Science (Page 222)

If you don't like noise, imagine how pets and other animals feel about it. Aleksey Boyko/Shutterstock From construction projects to busy roads, aeroplanes and railways, human noise is everywhere. It is an invisible cause of stress, posing serious risks to human health and wellbeing. However, noise also harms animals livingContinue Reading

It appears that tending to the friary gardens was not without its risks. Thomas Mucha/Shutterstock In the middle ages, monks, nuns, and friars had it relatively easy. They lived quiet lives within friaries and monastic complexes, reading manuscripts, praying, and tending to gardens in which they grew their own food.Continue Reading

LGieger/Shutterstock On a summer’s day at the beach, the sound of seagulls is part of the ambience. But what about when they’re in the middle of a city, or when they’ve just taken your lunch? Not a lot of people like seagulls. They’re loud, messy and quite partial to whateverContinue Reading

Kevin Gill/Flickr, CC BY-SA The ocean floor is famously less explored than the surface of Mars. And when our team of scientists recently mapped the seabed, and ancient sediments beneath, we discovered what looks like an asteroid impact crater. Intriguingly, the crater, named “Nadir” after the nearby volcano Nadir Seamount,Continue Reading

Procrastination is an all-too-common problem Yulia Grigoryeva/Shutterstock Do you ever beat yourself up for procrastinating? You might be composing that message to a friend who you have to let down, or writing a big report for school or work, and doing your best to avoid it but deep down knowingContinue Reading

African penguins end up "parroting" each other's voices Mike Korostelev/Shutterstock We’ve all known a friend who came back from holiday with a French lilt in their accent. Or noticed an American twang creeping into our voice during dinner with a friend visiting from Texas. One of us (Luigi) recently movedContinue Reading

synthetic mouse Weizmann Institute of Sciences Children, even some who are too young for school, know you can’t make a baby without sperm and an egg. But a team of researchers in Israel have called into question the basics of what we teach children about the birds and the bees,Continue Reading

WindNight/Shutterstock Trauma, such as surviving or witnessing road accidents, natural disasters and violence, can shake up our lives, challenging our core beliefs and views of the world. But this upheaval can also trigger what’s known as “post-traumatic growth” in different aspects of our lives. This can mean** a greater appreciationContinue Reading