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☆ A scientist explains what would happen if all the fish in the ocean disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Kory Evans | The Conversation | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So what would happen to Earth if all the fish in the ocean suddenly disappeared? NOAA, Kevin LinoI'm a scientist who studies fish, their diversity, and all the ways they contribute to ocean environments. Fish as foodFish play important roles as both predators and prey in ocean ecosystems. Related storiesIn coral reef ecosystems, small fish are eaten by larger fish and other marine animals. AdvertisementIn coral reef ecosystems, plant-eating fish control the growth of algae by constantly grazing it down.

Persons: Fish, Kevin Lino I'm, Rogers, parrotfish, Kory Evans Organizations: Service, Fisheries, NOAA, biosciences, Rice University Locations: They're, United States, parrotfish

☆ How my family of 5 spent $7,000 on our first trip to Disney World and Universal, more than double what we'd typically pay for a vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Mandy Bray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Our Disney World and Universal Orlando trip for a family of five cost about $7,000 for six nights. AdvertisementIn July, our family of five checked a Disney World and Universal Studios trip off our bucket list. AdvertisementWe'd book a family suite at a Disney resort againOur kids enjoyed the pools at Disney's All-Star Music Resort. AdvertisementAt about $7,000, our Disney and Universal trip cost more than double what we've spent on other vacations. We won't be annual Disney World trekkers anytime soon, but we'll probably be back.

Persons: —, Mandy Bray, could've, We'd, I'd, Harry Potter, Bourne, we've Organizations: Disney World, Universal Orlando, Disney, Service, Universal Studios, Transportation, Universal Express, Universal, Universal Studios Orlando, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios Locations: Indianapolis, Orlando, Florida, Epcot, National

☆ Chinstrap penguins survive on more than 10,000 naps a day, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The art of nodding off appears to have been mastered by breeding chinstrap penguins, who take more than 10,000 naps a day, with each nap lasting an average of four seconds, according to a new study. They observed that the penguins in the colony engaged in more than 600 bouts of microsleep an hour. A 1986 study found captive, nonbreeding emperor penguins to have fragmented sleep called “drowsiness,” which also resembles the microsleep pattern of the breeding chinstrap penguins. He added that through these short bursts of sleep the penguins could “sleep and remain vigilant” while incubating. “I think that’s why it’s important to study sleep.

Persons: King George Island, ecophysiologist Paul, Antoine Libourel, ” Libourel, Federico Anfitti, Libourel, “, they’d, ”, Christian Harding, Vladyslav Organizations: CNN, Neuroscience Research, of Lyon, University of California, University of Oxford Locations: France, South Korea, Germany, Antarctica, “, microsleeps, San Diego

☆ Extreme sleep behavior documented in cute Antarctic chinstrap penguins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Guarding their nests is serious business for these medium-sized penguins, with predatory seabirds called brown skuas on the prowl. But this species, scientists said on Thursday, has devised an ingenious way of getting sufficient sleep without compromising vigilance. The researchers documented extreme sleep behavior in these flightless birds. "Penguins do not display any obvious negative consequence of sleep fragmentation," Libourel said. During incubation, skuas prey on penguin eggs, particularly on a colony's periphery.

Persons: chinstraps, ecophysiologist Paul, Antoine Libourel, Won Young Lee, George Island, Libourel, Lee, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Lyon Neuroscience Research, Korea Polar Research, GPS, Penguins, Thomson Locations: Lyon, France, Korea, Incheon, Washington

☆ I've stayed at the cheapest hotels Disney World and Universal Orlando have to offer. Only one blew me away.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amanda Krause | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I stayed at the cheapest hotels onsite at Disney World and Universal Orlando earlier this year. That's what I thought until one trip to a Universal Orlando value hotel. While Disney World is home to princesses, Star Wars characters, Marvel superheroes, and Pixar cartoons, Universal Orlando boasts Harry Potter, Minions, and Transformers. Abigail Nilsson/Getty ImagesWhere Universal may have Disney beat: value hotel roomsI've stayed at Disney World's value resorts on multiple occasions throughout my life. I love staying at Disney World's value resorts overall, but based on this experience, I think Universal Orlando offers better rooms.

