Offbeat Science for Odd Ducks and Other Curious Creatures
Every family or friend group has one. Maybe it’s you. The gift-wrapping overachiever. They’ve mastered double-diagonal folds and pleated spiral stars. Like an origami Jedi, they can twist a ribbon into a Christmas tree-shape...
“This is your last warning!” If I were to compose a song about my school years—a ballad of an impetuous child—these words would comprise the chorus, playing over and over until they stick in your head. ...
Many of Dr. Justin Perron’s fondest hockey memories involve bagels—lots and lots of bagels. An associate professor of physics at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), Perron is a Canadian transplant and hardcore hockey...
Do you hear it yet? The vexing voice inside your head? It starts as a whisper, quiet enough for you to ignore as you bask in the post-holiday haze. But you can’t silence the...
Some birds have terrible table manners. While many dinner guests are guilty of ignoring etiquette — especially around the holidays — some feathered friends have habits far more egregious than monopolizing the mashed potatoes...
When astrophysicist Gerardo Dominguez tells people what he does for a living, they often ask him to point out constellations. But growing up in Los Angeles, Dominguez had few opportunities to see the stars....
Like Mary Poppins, Marilisa Markey travels with a magical bag. What seems like an ordinary black briefcase holds a never-ending supply of toys, treats, and tools to tempt her canine clients. Although she can’t...
Pugnacious pigeons. Cantankerous canaries. Sparring starlings. When birds flock together, feathers often fly. Even though knock-down-drag-out fights are rare, birds frequently squabble to establish their place in the pecking order. The biggest bullies usually...
In a list of noisy animals, crabs wouldn’t crack the top 20—maybe even the top 50. Lions? Check. Wolves? Sure. Parrots? Gotcha. Howler monkeys? Of course. But crabs? We usually think of them as...
Like most superheroes, Anna Woodcock wrestles with identity. A social psychologist by trade, she and her student sidekicks seek to smash gender and racial stereotypes and change the face of science. Their nemesis? The...
He’s rapped with rhinos, outwitted pirates, and escaped the clutches of carnivorous flowers—all in the name of breakfast cereal. In his 60+ years as the Froot Loops mascot, Toucan Sam has starred in hundreds...
