Magpie News Collector

animal

The ‘Mekong ghost’ megafish has resurfaced after an extinction scare

By Science News | Stefan Lovgren | 10/24/2024 1:00 PM

Rediscovery of giant salmon carp in Cambodia sparks hope for the rare fish’s survival and efforts to conserve one of the greatest diversity hot spots. ... Read full Story

animal

How insects can help catch rhino poachers

By Science News | Jude Coleman | 10/24/2024 11:00 AM

A new study looks at which insects can be used as biological clocks to determine when a rhino was killed. ... Read full Story

animal

Polar bears are being exposed to more pathogens as the climate warms

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 10/23/2024 2:00 PM

Polar bears have been exposed to more viruses, bacteria and parasites in recent decades, a new study shows, possibly acquiring the germs in their diet. ... Read full Story

animal

Science has finally cracked male riflebirds’ flirty secrets

By Science News | Susan Milius | 10/21/2024 11:00 AM

New video upsets the old notion that these birds of paradise use wing clapping to make percussive sounds while courting. ... Read full Story

animal

At-home experiments shed light on cats’ liquid behavior

By Science News | Andrea Tamayo | 10/15/2024 9:00 AM

Cats can flow like liquids through tall crevices, but they solidify a bit as they approach short crannies, new research shows. ... Read full Story

animal

DNA from old hair helps confirm the macabre diet of two 19th century lions

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 10/11/2024 11:00 AM

Genetic analysis of cavity crud from two famed man-eating lions suggests the method could re-create diets of predators that lived thousands of years ago. ... Read full Story

animal

The largest arthropod to ever live finally has a head

By Science News | Jason Bittel | 10/9/2024 2:00 PM

Fossils of an extinct giant millipede reveal new details about the arthropod’s anatomy. ... Read full Story

animal

To tell a right-trunked elephant from a lefty, check the wrinkles

By Science News | Susan Milius | 10/8/2024 7:01 PM

Elephant trunks, more sci-fi face-tentacle than ho-hum mammal nose, are getting new scrutiny as researchers explore how the wrinkles grow. ... Read full Story

animal

These sea creatures can fuse their bodies

By Science News | Jude Coleman | 10/7/2024 11:00 AM

A species of comb jelly can fuse its body with another jelly after injury. Some of the pair’s body functions then synchronize. ... Read full Story

animal

Some tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools clean

By Science News | Andrea Tamayo | 10/4/2024 10:30 AM

Eiffinger’s tree frog babies store their solid waste in an intestinal pouch, releasing less ammonia into their watery cribs than other frog species. ... Read full Story

animal

Dolphins’ open-mouth behaviors during play are like smiles, a study claims

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 10/2/2024 11:00 AM

Experts urge caution in calling bottlenosed dolphins’ gesture a humanlike “smile,” but agree it seems to be important for how the animals communicate. ... Read full Story

animal

Coyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ look

By Science News | Susan Milius | 10/1/2024 7:01 PM

The ability to make heart-melting stares may not be the fruit of dog domestication if their still-wild cousins have the power to do it too. ... Read full Story

animal

Bird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking ants

By Science News | Richard Kemeny | 10/1/2024 9:00 AM

Two species of birds in Costa Rica build nests in trees defended by ants. Ants that encounter the horsehair fungus in the nests develop odd behaviors. ... Read full Story

animal

‘Night Magic’ invites you to celebrate the living wonders of the dark

By Science News | Aimee Cunningham | 9/27/2024 1:30 PM

In the book ‘Night Magic,’ Leigh Ann Henion writes of encounters with salamanders, bats, glowworms and other life-forms nurtured by darkness. ... Read full Story

animal

This fish has legs — and it uses them for more than just walking

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 9/26/2024 11:00 AM

Some sea robins have taste buds on their six crablike legs that help the fish ferret out prey buried in sand as they walk. ... Read full Story

animal

Scientists have just turned giant panda skin cells into stem cells

By Science News | Jason Bittel | 9/20/2024 2:00 PM

If the pluripotent stem cells can be turned into precursors to egg and sperm cells, the feat could potentially be a big deal for giant panda conservation. ... Read full Story

animal

Ants changed the architecture of their nests when exposed to a pathogen

By Science News | Richard Kemeny | 9/19/2024 8:31 AM

Black garden ants made tweaks to entrances, tunnels and chambers that may help prevent diseases from spreading. ... Read full Story