Persons: —, I've, you'll, Marvel, Harry Potter, Abigail Nilsson, Amanda Krause, I'm Organizations: Disney World, Universal Orlando, Universal, Service, Disney, Sports, Hollywood Studios, Magic, Universal Studios, Wars, Pixar, Star Resorts Locations: Orlando , Florida, Universal Orlando, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT

☆ Why is medieval art so weird? This new book offers a guide to the era
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —So you want to live like you’re from the Middle Ages? Swarthout is the researcher behind the popular art history-inspired social media account Weird Medieval Guys, which has attracted nearly 700,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter, since she began posting with the handle @WeirdMedieval in April 2022. Swarthout is not a historian, but a recently graduated statistician who took art history during undergrad. Württemberg State Library Stuttgart/Courtesy Penguin Random HouseThere’s a reason why Medieval art is particularly, well, weird. Watch: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)The classic satire of Arthurian legend mined the Middle Ages for comedic gold decades before Medieval memes were a thing.

Persons: it’s, Olivia M, commonfolk, Guy, —, ” Swarthout, Swarthout, ”, Jonah, tradespeople, Andreas, Monty Python, Jack Hartnell Organizations: CNN, Dark Times, University of Pennsylvania, Twitter, Stuttgart, Xbox Locations: Camelot

☆ Eptesicus serotinus: Unusual mating behavior discovered in mammals for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Also known by the scientific name Eptesicus serotinus, serotine bats mate by touching their genitals together. The behavior is similar to a “cloacal kiss,” a way of mating used by many birds. The information on bat mating behavior could help with efforts to come up with a way to artificially inseminate endangered bat species. “It’s a bit of an open question how their semen really gets into the female reproductive tract. “There are more than 1,000 species of bats, and many of them are also endangered, she said.

Persons: Nicolas Fasel, ”, ” Fasel, Olivier, Fasel, Teri Orr, ” Orr, “, Alan Dixson, hadn’t, Susanne Holtze, Holtze, ’ ” Orr Organizations: CNN —, University of Lausanne, New Mexico State University, Victoria University of Wellington, Leibniz Institute for Zoo, Wildlife Research Locations: Switzerland, “, Dutch, Netherlands, Ukraine, New, New Zealand, Berlin

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s the season of giving thanks — and it turns out humans have been doing it for a long, long time. “This is something that is part of our human DNA,” said Sarah Schnitker, a psychologist at Baylor University. “It is a glue, in a sense, that holds us together.”How we got gratefulPolitical Cartoons View All 1260 ImagesHumans are social animals. Some scientists think the feeling of gratitude evolved to keep the helping exchanges going. Though we can’t “speak chimp” well enough to know if they’re actually saying thanks, Suchak added, it makes sense that some form of this social debt showed up early in our lineage.

Persons: —, they've, ”, Sarah Schnitker, Michael Tomasello, Malini Suchak, capuchin, Suchak, Jenae Nelson, ” Nelson, they’re, Amrisha Vaish, Vaish, Schnitker, Nelson, “ It’s, “ Organizations: Baylor University, Duke University, Canisius University ., Baylor, Harvard, University of Virginia, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP

☆ I dedicated my life to biology until I went on 'Naked and Afraid' and realized I could make a bigger difference doing TV instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Forrest Galante was a biologist and worked in field research before he went on "Naked and Afraid." AdvertisementAdvertisementBeing on "Naked and Afraid" is the least interesting thing I've ever doneA few weeks later I was on a plane. It was right then and there that I called my boss and told her I was going to pivot to pursuing conservation media. AdvertisementAdvertisementBasically I pivoted the public interest I was getting from "Naked and Afraid" into what I'm doing now. Dreams coming to fruitionBefore working in wildlife media, Forrest Galante worked in conservation biology.

Persons: Forrest Galante, Galante, who'd, —, It's, I'd, that's, I'm, who's, lightbulb, Eric Evangelista, I've Organizations: Service, UC Santa Barbara Locations: Southern California, California, Panama, Fernandina

☆ You'll Go Ape for This Year's Comedy Wildlife Photo Award Finalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dancing horses, playful polar bears and a kangaroo playing air guitar are among the finalists for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards, an annual competition for professional and amateur photographers that captures the humorous side of the animal kingdom. Danny Sullivan/Comedy Wildlife 2023

Persons: Danny Sullivan

☆ Disney is discounting child tickets at U.S. parks as industry attendance lags
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's about to be cheaper for families to visit Disney's domestic theme parks. The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday announced new, limited time discounts on children's tickets at Disneyland and Disney World. Universal's domestic parks, as well as region players like Six Flags and Sea World , have reported lower attendance this year. Meanwhile, the parks division saw a 13% increase in revenue during the third quarter, reaching $8.3 billion. The recent additions of the two Star Wars: Galaxy Edge lands in Disneyland and Disney World are estimated to have cost $1 billion each.

