WEIRD NATURE
The SpiderCam is inspired by the two primary eyes of the jumping spider. Depositphotos – By Shirl Leigh 2026 Jun 19 – A new 3D camera inspired by jumping spiders’ eyes may well be found in the next generation of battery-operated wearable tech, assistive …
A sign on a dirt hiking trail in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska points to naturalist John Muir’s cabin. Wanderluster/iStock/Getty Images – By Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University And by Travis Belote, Assistant Professor of Landscape Ecology, …
As ocean temperatures rise during El Niño, fish can find themselves in hot water. Geoff Trodd/Unsplash – By Dillon Amaya, Climate Research Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Published: 2026 Jun 12 – It’s official: El Niño is back. By late fall 2026, forecast …
A whitebark pine seedling grows in soil and deteriorating wood blackened by fire in Glacier National Park, Montana, in 2019. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images – By Kai Kopecky, Postdoctoral Researcher in Community Ecology, University of Colorado Boulder And by John Kominoski, Professor of Ecology, Florida …
Bees are crucial pollinators for many crops, as well as producers of honey. Allagash Brewing/Flickr Creative Commons – By Jennie L. Durant, Research Affiliate in Human Ecology, University of California, Davis Published: 2026 May 26 – America’s bees and beekeepers are losing a …
Dynamics within the planet generate its protective magnetic field. ESA/AOES Medialab – By Mike McRae 2026 May 25 – Deep beneath the Pacific near the equator, Earth’s outer core now flows east instead of west. Dynamics deeper within our planet’s core may help explain …
Rice paddies are essential to lives and livelihoods in many parts of Asia. Jingting Zhang – By Hanqin Tian, Director and Institute Professor, Center for Earth System Science and Global Sustainability, Boston College And by Jingting Zhang, Research Scientist at the Center for …
Jebel Barkal mesa and the archaeological site at its base in the Nile Valley. Sami Elamin – By Geoff Emberling, Research Scientist in Archaeology, University of Michigan Published: 2026 May 19 – When I first became co-director of an archaeological project at Jebel …
The 2016 survey of the Dragon Hole revealed its immense depth. Huanqiu View 6 Images – By Bronwyn Thompson 2025 Dec 28 – In the South China Sea, near the Paracel Islands, the aqua-colored waters of an expansive shallow reef platform suddenly gives way …
DOERS/Shutterstock – By Stuart Thompson, Senior Lecturer in Plant Biochemistry, University of Westminster Published: 2026 May 11 – Researchers at MIT have suggested that rice seeds can hear the sound of rain, according to a new study. MIT calls it “the first direct evidence …
