Magpie News Collector

animal

Some snakes lack the ‘hunger hormone.’ Experts are hungry to know why

By Science News | Andrea Lius | 2/17/2026 1:00 PM

The complex biology of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, has researchers wondering how its absence helps snakes last a long time with no food, if at all. ... Read full Story

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

basketball

Ranking NBA's eight recent champions by their chances to win another title

by CBS Interactive Inc | Jun 14 2026

beauty

Miley Cyrus' Oscars 2025 Hair Would Have Been Perfect If Not For One Fatal Flaw

by The List | Mar 02 2025

book

Khloé Kardashian Says Daughter True Thompson Has an 'Elevated' Way of Wearing Her XO Blue Perfume

by ET Online | Jun 10 2026

exercise

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

by thehealthy.com | Apr 15 2026

fashion

Toxic chemicals found in at-home hair dyes from L’Oréal, Revlon and more, says watchdog

by NY Post | Jun 13 2026

finance

SpaceX shows investors still want moonshots. The Fed may test that theory this week.

by MarketWatch.com | Jun 14 2026

game

GameStop’s Rewards Program May Be Losing Its Best Feature – Report

by GameSpot | Jun 12 2026

golf

Saudi Fund to Back Away From LIV Golf Under Mounting Financial Pressures

by NY Times | Apr 15 2026

opinion

How the Southern Poverty Law Center drives demonization of its conservative foes

by New York Post | Jun 14 2026

people

Taylor Swift is staying one step ahead of AI by legally protecting her voice and image

by marca.com | Apr 28 2026

retirement

Trump signs order aiming to help expand access to retirement accounts

by Fox News | Apr 30 2026

sports

13 Black Women Share How They Found the Strength to Survive—and Thrive—With Breast Cancer

by Self.com | May 29 2026

world

Israeli strikes Beirut, accuses Hezbollah of cease-fire violation

by United Press International, Inc. | Jun 14 2026

Word of the Day

emblazon

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2026 is:

emblazon • \im-BLAY-zun\ • verb

To emblazon something is to decorate its surface, usually with a name, slogan, or picture.

// Her favorite souvenir from her trip to the Grand Canyon was a t-shirt emblazoned with a rosy sunset over the famous chasm.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Later that week we were boarding our flight with the painting secured in an enormous case with a toothy, bespectacled cartoon squirrel emblazoned on the back and a speech bubble that read ‘I’M JUST NUTS ABOUT PUZZLES!’” — Orlando Whitfield, All That Glitters: A Story of Friendship, Fraud and Fine Art, 2025

Did you know?

Blazon is a less commonly used synonym of the more familiar coat of arms. Both centuries-old terms refer to heraldic designs, symbols, and other imagery (think crosses, lions, stripes, etc.) that typically appear on banners, shields, armor, and elsewhere. The verb form of blazon meaning “to depict heraldic figures or designs in drawing or engraving” and emblazon, “to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic figures or designs,” came into use around the same time in the late 1500s, from the French spoken in medieval England. (The word heraldry, also ultimately from Anglo-French, came into use then too.) Emblazon still refers to marking something with an emblem of heraldry, but it is now more often used for adorning or publicizing something in any conspicuous way, whether with eye-catching decoration or colorful words of praise.

Some snakes lack the ‘hunger hormone.’ Experts are hungry to know why

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

Ranking NBA's eight recent champions by their chances to win another title

Miley Cyrus' Oscars 2025 Hair Would Have Been Perfect If Not For One Fatal Flaw

The Taste of Country Cooking

Khloé Kardashian Says Daughter True Thompson Has an 'Elevated' Way of Wearing Her XO Blue Perfume

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

Toxic chemicals found in at-home hair dyes from L’Oréal, Revlon and more, says watchdog

SpaceX shows investors still want moonshots. The Fed may test that theory this week.

GameStop’s Rewards Program May Be Losing Its Best Feature – Report

Saudi Fund to Back Away From LIV Golf Under Mounting Financial Pressures

How the Southern Poverty Law Center drives demonization of its conservative foes

Taylor Swift is staying one step ahead of AI by legally protecting her voice and image

Trump signs order aiming to help expand access to retirement accounts

Pelé's life in pictures

13 Black Women Share How They Found the Strength to Survive—and Thrive—With Breast Cancer

Israeli strikes Beirut, accuses Hezbollah of cease-fire violation

Word of the Day

10 Odd & Fun

1.Watch: Three warthog piglets born at zoo in Spain

2.Maryland man buys three identical lottery tickets, wins $150,000

3.Watch: African spurred tortoise found wandering loose in Missouri

4.Watch: Loose African antelope's presence in Louisiana a mystery

5.Look: Skunk on the run from Wisconsin zoo

6.Watch: Idaho man juggles flaming torches for over 6 minutes

7.Watch: Marilyn Monroe impersonators break world record in California

8.Watch: Tour boat rescues dog carried out to sea in inflatable kayak

9.Watch: Man solves two Rubik's cubes while skydiving to break world record

10.Watch: Goat jumps onto roof of SUV, escapes sheriff's deputies in Ohio