Persons: Price Organizations: Disney, Walt Disney Company, Wednesday, Walt Disney, Magic Kingdom, Big, Edge, Comcast, CNBC Locations: California, Orlando , Florida, U.S, Europe, Parks, Anaheim , California, Animal, Orlando, Magic, NBCUniversal

☆ Brainless Jellyfish Demonstrate Learning Ability
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Veronique Greenwood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the dappled sunlit waters of Caribbean mangrove forests, tiny box jellyfish bob in and out of the shade. Box jellies are distinguished from true jellyfish in part by their complex visual system — the grape-size predators have 24 eyes. On Friday, researchers published a report in the journal Current Biology indicating that the box jellyfish species Tripedalia cystophora have the ability to learn. Because box jellyfish diverged from our part of the animal kingdom long ago, understanding their cognitive abilities could help scientists trace the evolution of learning. How do box jellies tell when they are getting too close?

Persons: Anders Garm Organizations: University of Copenhagen

☆ Bear spotted at Disney World prompts closure of parts of Magic Kingdom
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Natasha Chen | Marlon Sorto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A bear that prompted partial closures at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Monday was captured without incident and is being relocated, according to a news release from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Nearly a dozen attractions were closed on Monday at the time authorities were trying to locate the bear at Magic Kingdom, according to the My Disney Experience app. WESHIt was not clear if the closures, or how many, were related to the bear sighting. CNN has reached out to Disney for more details about specific closures but has not heard back yet. There are three other major parks at the resort: EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

Persons: ” FWC, FWC, Sawyer, Craig Williams, Disney, “, Shawn Nottingham, Carlos Suarez, Melissa Alonso, Kate Conerly Organizations: CNN, Walt Disney World’s, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Ocala National Forest, Disney, Walt Disney World Railroad, Liberty Square, Hall, Presidents, Haunted, Liberty, WESH, Hollywood Studios, Animal Locations: Ocala, Magic, Caribbean, Frontierland, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom

☆ Once upon a time, the 'Disney adult' was ridiculed. Now, kidless millennials and Gen Z-ers with money to burn are packing into the parks — here's how Disney is winning them over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Newlyweds Natalie and Brett Schwartz exchanged vows at Walt Disney World in Orlando this summer. "Our approach was to shine a light on the beautiful tapestry of people that come to Walt Disney World," Trejo said. Francis Dominic, the former parks worker turned influencer, has also been tapped to promote Disney parks and films. It's a difficult tightrope to navigate, but it could define the future of Disney parks. Are you a Disney parks or Walt Disney Co. insider?

Persons: Sarah Rachul, I'm, Rachul, Orlando —, —, Molly May, Francis Dominic, Dominic, who's, Taylor, Ron DeSantis —, Japan pavilion's Takumi, Jonathan de Araujo, it's, Tara Goldstein, Ann van Oostendorp, Disney, Van Oostendorp, Natalie Schwartz, Brett, Schwartz, Sierra Keller's, Keller, Natalie, Brett Schwartz, Jason Petrina, he's, Disney's, He's, They're, Petrina, Mickey, Chris Evans, Zoe Saldaña, What's, Wan Kenobi, Emperor Palpatine, she'd, welling, haven't, Neph Trejo, Walt, " Trejo, It's, Halle Bailey, Kent Phillips, Gaston, Jeremy Singh, I'd, Singh couldn't, he'd, Singh, they're, Patrick Dougall, Mark Eades, Eades, we've, Amanda Krause, Reed Alexander Organizations: Walt Disney, Epcot, Disney Vacation, Disney, Mouse, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Walt Disney Co, Florida Gov, Universal, Guardians, Galaxy, University of Tampa, Disney World, Honeymooners, Star Wars, Marvel, Magic, Cafe Orleans, Disney World's Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios, Star, Gucci, Dooney, Animal, Dole, Walt Disney World's, ABC, Getty, Management, Disney Imagineer, Disneyland Alumni Locations: Ohio, Disney, Orlando , Florida, Anaheim , California, Italy, China, Tuscany, Orlando, Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo, Japan, Epcot, California, Anaheim, Belle Terrace, Hollywood

