Magpie News Collector

animal

Bird flu in cows shows no signs of adapting to humans — yet

By Science News | Tina Hesman Saey | 4/28/2025 9:00 AM

Easy replication in cattle mammary glands means H5N1 bird flu is under no evolutionary pressure to adapt to spread easily in humans. ... Read full Story

animal

This caterpillar wears the body parts of insect prey

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 4/24/2025 2:00 PM

Dubbed the “bone collector,” this caterpillar found on a Hawaiian island disguises itself while stalking spider webs for trapped insects to eat. ... Read full Story

animal

How science can help you train your puppy

By Science News | Joshua Rapp Learn | 4/22/2025 9:00 AM

Puppies with a good grasp of basic gestures, self-confidence and impulse control grow into well-behaved adults, a new study suggests. ... Read full Story

animal

Could Spinosaurus swim? The fierce dinosaur ignites debate

By Science News | Carolyn Gramling | 4/14/2025 11:00 AM

Researchers are still divided about whether Spinosaurus was a swimmer or a wader. What’s clear is that confirming the first swimming dinosaur would be a game-changer. ... Read full Story

animal

Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions

By Science News | Susan Milius | 4/11/2025 2:00 PM

As thousands of bats launch nightly hunting, the cacophony of a dense crowd should stymie echolocation, a so-called “cocktail party nightmare.” ... Read full Story

animal

Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake

By Science News | Victoria Jaggard | 4/11/2025 12:00 PM

From demon to danger noodle, human ideas about snakes can be as contradictory as the creatures themselves. In Slither, Stephen S. Hall challenges our serpent stereotypes. ... Read full Story

animal

The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction

By Science News | Meghan Rosen | 4/10/2025 3:59 PM

Some question whether the pups are really dire wolves, or just genetically tweaked gray wolves. But the technology could be used to help at-risk animals. ... Read full Story

animal

Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network

By Science News | Alex Viveros | 4/8/2025 7:01 PM

The furry seal skins may have made their way to French monasteries from as far away as Greenland. ... Read full Story

animal

Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 4/4/2025 9:00 AM

The Mojave Desert may lose and gain suitable habitat for Gila monsters. But the unathletic reptiles might be mostly stuck in the waning oases. ... Read full Story

animal

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

By Science News | Jason Bittel | 3/28/2025 11:00 AM

Scientists created transgenic mice with woolly mammoth–like traits. But does it really bring us closer to bringing back woolly mammoths? ... Read full Story

animal

You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 3/26/2025 10:00 AM

A dog's physical cues often take a back seat to environmental ones, skewing humans' perceptions, a small study suggests. ... Read full Story

animal

Is that shark ticking? In a first, a shark is recorded making noise

By Science News | Susan Milius | 3/25/2025 8:01 PM

The ocean can be a symphony of fish grunts, hums and growls. Now add tooth-clacking sharks to the score. ... Read full Story

animal

A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice

By Science News | Rohini Subrahmanyam | 3/25/2025 10:00 AM

Mouse cells tweaked to produce the tardigrade protein incurred less DNA damage than unaltered cells — hinting at a new tool for cancer patient care. ... Read full Story

animal

How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines

By Science News | Sarah Schwartz | 3/24/2025 3:00 PM

Treated plants fight pests without the need for toxic pesticides, oozing a "larval toffee" that stunts tomato pinworms’ growth and attracts predators. ... Read full Story

animal

Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 3/21/2025 12:00 PM

Plastic waste has let common coots reuse nests year after year. Scientists have now used the trash layers to date how old nests are. ... Read full Story

animal

Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 3/21/2025 1:00 AM

Understanding hammerhead sharks’ food preferences could aid efforts to protect the critically endangered fish. ... Read full Story

animal

Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels

By Science News | McKenzie Prillaman | 3/20/2025 2:00 PM

The seals’ ability to detect the amount of oxygen in their blood may help them make diving decisions and avoid drowning. ... Read full Story

animal

Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill

By Science News | Maria Temming | 3/20/2025 12:15 AM

A chemical in Adélie penguin guano may have cued krill to take evasive maneuvers in lab tests. ... Read full Story

animal

Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 3/18/2025 9:00 AM

Southwestern Sydney's koalas have avoided the chlamydia outbreak threatening the entire species. But their isolation has left them extremely inbred. ... Read full Story

animal

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 3/17/2025 3:00 PM

The iguanas' 8,000-kilometer trip — one-fifth of the Earth’s circumference — is the longest made by a flightless land vertebrate. ... Read full Story

auto

Video: Ford's Recall Issues Are Finally Improving

by carbuzz.com | Apr 29 2025

beauty

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

by The List | Mar 03 2025

book

In these 2 social media thrillers, someone is always watching

by BookPage | Apr 29 2025

connecticut

Don’t ban challenges to sexually explicit materials targeting minors

by CT Mirror | Apr 30 2025

finance

Despite trade-war angst, junk bonds are holding up as Trump marks 100 days

by MarketWatch.com | Apr 29 2025

health

Ozempic May Cause Cosmetic Side Effects Like Sagging Skin, Wrinkly Feet

by Healthline.com | Apr 29 2025

how_to

ChatGPT's Shopping Update Helped Me Find LED String Lights I Thought Were Lost Forever

by CNET | Apr 29 2025

knowledge

Here’s Why Bathroom Towels Have Those Woven Strips on Both Ends

by Reader's Digest | Apr 25 2025

mental

Audi Crooks on Keeping Eyes on the Prize and Caring for Mental Health

by thehealthy.com | Mar 07 2025

opinion

Michael Goodwin: Trump’s first 100 days illustrate his strengths and mindset —decisive, bold, and in a hurry

by New York Post | Apr 29 2025

politics

Blue state governor makes another appearance with Trump before his 100-day speech: 'Happy we're here'

by Fox News | Apr 29 2025

religion

What do we know about the brothers and sisters of Jesus?

