Category: Animals

Have you watched your cat make a beeline for an empty box or zoom around the room after a nap and wondered: why do they do that?  Scientists have pondered the same questions, but there are few definitive answers. Despite being our companions for centuries, our scientific understanding of cats is surprisingly sparse. This knowledge […]

From the first time a curious wolf approached fearful humans and managed to befriend them, dogs have been a big part of the human experience. For over 15,000 years, they’ve been our co-workers and companions. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about dogs and our relationship to them (as you’ll learn if you watch Inside the […]

It’s July, ideal for cooling off with marine science exploration. In that spirit, here’s some wet and wild science research that needs your help. Sharks Are Jawsome! Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the television, it’s Shark Mania Season! If the wall to wall shark viewing frenzy puts you in […]

Every season has its own unique sights, sounds and other sensations. In this episode of the SciStarter podcast, we look at fireflies, listen to cicadas, feel the ocean waves and extend our senses beyond the bounds of our planet. Audio Podcast Video Podcast Credits: Firefly Closeup Terry Priest CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Surfing Beach Video […]

It’s the season for emergences, whether you’re a dragonfly, firefly, periodical cicada or fly fishing enthusiast! The warm weather brings a variety of citizen science opportunities, some of them fleeting, so we hope you can get outdoors and experience the wonders of nature with your friends and family, and help document them for the many […]

You did it! As of April 25, you’ve completed 1,017,253 acts of science, with five days still to go! But even though we’ve reached our target and April ends next week, we’re not skimping on fun citizen science activities! We’re focusing on medicine and public health, along with a big One Million Acts of Science […]

@scistarter.org Boost your Squirrel IQ with this jam-packed 90-second hit of squirreliffic fantasticness! #nationalsquirrelappreciationday #citizenscience ♬ original sound – SciStarter Now that you know (too much!) about squirrels, find and join one of these projects to help advance research about these adorable [rodents] [jerks] [cuties]. You choose. 🙂

As fall begins across the Northern Hemisphere, hundreds of millions of birds are preparing for a journey that can take them thousands of miles to warmer climates near the equator. These fall migrations are both a simple fact of life for many avian species, and an epic adventure that takes them halfway across the globe. […]

Huskies are independent, terriers are protective, retrievers are playful, greyhounds are aloof — every dog breed has its stereotype. But dog owners come to know that their own pup, be it a purebred poodle or a floppy-eared mutt, has its own unique personality. And with dozens of dog breeds and countless hybrids between them, the […]

Mike Bear had just slipped underwater, offshore near San Diego, and was floating among the long fronds of a kelp forest when a long shadow passed between him and his diving partner. Gliding by, nearly within arm’s reach, was the sleek bulk of a sevengill shark, which Bear estimated at about nine feet long. “To […]