☆ Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +88 min

Iger told Chapek that he lived for those "two-shower days," according to people familiar with the conversation. In January 2020, Iger told Chapek the plan was back on. During his 27 years at the company, Chapek had only attended one annual meeting — as a guest in the audience. Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during a CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. WATCH: Disney CEO Bob Iger's exclusive July 2023 CNBC interviewTake the 'A'During Chapek's tenure as CEO, Disney lost more than a quarter of its market value.

Persons: Elham, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, wasn't, Chapek, Michael Eisner, —, who's, he's, Clint Eastwood, Eastwood, Arthur Bochner, Jackie Hart, Kareem Daniel, Chapek —, Eisner, Michael Ovitz, Ovitz, Bob, Disney's, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, he'd, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Staggs —, Steve Jobs, cajoled Ike Perlmutter, George Lucas, Rupert Murdoch, Iger's, Susan Arnold, Arnold, Peter Rice, David Paul Morris, Rice, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Mark Parker, Mary Barra, Michael Froman, Willow, Parker, John Donahoe, Roy Disney, Walt Disney, Stanley Gold, David A, CNBC Eisner, Big Bob, Little Bob, Christine McCarthy, Patrick T, He'd, McCarthy, Iger —, Coronavirus, Gavin Newsom, Michael Kovac, curtly, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Smith, Smith, Disney, Randy Shropshire, Agnes Chu, Ricky Strauss, Chu, Strauss, Kevin Feige, Kathleen Kennedy, Who's, Alan Bergman, Bergman, Bob Kyncl, Daniel —, Iger didn't, Daniel rankled, Daniel, Chapek didn't, James Pitaro, Jesse Grant, CNBC Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Zenia Mucha, didn't, Mucha, Barbara Walters, Charles Eshelman, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Johansson —, Florence Pugh, Natasha, Yelena, " Johansson, Bryan Lourd, Johansson, Lourd, Steven Spielberg, Al Michaels, David Muir, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Spielberg, Geoff Morrell, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Bochner, Claire Lee, Paul Richardson, Josh D'Amaro, Ron DeSantis, Morrell, Disney Animation —, George Floyd, Reba Saldanha, Reuters Chapek, DeSantis, Nicholas Maldonado, Octavio Jones, Chapek she'd, we're, " Morrell, CNN's Chris Wallace, Kristina Schake, John Skipper, Daniel steamrolled, Latondra Newton, Newton, Charles Krupa, Pitaro, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Dana Walden, Thomas Murphy, Josh Kushner, Privately, Schake, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's, David Dee Delgado, Kara Swisher, hadn't, Netflix's, overhiring, McCarthy hadn't, Safra Catz, Kareem, DMED, Horacio Gutierrez, Justin Warbrooke, Alexia Quadrani, Bryan Castellani, Michael Buckner, Quadrani, Lindsay Lohan, Winnie, Nelson Peltz, Catz, Donald Trump's, they'd, Walden, Gutierrez, D'Amaro, Rich Polk, Walden he'd, Iger she'd, Mickey Mouse, Mark Rightmire, haven't, Indiana Jones, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Hamilton Faber, Rich Greenfield, Bob Iger's, — Mayer, McCarthy —, doesn't, they'll Organizations: Disney, Marvel, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Shanghai Disney, Man, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Pixar, Fox, Chapek, Nike, General, Mastercard, Foreign Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Grogan, Disney's, Fallon, ABC, ESPN, ABC News, California Gov, New York Times, Disney confidants, Hollywood, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Studios, Hulu, HBO Max, Walt Disney Company, YouTube, Companies, Netflix, Apple, Disney Media, Entertainment, Stanford, Rights, Junior, petulant, Filmmagic, Brunswick Group, Covid, CAA, onetime Defense Department, Century Fox, Human, Florida Gov, Republican, Disney Animation, Reuters, Human Rights, HRC, Walt Disney World, Employees, American Foundation for Equal Rights, AP, Amazon Prime, Paramount, South Pacific, Capital Cities, Dow Jones, CVS, Kingdom, Variety, Trian Partners, Charter Communications, U.S, Comcast, Charter's, MediaNews, Orange, Allen, Co, Candle Media, Advisors Locations: Burbank , California, Midwestern, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Iger, Hammond , Indiana, Shanghai, China, Hong, Fox, Willow Bay, Raleigh , North Carolina, Orlando, U.S, Hulu, Iger's Brentwood, coronavirus, Brunswick, Hollywood, Hawaii, Disney's, Marvel's, Anaheim , California, Montana, Florida, Rye , New Hampshire, Chapek, Hong Kong, California, missteps, South, DMED, Burbank, New York, India, Atlantic, Sun Valley , Idaho, America