by Christian Post | Oct 20 2024

shopping

A Classic Budget Alternative to the Royal Oak Is Now Even More Versatile

by Gear Patrol | Apr 29 2025

technology

100-day gift: Trump signs order rolling back some auto tariffs amid investor concerns

by Interesting Engineering | Apr 29 2025

upstate

Local church makes first aid kits for Ukraine as war continues

by NEWS10 ABC | Apr 29 2025

Word of the Day

insouciance

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2025 is:

insouciance • \in-SOO-see-unss\ • noun

Insouciance is a formal word that refers to a feeling of carefree unconcern. It can also be understood as a word for the relaxed and calm state of a person who is not worried about anything.

// The young actor charmed interviewers with his easy smile and devil-may-care insouciance.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Gladiator II is OK when Denzel’s off-screen, but sensational when he’s on it. ... What makes the performance great is its insouciance; it’s both precise and feather-light. And it’s what a great actor can do when he’s set free to have fun, to laugh at himself a little bit. ... Denzel’s Macrinus is gravitas and comic relief in one package.” — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Nov. 2024

Did you know?

If you were alive and of whistling age in the late 1980s or early 1990s, chances are you whistled (and snapped your fingers, and tapped your toes) to a little ditty called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, an a cappella reggae-jazz-pop tune that took the charts by surprise and by storm. An ode to cheerful insouciance if ever there was one, its lyrics are entirely concerned with being entirely unconcerned, remaining trouble-free in the face of life’s various stressors and calamities. Such carefree nonchalance is at the heart of insouciance, which arrived in English (along with the adjective insouciant), from French, in the 1800s. The French word comes from a combining of the negative prefix in- with the verb soucier, meaning “to trouble or disturb.” The easiness and breeziness of insouciance isn’t always considered beautiful, however. Insouciance may also be used when someone’s lack of concern for serious matters is seen as more careless than carefree.

Bird flu in cows shows no signs of adapting to humans — yet

This caterpillar wears the body parts of insect prey

How science can help you train your puppy

Could Spinosaurus swim? The fierce dinosaur ignites debate

Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions

Snakes are often the villains. A new book gives them a fair shake

The story of dire wolves goes beyond de-extinction

Rare books covered with seal skin hint at a medieval trade network

Gila monsters may struggle to survive climate change

‘Woolly mice’ were just a start. De-extinction still faces many hurdles

You might be reading your dog’s moods wrong

Is that shark ticking? In a first, a shark is recorded making noise

A tardigrade protein helped reduce radiation damage in mice

How silicon turns tomato plants into mean, green, pest-killing machines

Plastic ‘fossils’ help scientists reconstruct the history of bird nests

Hammerhead sharks’ diets may affect if they roam or stay home

Gray seals may sense their own blood oxygen levels

Stinky penguin poop strikes fear into the hearts of Antarctic krill

Some of Sydney’s koalas are chlamydia-free, but still at risk

The mystery of how iguanas crossed the Pacific Ocean may be solved

Video: Ford's Recall Issues Are Finally Improving

13 Major Hair Transformations Celebrities Still Regret

In these 2 social media thrillers, someone is always watching

Don’t ban challenges to sexually explicit materials targeting minors

Despite trade-war angst, junk bonds are holding up as Trump marks 100 days

Ozempic May Cause Cosmetic Side Effects Like Sagging Skin, Wrinkly Feet

ChatGPT's Shopping Update Helped Me Find LED String Lights I Thought Were Lost Forever

Here’s Why Bathroom Towels Have Those Woven Strips on Both Ends

Audi Crooks on Keeping Eyes on the Prize and Caring for Mental Health

Michael Goodwin: Trump’s first 100 days illustrate his strengths and mindset —decisive, bold, and in a hurry

Blue state governor makes another appearance with Trump before his 100-day speech: 'Happy we're here'

What do we know about the brothers and sisters of Jesus?

A Classic Budget Alternative to the Royal Oak Is Now Even More Versatile

100-day gift: Trump signs order rolling back some auto tariffs amid investor concerns

Local church makes first aid kits for Ukraine as war continues

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.New York Zoo Feeds Baby Vulture With Hand Puppet

2.Look: Zoo using realistic puppet to feed newly-hatched king vulture chick

3.Owner of lost $5,000 cash thought calls from police were a scam

4.Watch: Iowa museum owner's spoon collection tallied at 38,162

5.Watch: Red-tailed boa rescued from Texas tree, adopted by animal control officer

6.Speedboat Flips Midair At 200 Mph And Still Wins Race On Arizona Lake

7.Student rescued from mountain twice in four days - after going back to find his phone

8.Mother horse, baby rescued from mud pit in Arizona

9.Man wins $6M lottery prize after more than 40 years of playing

10.Watch: Miniature dachshund found after 529 days in the wild on Kangaroo Island