Magpie News Collector

animal

A sea turtle boom may be hiding a population collapse

By Science News | Melissa Hobson | 2/13/2026 9:00 AM

In Cape Verde, conservation has boosted the sea turtle population 100-fold — but the male-female balance is way off. ... Read full Story

animal

A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend

By Science News | RJ Mackenzie | 2/5/2026 2:00 PM

Apes, like humans, are capable of pretend play, challenging long-held views about how animals think, a new study suggests. ... Read full Story

animal

Some dung beetles dig deep to keep their eggs cool

By Science News | Elizabeth Pennisi | 2/4/2026 11:00 AM

A temperate tunneling species of dung beetle seems capable of adapting to climate change, but their tropical cousins may be less resilient. ... Read full Story

animal

These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers

By Science News | Richard Kemeny | 2/3/2026 1:00 PM

These parasitic beetle larvae lure in bees with complex floral aromas before hitching a ride back to their nests and eating their eggs. ... Read full Story

animal

Canadian humpback whales thrive with a little help from their friends

By Science News | Chiara Marchisio | 1/30/2026 9:00 AM

Humpback whales are teaching each other a feeding technique called bubble netting, and it's helping a Canadian population recover from whaling. ... Read full Story

animal

Spider silk-making organs evolved due to a 400-million-year-old genetic oops

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 1/27/2026 9:00 AM

An ancient ancestor of spiders and relatives doubled its genome about 400 million years ago, setting the stage for the evolution of spinnerets. ... Read full Story

animal

Some vaccines are making progress in protecting vulnerable species

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 1/26/2026 9:00 AM

Vaccines can be a crucial conservation tool. But getting shots to wildlife, and developing them in the first place, is tough. ... Read full Story

animal

How Greenland sharks defy aging

By Science News | Meghan Rosen | 1/23/2026 1:00 PM

When it comes to bucking the biological ails of aging, humans could learn something from Greenland sharks. ... Read full Story

animal

Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it

By Science News | Amber Dance | 1/22/2026 9:00 AM

Scientists have long focused on quantifying fear and other negative emotions in animals. Now they’re trying to measure positive feelings — and it’s a challenge. ... Read full Story

animal

There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away

By Science News | Bethany Brookshire | 1/20/2026 1:00 PM

An array of animals and plants survive winter in the subnivium, nature’s igloo. But climate change is threatening this hidden seasonal ecosystem. ... Read full Story

animal

This tool-using cow defies expectations for bovine braininess

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 1/19/2026 11:00 AM

Veronika the cow uses a brush as a tool to scratch herself, revealing rare problem-solving skills and expanding what we know of tool use in animals. ... Read full Story

animal

This fish may play a hole in its head like a drum

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 1/16/2026 11:00 AM

The rockhead poacher is a little fish with a big pit in its head. The divot may be like a drum, making sound that rises above a chaotic, nearshore din. ... Read full Story

animal

Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species

By Science News | Darren Incorvaia | 1/15/2026 3:00 PM

From bold foxes to gregarious birds, animals’ personalities are increasingly being seen as crucial to conservation efforts. ... Read full Story

animal

How cheetah mummies could help bring the species back to Arabia

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 1/15/2026 11:00 AM

Arabian cheetah mummies' DNA reveals that the long-lost population could be closely replaced by a cheetah population in northwestern Africa. ... Read full Story

animal

Queen bumblebees are poor foragers thanks to sparse tongue hair

By Science News | Emily Conover | 1/12/2026 3:05 PM

The density of fine hairs on bumblebees’ tongues determines how much nectar they can collect — and workers put queen bees to shame. ... Read full Story

animal

Among chimpanzees, thrill-seeking peaks in toddlerhood

By Science News | Sujata Gupta | 1/12/2026 9:00 AM

In humans, teens do the most dangerous things. In chimpanzees, that honor goes to toddlers. The difference may lie in caregiver supervision. ... Read full Story

animal

An all-female wasp is rapidly spreading across North America’s elms

By Science News | Ute Eberle | 1/9/2026 1:00 PM

The elm zigzag sawfly has spread to 15 states in five years. Now it's attacking the tree that cities planted to replace Dutch elm disease victims. ... Read full Story

animal

In a Quebec park, a science game brings predator-prey dynamics to life

By Science News | Danielle Beurteaux | 1/6/2026 9:00 AM

Results show that players’ choices echo predator-prey patterns seen in wildlife, though scientists stress the limits of the analogy. ... Read full Story

animal

These sick baby ants sacrifice themselves to protect their colony

By Science News | Rohini Subrahmanyam | 1/5/2026 9:00 AM

When infected by a fungal disease, ant pupae actively emit a chemical cue that prompts workers to get rid of them for the good of the colony. ... Read full Story

animal

These scientific discoveries brought us joy in 2025

By Science News | Laura Sanders | 1/2/2026 10:00 AM

Amidst a tough year for science, glimmers of joy burst through in revelations from the silly to the sublime. ... Read full Story

animal

Giant, kraken-like octopuses may have ruled the Cretaceous deep

by Science News | Apr 23 2026

connecticut

Can CT be more affordable without major tax cuts?