☆ Newly discovered ancient creature may have been the heaviest animal ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, scientists shared discoveries of ancient species that lived and died tens of millions of years ago, providing tantalizing insights into creatures never documented until now. The colossal ancient whale, which swam the seas about 39 million years ago, likely weighed two to three times more than the blue whale. NASA/ESA/Joseph Olmsted (STScI)When the Hubble Space Telescope initially observed a young planetary system 32 light-years from Earth, it didn’t reveal any surprises. And the James Webb Space Telescope spied new details within the colorful, iconic Ring Nebula. The fruit flies in the groundbreaking study don’t typically reproduce through virgin births, also called parthenogenesis, although many animal species do.

Persons: Alberto Gennari, Michael Brecht, ” Brecht, Joseph Olmsted, Euclid, James Webb, —, Hala Alarashi, Alice Burkhardt, Ba, Emperor Nero, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Canadian Rockies, Humboldt University, NASA, ESA, Hubble, Telescope, Petra Museum, CNN Space, Science Locations: Ica, Berlin, Jordan, East Coast, United States

☆ Scientists tickle rats to learn about brain activity during play
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To learn more about the neuroscience behind this widespread behavior, he and his colleagues played with and tickled rats and observed the rodents’ brain activity. Researchers studied how playing and being tickled affected rats’ brain activity. Key brain areaTo learn more about how playing and being tickled affect rats’ brain activity, the researchers devised a series of experiments. The researchers played “hand chasing games” with their rat subjects and gently tickled them, while tiny, wireless neural probes recorded the rats’ brain activity. Furthermore, in trials where the scientists inhibited activity in this part of the brain, the rats were less inclined to play or laugh when tickled.

Persons: Michael Brecht, they’re, Brecht, it’s, ” Brecht, “, ”, everyone’s, —, one’s, we’ve, Alexa Veenema, Veenema, ” Veenema, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Bowl, Humboldt University, Michigan State University Locations: Berlin, Chicago

☆ Scientists induce virgin birth in fruit flies in monumental first
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —In a historic first, scientists have used gene editing to induce virgin birth in fruit flies, a major step in unlocking the mysteries of the intriguing phenomenon known as parthenogenesis. The researchers used fruit flies because they’re considered “model organisms,” meaning the flies are among a list of organisms that scientists have long studied in depth to gain a better fundamental understanding of biology. Fruit flies’ short life spans of about 80 days have made it easy to observe changes throughout generations relatively quickly. And prior research into fruit flies is so extensive it’s possible to order genetic mutations for some flies online. “There’s just so many tools,” Sperling said, “and the tools are easily, cheaply available to all researchers” when it comes to fruit flies.

Persons: Alexis Sperling, Sperling, ” Sperling, “, we’d, they’re, “ There’s, ”, aren’t, Dr, Warren Booth, Booth, ” Booth, parthenogenesis Organizations: CNN, UK’s University of Cambridge, Pesticides, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, State University Locations: United Kingdom

☆ Opinion | The Birds Are Singing, but Not for Me
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( David George Haskell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Graphs from my audiologist show hearing loss across all sound frequencies, but especially for high sounds, so I was expecting this moment. Yet my hearing loss is now worse than most of my cohort of friends in their mid-50s, a quirk of my genes. The hair cells in our ears are descendants of the wiggly cilia hairs that animate single-celled creatures swimming around in ponds and ocean water. Sudden shocks like gun blasts kill inner-ear hair cells. Instead, aging undermines hair cells.

Persons: I’ve, I’m Organizations: National Institutes of Health

☆ Can You Understand Bird? Test Your Recognition of Calls and Songs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Elaine Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Language has long been considered the exclusive provenance of humans. But in the animal kingdom, birds, not primates, communicate with the level of vocal complexity and variability closest to ours. This summer the New York Times birding project is encouraging readers to try birding by ear. Each bird species has its own distinct set of sounds. Consider the black-capped chickadee, which frequents the northern United States and southern Canada year-round.

