Science & Health
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Australia Has Venomous Snakes, Spiders, and… Trees
Notorious stinging trees from Australia cause agonising pain that can linger for weeks and even months. New research suggests this nettle relative is actually venomous, producing a toxin not unlike the venom of spiders.
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John James Audubon Was Never Good
The most famous name in American ornithology is that of a slave owner, grave robber, and fraud who invented birds and falsified scientific results. Birders and ornithologists are grappling with John James Audubon’s legacy today, but problematic behaviour doesn’t stop at a single 19th-century naturalist. Some in the field are considering a complete rethinking of…
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Poop Knives, Gassed-Up Gators, and More Absurd Science From the 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes
The winners of the 2020 Ig Nobel Prizes have been announced, and the honoured experiments include frozen knives made from poop, an alligator forced to inhale helium, and vibrating earthworms. This annual contest highlights achievements that make “people laugh, then think.”
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Pregnant Women With Covid-19 More Likely to Give Birth Prematurely, According To The CDC
Pregnant women and their babies face unique challenges from covid-19, suggests new research published by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The study found that pregnant women who develop covid-19-related symptoms while hospitalized often become critically ill, and pregnant women with covid-19 may be more likely to have a preterm birth or possibly even…