Articles for category: Biology & Genetics, Disease & Medicine

A mother and daughter embrace and point at the sunset in a grassy field.

From Hormones to Heartbeats: The Science of Bonding on Mother’s Day

Maria Faith Saligumba

There’s a quiet magic that fills the air on Mother’s Day—a feeling that’s hard to explain but unmistakable. Scientists have long been captivated by the invisible threads that tie mothers and children together, creating a connection that can last a lifetime. Underneath the hugs and homemade cards, there’s a fascinating world of biology and emotion. ...

The bogs

Ireland’s Bogs Preserve Dead Bodies… and Also Really Weird Spoons

Maria Faith Saligumba

It’s almost impossible to believe, but beneath the misty, windswept surface of Ireland’s bogs lies a hidden world where history sleeps undisturbed—sometimes for thousands of years. These marshy landscapes are more than just wild, hauntingly beautiful places; they are time capsules, holding secrets of ancient lives, deaths, and daily rituals. Imagine a place where human ...

skeletonizing leaf beetle from Java

The Flesh-Eating Beetles Used to Clean Skeletons in Museums

Maria Faith Saligumba

Imagine stepping behind the velvet ropes of a natural history museum, into a private back room where the secrets of preservation are kept. Here, you won’t find old brushes or harsh chemicals—what you’ll discover is far more alive and astonishing. In rows of glass tanks and plastic boxes, an army of flesh-eating beetles is hard ...

Venus flytrap

The Venus Flytrap Can Count to Five (Kind Of)

Maria Faith Saligumba

Imagine a plant so clever, so unexpectedly strategic, that it could outwit an insect with nothing but patience and a built-in “counting” system. It almost sounds like the premise of a fantastical story, yet this is the reality of the Venus flytrap—a seemingly simple plant that harnesses a secret mathematical skill. In the heart of ...

Drosophila fly

Drunk Drosophila: Why Fruit Flies Love Happy Hour Too

Maria Faith Saligumba

Picture this: you’re enjoying a warm summer evening with friends, sipping a cool drink, and suddenly, a tiny fruit fly dives straight into your glass. It’s not just after your fruit salad—these little party crashers are after something far more intoxicating. Believe it or not, fruit flies have a real taste for alcohol, and their ...

Sacculina carcini.

This Parasitic Barnacle Castrates Crabs and Then Controls Their Bodies

Trizzy Orozco

Picture a world where a tiny invader slips quietly into another creature’s body, hijacks its mind, and takes over its life in ways that seem almost supernatural. This isn’t the plot of a sci-fi thriller—it’s the shocking reality for thousands of crabs living along coastlines worldwide. Their tormentor? A parasitic barnacle named Sacculina, whose twisted ...

CORPSE FLOWER!

California Has a Plant That Smells Like a Dead Body (And Tourists Love It)

Maria Faith Saligumba

Imagine strolling through a sun-drenched Californian garden, birds chirping and flowers blooming—when suddenly, an overwhelming stench of rotting flesh stops you in your tracks. Your nose wrinkles, your curiosity spikes, and you’re not alone: around you, a crowd gathers, smartphones out, all drawn by the same bizarre aroma. Welcome to the wild world of the ...

A digital illustration of bacterial growth.

How Bacteria ‘Talk’ to Each Other — And What They’re Saying

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a world so tiny and crowded that every whisper matters, where invisible creatures are constantly exchanging secret messages that shape our health, our environment, and the fate of entire ecosystems. This hidden conversation is happening all around us—and even within us—each and every moment. It’s the language of bacteria, those minuscule beings we often ...