animal

Some healthy fish have bacteria in their brains

By Science News | Erin Garcia de Jesús | 9/18/2024 2:00 PM

Animals including mammals usually protect their brains from infiltrating microbes that can cause disease. But some fish seem to do just fine. ... Read full Story

animal

Mega El Niños kicked off the world’s worst mass extinction

By Science News | Jake Buehler | 9/12/2024 2:00 PM

Long-lasting, widespread heat and weather extremes may have caused the Great Dying extinction event 252 million years ago. ... Read full Story

animal

Bumblebees lose most of their sense of smell after heat waves

By Science News | Gennaro Tomma | 9/6/2024 11:00 AM

A few hours in high temps reduced the ability of antennae to detect flower scents by 80 percent. That could impact the bees’ ability to find food. ... Read full Story

entertainment

Celeb Colorist Bianca Hillier Says You Should Look to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for Summer Hair Inspo

by ET Online | Apr 28 2025

finance

Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz withdraw guidance as VW says it can’t quantify tariff hit

by MarketWatch.com | Apr 30 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

metro

How living in the suburbs can increase your risk of developing a meat allergy

by New York Post | Apr 30 2025

music

Ole Obermann & Rachel Newman Named Apple Music Co-Heads

by Billboard | Apr 29 2025

new_jersey

Untangling the web of cash pouring into NJ governor’s race

by NJ Spotlight | Apr 30 2025

odd_fun

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

by United Press International, Inc. | Apr 29 2025

religion

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

by Christian Post | Oct 20 2024

science

What is xeroderma pigmentosum? The rare genetic disorder that forces people to avoid sunlight

by LIVE SCIENCE | Apr 30 2025

soccer

Costacurta aims dig at French media over Donnarumma

by Yahoo Sports | Apr 30 2025

sports

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

by ESPN Inc. | Aug 14 2024

technology

US Marines get high-power microwave weapon to cook enemy drone swarms in seconds

by Interesting Engineering | Apr 30 2025

travel

Why you should make Florida’s Punta Gorda your next holiday destination

by The Travel Magazine | Apr 30 2025

wellness

‘Pulse’ Actor Jessy Yates on Connecting With Her Body and the Importance of Seeing Disabled People on Screen

by Self.com | 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.

The ‘Mekong ghost’ megafish has resurfaced after an extinction scare

How insects can help catch rhino poachers

Polar bears are being exposed to more pathogens as the climate warms

Science has finally cracked male riflebirds’ flirty secrets

At-home experiments shed light on cats’ liquid behavior

DNA from old hair helps confirm the macabre diet of two 19th century lions

The largest arthropod to ever live finally has a head

To tell a right-trunked elephant from a lefty, check the wrinkles

These sea creatures can fuse their bodies

Some tadpoles don’t poop for weeks. That keeps their pools clean

Dolphins’ open-mouth behaviors during play are like smiles, a study claims

Coyotes have the face muscles for that ‘sad-puppy’ look

Bird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking ants

‘Night Magic’ invites you to celebrate the living wonders of the dark

This fish has legs — and it uses them for more than just walking

Scientists have just turned giant panda skin cells into stem cells

Ants changed the architecture of their nests when exposed to a pathogen

Some healthy fish have bacteria in their brains

Mega El Niños kicked off the world’s worst mass extinction

Bumblebees lose most of their sense of smell after heat waves

Celeb Colorist Bianca Hillier Says You Should Look to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for Summer Hair Inspo

Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz withdraw guidance as VW says it can’t quantify tariff hit

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

How living in the suburbs can increase your risk of developing a meat allergy

Ole Obermann & Rachel Newman Named Apple Music Co-Heads

Untangling the web of cash pouring into NJ governor’s race

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

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

What is xeroderma pigmentosum? The rare genetic disorder that forces people to avoid sunlight

Costacurta aims dig at French media over Donnarumma

Drake invests in Venezia, will sponsor kit

US Marines get high-power microwave weapon to cook enemy drone swarms in seconds

Why you should make Florida’s Punta Gorda your next holiday destination

‘Pulse’ Actor Jessy Yates on Connecting With Her Body and the Importance of Seeing Disabled People on Screen

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