Quirks and Quarks

Starfish don't have brains, and yet they're able to mobilize hundreds of tiny hydraulic tube feet to get around. Now scientists are getting an understanding of just how they do that.

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Atmospheric pollution from an individual rocket re-entry event measured for the first time
How the Earth’s greenhouse age transitioned into a world with frozen poles
What is dark matter? The contenders — from WIMPs to dark matter stars
Quirks Question: why doesn’t flowing water freeze at the same temperature as still water?

(Correction: A previous version of the dark matter story referred to a study published last fall that mapped the distribution of dark matter, but the study was published on Jan. 26, 2026.)

From the pressurized space suits to living in underground spaces, it's clear that living on Mars would cause irreversible biological changes to any humans living there, to the point that it may be impossible for them or their descendants to return to Earth. With bigger heads and lighter bodies, might we also end up looking like Martians?

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Yellowstone’s predators battle it out, and wolves remain top dog
fossil of the earliest veggie-eater found in Nova Scotia
Covid is disappearing in animals, which is good news for deer but not as good for humans
how genes affect our lifespan more than we thought

An elephant’s trunk is incredibly strong and rugged, and yet it is one of the most sensitive touch organs in the animal kingdom. New research reveals that this sensitivity is partly powered by over 1000 whiskers.

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A new 'inside out' solar system is making astronomers question planet formation
Paleo-Inuit people in the high Arctic were masterful seafarers, new study shows
Two-month-old babies can categorize objects in their brain
How insects deal with smog or microplastics can impact them and the environment

Researchers made the surprising discovery that Alaska beluga whales have swinging sex lives — and that could be their key to survival in the warming Arctic.

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mission to the 'doomsday' Thwaites glacier in Antarctica ends in disappointment
near-infrared light therapy offers hope to football players with brain injuries
with nuclear power making a comeback, what's changed since the last Atomic Age?

Scientists spent nearly 25 years studying close to 800 polar bears in the Barents Sea region and discovered that those polar bears seem to be doing just fine, even though melting sea ice is also a major issue.

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Sargassum seaweed is becoming such a problem, you can see it from space
Why some people only get mild sniffles with a cold and others get sick
A woolly rhino's DNA found in an ancient wolf’s stomach reveals their quick demise
How to change a memory — one scientist's quest to understand memory permanence