Magpie News Collector

animal

Some probiotics could feed, rather than fend off, infections

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 8/1/2025 1:00 PM

Probiotics containing Lactobacillus gasseri Lg-36 prevented C. difficile infections in mice, but L. acidophilus probiotics made infection more likely. ... Read full Story

animal

Some killer whales hunt in pairs to maximize their bounty

By Science News | Kristel Tjandra | 7/28/2025 9:00 AM

Drone footage from Norway shows killer whales using a highly coordinated and cooperative hunting technique to catch herring. ... Read full Story

animal

This desert beetle runs to cool off

By Science News | Rohini Subrahmanyam | 7/25/2025 9:00 AM

After a sprint, the temperature of the beetle Onymacris plana drops. Efficient running, a body built for cooling and a little bit of lift all help. ... Read full Story

animal

Some penguins save energy by riding ocean currents

By Science News | Sofia Caetano Avritzer | 7/17/2025 2:00 PM

When navigating home, Magellanic penguins alternate between heading straight back in calm waters and swimming with the flow in strong ocean currents. ... Read full Story

animal

A dog’s taste for TV may depend on its temperament

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 7/17/2025 11:00 AM

Anxious dogs might react nervously to some television sounds, a survey of dog owners reports, while hyper ones might try to play chase. ... Read full Story

animal

A newly discovered cell helps pythons poop out the bones of their prey

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 7/16/2025 1:00 PM

The cells helps the snakes absorb the bones of their prey — and might show up in other animals that chomp their meals whole. ... Read full Story

animal

Greenland sled dog DNA is a window into the Arctic’s archaeological past

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 7/10/2025 2:00 PM

A genomic analysis of Greenland’s Qimmeq dogs suggest they and their human partners arrived on the island centuries earlier than previously thought. ... Read full Story

animal

As bird flu evolves, keeping it out of farm flocks is getting harder

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 7/9/2025 2:00 PM

New versions of the H5N1 virus are increasingly adept at spreading. Suggestions to either let it rip in poultry or vaccinate the birds could backfire. ... Read full Story

animal

This bug’s all-in helicopter parenting reshaped its eggs

By Science News | Susan Milius | 6/26/2025 11:30 AM

An egg-shape trend found among birds shows up in miniature with very protective bug parents. Elongated eggs fit more compactly under mom. ... Read full Story

animal

Killer whales may use kelp brushes to slough off rough skin

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 6/23/2025 11:00 AM

The whales use quick body movements to tear pieces of bull kelp for use as tools, perhaps the first known toolmaking by a marine mammal. ... Read full Story

animal

50 years after ‘Jaws,’ sharks face their own terror

By Science News | Brianna Randall | 6/20/2025 9:00 AM

Humans have driven sharks and their cousins to the brink of extinction. The health of the entire ocean is at stake. ... Read full Story

animal

U.S. seal populations have rebounded — and so have their conflicts with humans

By Science News | Aaron Tremper | 6/19/2025 10:00 AM

Alix Morris’s new book, A Year with the Seals, explores humans’ complicated relationship with these controversial marine mammals. ... Read full Story

animal

Compare shark sizes on our infographic

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 6/18/2025 2:00 PM

As Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary, Science News explores the vast range of shark sizes, from megaladon to the dwarf lanternshark. ... Read full Story

animal

This moth species may use the Milky Way as its guiding star

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 6/18/2025 11:00 AM

Bogong moths migrate up to 1,000 kilometers from Australian plains to mountain caves to escape the summer heat. The stars may help them get there. ... Read full Story

animal

Fewer scavengers could mean more zoonotic disease

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 6/16/2025 3:00 PM

Scavenger populations are decreasing, a new study shows. That could put human health at risk. ... Read full Story

animal

This spider’s barf is worse than its bite

By Science News | Susan Milius | 6/12/2025 8:00 PM

Most spider species subdue dinner by injecting venom from their fangs. Feather-legged lace weavers swathe prey in silk, then upchuck a killing brew. ... Read full Story

animal

Preemptively cutting rhinos’ horns cuts poaching

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 6/5/2025 2:00 PM

Comparing various tactics for protecting rhinos suggests that dehorning them drastically reduces poaching. ... Read full Story

animal

Probiotics helped great star corals fend off a deadly disease

By Science News | Martin J. Kernan | 6/5/2025 2:00 AM

A probiotic paste prevented the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease, but the treatment is still a proof-of-concept, not a cure. ... Read full Story

animal

Flamingos create precise water vortices in a shrimp-hunting frenzy

By Science News | Elie Dolgin | 6/4/2025 11:00 AM

Nashville Zoo flamingos reveal the oddball birds generate many types of vortices to eat. The swirls could be an inspiration to human engineers. ... Read full Story

