The Long, Long SleepNovember 07, 2005 – As a father of two dawn-loving children I don’t get as much sleep as I used to, which makes me wonder sometimes why I crave it so much. A number of scientists who share my curiosity have turned to sleeping animals to find an answer. Sleep appears to be an ancient behavior, perhaps 600 million […]
Deal of the Week: Azores Voluntourism Sea SafariMarch 25, 2009 – Photograph courtesy of Biosphere Expeditions Attention animal lovers: Biosphere Expeditions has a few spots left on its “creatures of the deep” Azores expedition. A specialist in wildlife conservation trips, the UK-based nonprofit will send you on a ten-day whale-, dolphin-, and loggerhead-watching binge for about $1,300—meals and accommodations included. Bed down in a guesthouse on…
Medusa [Science Tattoo]March 14, 2010 – Dave writes, “Following my degree in Zoology, I worked in public aquariums for several years before becoming a lecturer in Animal Science, so I’ve always has a bit of a ‘fishy’ background! I’m also studying stress in marine fish for a research degree. I’ve always been fascinated by evolution, and to reflect this, I decided […]
Cesar Millan on Traveling with DogsOctober 06, 2009 – The sixth season of Cesar Millan‘s Emmy-nominated show Dog Whisperer premieres this Friday, October 9th, at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel. To mark the premiere and launch his latest book, How to Raise the Perfect Dog– Through Puppyhood and Beyond, Cesar stopped by Nat Geo headquarters Monday (accompanied by miniature schnauzer Angel) for…
Extreme Mammals Take NYCMay 18, 2009 – Amelia Mularz had an EXTREME weekend visiting the newest exhibit at New York’s American Museum of Natural History. Heading to the American Museum of Natural History always makes me feel like a kid again. Within minutes of stepping foot in the museum this past weekend, my friend and I had already challenged each other to…
Conscientious Chimps and Bold BirdsMarch 01, 2005 – I’ve got an article in today’s New York Times about animal personalities. Update: I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a regular visitor to the gossip site Gawker. But I have to say I was surprised to see the personality article turn up there. Will hordes of New York hipsters discover the strange joys of evolution, […]
A box full of Ping-Pong balls: My article on inclusive fitness in NY TimesAugust 30, 2010 – On Wednesday, EO Wilson and colleagues at Harvard came out swinging at a major concept in modern evolutionary biology, known as inclusive fitness. A generation of scientists has used it to explain how animals help each other–because they’re kin. In the new paper, Wilson and colleagues say it’s superfluous. I’ve written a story about the […]
Frankenstein Freak-outsApril 13, 2008 – Radiolab is a show about science that briliantly uses radio’s greatest strength–sound–to bring stories to life in ways we print goons can only dream about. I wrote a story about how animals sleep. The Radiolab folks played the sound of brain waves from a sleeping cat. And so on. I’m particularly fond of their latest […]
Visions of Earth Photo GallerySeptember 10, 2010 – See a vision of Earth in photographs featured by National Geographic magazine.
Underwater CreaturesSeptember 10, 2010 – See these photos of underwater creatures, from National Geographic.
Giant Sea CreaturesSeptember 10, 2010 – See giant sea creature photos, from National Geographic.
Choose Your Top PoisonApril 21, 2009 – Yesterday I wrote about how conservation biologists are debating the value of moving species to protect them from climate-change-driven extinction. As a follow-up (or an antidote), check out “Blood for no oil: Our obsession with climate change is killing off animals left and right.” in Slate. Brendan Borrell, biologist turned journalist, argues that climate change […]
Patterns in Nature: Mysterious EarthSeptember 10, 2010 – See mysterious Earth pattern photos, from National Geographic.
National Geographic’s Gorgeous New WebsiteJanuary 11, 2010 – We’re very pleased to announce the launch of National Geographic’s new website this week. It’s a clean, uncluttered design that’s much easier to navigate, and now features online content areas including National Geographic magazine, National Geographic News, Animals, Environment, Travel, Adventure, Kids, and the National Geographic Channel. As you can imagine, we’re particularly excited about…
Hunchback Dinosaur Found: Carnivorous "Camel"September 10, 2010 – The otherwise fearsome new one-ton predator sported an odd hunchback and scrawny feather precursors, puzzling scientists.
"Lost" Fox Subspecies Found via Saliva AnalysisSeptember 10, 2010 – Thought extinct in central California, a rare fox subspecies has been found there—upping the species' chances for long-term survival.