by CT Mirror | Apr 30 2026

entertainment

'The Bachelor' Alum Sarah Trott Celebrates Her Upcoming Wedding with a Combined Bachelor and Bachelorette Trip

by ET Online | Apr 27 2026

exercise

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

by thehealthy.com | Apr 15 2026

health

Colorectal, Thyroid Cancer Risk May Be Higher for Males With Infertility

by Healthline.com | Apr 29 2026

how_to

One AirPod Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

by CNET | Apr 29 2026

knowledge

Here’s Why Spring Air Smells Funkier Than You Remember

by Reader's Digest | Apr 29 2026

lifestyle

10 dinner foods that were beloved in the 1980s but are now banned or heavily restricted

by Hello! Magazine | Apr 30 2026

metro

$600,000 worth of tools taken from Home Depot stores across SoCal

by New York Post | Apr 30 2026

music

Charli xcx Schedules ‘Conversation’ With New York Fans to Talk Songwriting, Creative Process: ‘Would Love to Talk W You’

by Billboard | Apr 30 2026

odd_fun

Watch: 'Zonked out and stuck' bear rescued from tree in Colorado

by United Press International, Inc. | Apr 29 2026

politics

Live updates: Hegseth faces Senate heat; Voting Rights Act ruling sparks midterm worries

by The Hill | Apr 30 2026

real_estate

New Renderings Reveal 467-473 West 165th Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan

by New York YIMBY | Apr 30 2026

travel

Intangible cultural heritage: Fado, Portugal

by Wanderlust | Apr 28 2026

wellness

Want to Live Longer? Start Flossing Your Teeth

by Self.com | Apr 22 2026

Word of the Day

interlocutor

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2026 is:

interlocutor • \in-ter-LAH-kyuh-ter\ • noun

Interlocutor is a formal word that means “one who takes part in dialogue or conversation.”

// It is crucial in our age of email scams to verify the validity of one’s online interlocutors before sharing sensitive information.

See the entry >

Examples:

“I remember sitting alone on the train platform, and then on the train, with no interlocutor but the poem. I read it once. I read it again. And in the blank spaces between the verses, I started to translate.” — Hannah Kauders, LitHub.com, 3 Dec. 2025

Did you know?

It may not necessarily be grandiloquence to use the word interlocutor in casual speech, but if your interlocutors—that is, the people with whom you are speaking—are using it, your conversation is likely a formal one. Interlocutor is one of many English words that comes from the Latin verb loqui, “to speak,” including loquacious (“talkative”), eloquent (“capable of fluent or vivid speech”), and grandiloquence (“extravagant or pompous speech”). In interlocutor, loqui was joined to inter- forming a Latin word meaning “to speak between” or “to issue an interlocutory decree.” An interlocutory decree is a judicial decision that isn’t final, or that deals with a point other than the principal subject matter of the dispute.

A sea turtle boom may be hiding a population collapse

A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend

Some dung beetles dig deep to keep their eggs cool

These beetle larvae lure in bees by mimicking flowers

Canadian humpback whales thrive with a little help from their friends

Spider silk-making organs evolved due to a 400-million-year-old genetic oops

Some vaccines are making progress in protecting vulnerable species

How Greenland sharks defy aging

Animals experience joy. Scientists want to measure it

There’s life beneath the snow, but it’s at risk of melting away

This tool-using cow defies expectations for bovine braininess

This fish may play a hole in its head like a drum

Animal personalities can play a big role in saving species

How cheetah mummies could help bring the species back to Arabia

Queen bumblebees are poor foragers thanks to sparse tongue hair

Among chimpanzees, thrill-seeking peaks in toddlerhood

An all-female wasp is rapidly spreading across North America’s elms

In a Quebec park, a science game brings predator-prey dynamics to life

These sick baby ants sacrifice themselves to protect their colony

These scientific discoveries brought us joy in 2025

Giant, kraken-like octopuses may have ruled the Cretaceous deep

Can CT be more affordable without major tax cuts?

'The Bachelor' Alum Sarah Trott Celebrates Her Upcoming Wedding with a Combined Bachelor and Bachelorette Trip

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

Colorectal, Thyroid Cancer Risk May Be Higher for Males With Infertility

One AirPod Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It

Here’s Why Spring Air Smells Funkier Than You Remember

10 dinner foods that were beloved in the 1980s but are now banned or heavily restricted

$600,000 worth of tools taken from Home Depot stores across SoCal

Charli xcx Schedules ‘Conversation’ With New York Fans to Talk Songwriting, Creative Process: ‘Would Love to Talk W You’

Watch: 'Zonked out and stuck' bear rescued from tree in Colorado

Live updates: Hegseth faces Senate heat; Voting Rights Act ruling sparks midterm worries

New Renderings Reveal 467-473 West 165th Street in Washington Heights, Manhattan

Intangible cultural heritage: Fado, Portugal

Want to Live Longer? Start Flossing Your Teeth

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: 'Zonked out and stuck' bear rescued from tree in Colorado

2.Family member's zip code delivers $50,000 lottery prize

3.Watch: Deputy responding to animal call finds entire escaped farm

4.Look: Wisconsin recycling center posts 17.3 mph speed limit sign

5.Look: YouTuber breaks Rubik's cube record while skydiving

6.Watch: Dashboard warning lights lead to baby squirrel discovery

7.Watch: Cat lost in California reunited with Georgia family 7 years later

8.Ohio woman wins total $150,000 with three identical lottery tickets

9.Watch: Donkey named Miss Kitty rescued from deep mud in North Carolina

10.Watch: Woman rescued from hole outside Manitoba home