animal

Aussie cockatoos use their beaks and claws to turn on water fountains

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 6/3/2025 7:01 PM

Parrots living in Sydney have learned how to turn on water fountains for a drink. It's the first such drinking strategy seen in the birds. ... Read full Story

art

Kirsty Elson’s Spirited Creatures Breathe New Life into Weathered Driftwood

by Colossal | Aug 01 2025

basketball

LOOK: Nuggets, Bucks, Hawks unveil NBA City Edition uniforms for 2025-26 season, move back to popular designs

by CBS Interactive Inc | Aug 01 2025

beauty

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

by The List | Mar 03 2025

entertainment

Kelly Rutherford Compares Her Style to 'Gossip Girl's' Lily van der Woodsen and Spills What She Took from Set

by ET Online | 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

food

What Sets Beef Tallow Apart From Beef Fat?

by The Daily Meal | Aug 01 2025

health

Justin Timberlake Shares His ‘Relentlessly Debilitating’ Battle With Lyme Disease

by Healthline.com | Aug 01 2025

music

Universal Music and Spotify Share Price Declines Highlight a Bad Week for Music Stocks

by Billboard | Aug 01 2025

nation

Photos show how White House gardens have bloomed in years past -- and today

by upi.com | Aug 01 2025

people

Kai Trump recently appeared in an advertisement for an energy drink teasing Donald Trump

by marca.com | Aug 01 2025

politics

Gridlock crumbles as Senate advances spending bills in race against shutdown

by Fox News | Aug 01 2025

retirement

Retirees face staggering 6-figure health care bill when leaving the workforce

by Fox News | Jul 30 2025

technology

Tiny nanobubbles unlock major gains in battery life, green hydrogen, and water tech

by Interesting Engineering | Aug 01 2025

travel

Alternative Florida: Uncovering St. Augustine and Amelia Island’s rich history

by Wanderlust | Aug 01 2025

wellness

7 Best Shoes for Hip Pain of 2025

by Self.com | Aug 01 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 (by a grand total of two letters) but both words are in current good use.

Some probiotics could feed, rather than fend off, infections

Some killer whales hunt in pairs to maximize their bounty

This desert beetle runs to cool off

Some penguins save energy by riding ocean currents

A dog’s taste for TV may depend on its temperament

A newly discovered cell helps pythons poop out the bones of their prey

Greenland sled dog DNA is a window into the Arctic’s archaeological past

As bird flu evolves, keeping it out of farm flocks is getting harder

This bug’s all-in helicopter parenting reshaped its eggs

Killer whales may use kelp brushes to slough off rough skin

50 years after ‘Jaws,’ sharks face their own terror

U.S. seal populations have rebounded — and so have their conflicts with humans

Compare shark sizes on our infographic

This moth species may use the Milky Way as its guiding star

Fewer scavengers could mean more zoonotic disease

This spider’s barf is worse than its bite

Preemptively cutting rhinos’ horns cuts poaching

Probiotics helped great star corals fend off a deadly disease

Flamingos create precise water vortices in a shrimp-hunting frenzy

Aussie cockatoos use their beaks and claws to turn on water fountains

Kirsty Elson’s Spirited Creatures Breathe New Life into Weathered Driftwood

LOOK: Nuggets, Bucks, Hawks unveil NBA City Edition uniforms for 2025-26 season, move back to popular designs

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

Kelly Rutherford Compares Her Style to 'Gossip Girl's' Lily van der Woodsen and Spills What She Took from Set

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

What Sets Beef Tallow Apart From Beef Fat?

Justin Timberlake Shares His ‘Relentlessly Debilitating’ Battle With Lyme Disease

Universal Music and Spotify Share Price Declines Highlight a Bad Week for Music Stocks

Photos show how White House gardens have bloomed in years past -- and today

Kai Trump recently appeared in an advertisement for an energy drink teasing Donald Trump

Gridlock crumbles as Senate advances spending bills in race against shutdown

Retirees face staggering 6-figure health care bill when leaving the workforce

Tiny nanobubbles unlock major gains in battery life, green hydrogen, and water tech

Alternative Florida: Uncovering St. Augustine and Amelia Island’s rich history

7 Best Shoes for Hip Pain of 2025

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Newborn squirrel rescued after falling out of tree

2.Watch: Paddleboarding pooches break three world records

3.Look: Escaped monitor lizard returns to Massachusetts, evades capture

4.Look: Firefighters rescue bobcat stuck in front grill of vehicle

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

6.South Africa Hopes Injecting Horns With Radioactive Material Curbs Rhino Poaching

7.Wayward sea lion found wandering in California road

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

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

10.Radioactive Wasp Nest Uncovered At South Carolina Nuclear Facility