

art

Wander through Adrienna Matzeg’s Embroidered, Late-Night City Explorations

by Colossal | May 05 2026

auto

Jaguar's Polarizing New Car Is Finally Getting An Actual Name

by carbuzz.com | May 05 2026

connecticut

For Sen. Martin Looney, the House makes an exception

by CT Mirror | May 06 2026

exercise

Lindsey Vonn Says She Still Feels 29—Here’s What She’s Doing Differently

by thehealthy.com | Apr 15 2026

fashion

Experimental hair loss pill just cleared a major hurdle — when it could hit shelves

by NY Post | May 05 2026

health

New Ozempic Pill Could Revolutionize Type 2 Diabetes Treatment. Here's How

by Healthline.com | May 05 2026

lifestyle

Barack Obama sets the record straight on ‘aliens are real’ with unexpected response

by Hello! Magazine | May 06 2026

long_island

Long Island University hit with 3-year NCAA probation for widespread eligibility violations

by greaterlongisland.com | May 05 2026

music

Salt-N-Pepa’s Music Ownership Appeal Has a ‘Foundational Deficiency,’ UMG Argues

by Billboard | May 05 2026

new_jersey

2026 Primary: 8th Congressional District

by NJ Spotlight | May 05 2026

opinion

Fire union chief’s lawsuit against Karen Bass an overdue public service

by New York Post | May 05 2026

real_estate

California dominates top 10 priciest U.S. cities for homeowners — here’s what you need to earn

by NY Post | May 05 2026

science

Small talk shapes big trends: Physics predicts how language patterns spread

by phys.org | May 05 2026

sports

Pelé's life in pictures

by CNN | Apr 16 2023

world

Trump pauses Project Freedom less than two days after launch

by United Press International, Inc. | May 06 2026

Word of the Day

flamboyant

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 6, 2026 is:

flamboyant • \flam-BOY-ant\ • adjective

Someone or something described as flamboyant has a very noticeable quality that attracts a lot of attention. Such a person or thing is often strikingly elaborate or colorful in their behavior or display.

// Reality television attracts millions of viewers for its depictions of flamboyant, larger-than-life personalities living equally flamboyant lifestyles.

See the entry >

Examples:

“[Helen] McCrory’s flamboyant and perfectly drawn portrayal of Polly was the show’s real treasure, a steel-willed matriarch unusually attuned to the mysticism of the Shelby family’s Romani roots who also served as a ruthlessly pragmatic consigliere. ... McCrory’s Polly was so electric that the show remained totally riveting any time she was onscreen.” — Jack Hamilton, Slate, 20 Mar. 2026

Did you know?

Associate the word flamboyant with bananas flambé and the word’s fiery etymology will be seared in your mind. Flamboyant, which was borrowed into English from French in the 19th century, can be traced back to the Old French word flambe, meaning “flame.” In its earliest uses flamboyant referred to an ornate style of Gothic architecture popular in France and Spain, which featured waving curves suggestive of flames. Eventually, the word developed a more general second sense for anything eye-catching or showy. And of course, flambe is also the origin of the English adjective flambé, which describes food flamboyantly dressed or served with flaming liquor.

40,000-year-old woolly mammoth RNA offers a peek into its last moments

Deep-sea mining might feed plankton a diet of junk food

AI eavesdropped on whale chatter. It may have helped find something new

This fly’s flesh-eating maggot is making a comeback. Here’s what to know

Woodpecker hammering is a full-body affair

Mosquitoes infiltrated Iceland. Will they survive the winter?

Deep Antarctic waters hold geometric communities of fish nests

Polar bears provide millions of kilograms of food for other Arctic species

Subway mosquitoes evolved millennia ago in ancient Mediterranean cities

Which venomous snakes strike the fastest?

Scientists and fishers have teamed up to find a way to save manta rays

Guppies fall for a classic optical illusion. Doves, usually, do too

A rice weevil frozen in flight won the 2025 Nikon Small World photo contest

These ancient bumblebees were found with their pollen source

The viral Chicago ‘Rat Hole’ almost certainly wasn’t made by a rat

New wetsuit designs offer a layer of protection against shark bites

Mic’d bats reveal midnight songbird attacks

Toy-obsessed dogs give clues to addictive behaviors

What the longest woolly rhino horn tells us about the beasts’ biology

To make a tasty yogurt, just add ants (and their microbes)

Wander through Adrienna Matzeg’s Embroidered, Late-Night City Explorations

Jaguar's Polarizing New Car Is Finally Getting An Actual Name

For Sen. Martin Looney, the House makes an exception

Lindsey Vonn Says She Still Feels 29—Here’s What She’s Doing Differently

Experimental hair loss pill just cleared a major hurdle — when it could hit shelves

New Ozempic Pill Could Revolutionize Type 2 Diabetes Treatment. Here's How

Barack Obama sets the record straight on ‘aliens are real’ with unexpected response

Long Island University hit with 3-year NCAA probation for widespread eligibility violations

Salt-N-Pepa’s Music Ownership Appeal Has a ‘Foundational Deficiency,’ UMG Argues

2026 Primary: 8th Congressional District

Fire union chief’s lawsuit against Karen Bass an overdue public service

California dominates top 10 priciest U.S. cities for homeowners — here’s what you need to earn

Small talk shapes big trends: Physics predicts how language patterns spread

Pelé's life in pictures

Trump pauses Project Freedom less than two days after launch

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Boston bakery pleads for return of giant ice cream cone mascot

2.Maryland man collects his second $50,000 lottery prize in two weeks

3.Watch: Tranquilized bear passes out atop brick wall in Los Angeles

4.Loose dog joins runners in Indianapolis mini-marathon

5.Watch: Loose goat moves into Massachusetts woman's yard

6.Wallaby captured after escape from New Jersey zoo

7.Watch: Large python found perched on AC unit inside home

8.Virginia Lottery player wins wife a $986,399 birthday gift

9.Watch: California man does 12,412 pull-ups in 24 hours

10.Watch: Robot passenger causes flight delay in California