Persons: here’s Organizations: Cornell, of Ornithology, New York Times Locations: United States, Canada

☆ Why grandmother killer whales go through menopause
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The head of a killer whale pod shares her knowledge of the best hunting spots and more than half the fish she catches with her family members. Female orcas help their sons navigate the complexities of orca social life and protect them from fights with other killer whales. The center has been studying this critically endangered group of killer whales, which now number around 75, since 1976. “Males have the opportunity to mate with multiple females, and they do this outside of their own social group. Only humans and five species of toothed whales are known to experience menopause, the new study noted.

Persons: —, ”, Charli Grimes, David Ellifrit, Grimes, “, ” Grimes, Katie Jones, doesn’t, … Organizations: CNN, Southern Resident, Center for Whale Research, Centre for Research, UK’s University of Exeter, UK's University of Exeter, for, for Whale Research Locations: Pacific Northwest, North America, Harbor , Washington

Wait times for rides and attractions at both resorts have shortened, according to analysts who track theme park attendance. Disney CEO Bob Iger attributed Disney World’s recent decline in wait times to an overall slump in Central Florida tourism. Iger told CNBC he did not have “long-term concerns” about Disney’s theme parks. For Universal’s Florida parks, every month since March has seen lower average wait times, according to the site. Pareti said she spends between four and six days per week at Disney’s parks and visits Universal parks, as well.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN —, Walt, Universal Orlando parkgoers, Bob Iger, ”, Iger, Shorter, July’s, Don Munsil, he’s, Munsil, “, Kayla Pareti, Mickey Travels, Mickey, You’re, Pareti, she’s, “ Don’t, it’s, Comcast’s, Disney’s, That’s, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Pete Werner, Christine McCarthy, ” Werner, It’s, Disney Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Central, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Disney, CNBC, CNN, Universal, Disney’s, Universal Studios, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney Company, Comcast, UBS, DIS Universal, Republican, NAACP, Human Rights, League of United Latin American, Walt Disney, Disney Cruise Locations: Florida, Central Florida, “ Florida, Disney’s Florida, Universal Studios Florida, Bay Lake , Florida, Orange County, Orlando

☆ Spider mite males ‘undress’ their partners to mate ASAP
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Spider mites are tiny arachnids, distant cousins of spiders, smaller than the tip of a standard ballpoint pen. Living together in dense colonies can make for fierce competition in finding a mate, especially because female spider mites only use the sperm from the first male with which they mate. Males will guard females that are nearly mature, so that as soon as the females are set to mate, the males will be ready. While farmers and gardeners often revile spider mites as plant-eating pests, many biologists use them as model organisms. “I hope they are fascinated about what type of sophisticated behaviors have evolved, even in such tiny animals as spider mites,” he said.

Persons: Dr, Peter Schausberger, ”, Schausberger, —, doesn’t, ” Schausberger, Tomasz Klejdysz, Yukie Sato, ” Sato, There’s, that’s, Rebecca Schmidt, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Vienna, University of Tsukuba, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Locations: Japan, Chicago

☆ Meet the mystery species that buried their dead long before humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And Homo naledi was added to the family tree in 2013 after cave explorers tipped off researchers that there might be something promising within the dangerous depths of the Rising Star cave system. Mark Thiessen/National GeographicA team of explorers has uncovered evidence that Homo naledi buried their dead and carved symbols on cave walls at least 100,000 years before modern humans. Across the universeAstronomers using the Webb telescope discovered complex organic molecules in a galaxy located over 12 billion light-years away. Doyle/NASA/ESA/CSAThe James Webb Space Telescope peered into a galaxy located more than 12 billion light-years away and spied the most distant organic molecules ever detected. — A bright new supernova appeared in the Pinwheel Galaxy, and a telescope in Hawaii captured a dazzling image of the stellar explosion.

Persons: Matthew Berger, —, Homo, paleoartist John Gurche, Mark Thiessen, naledi, Webb, Doyle, James Webb, Einstein, Dino, dino, Iani smithi, Janus, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Geographic, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, NASA, ESA, Parker, Probe, Drassm, Tunisia’s Skerki Bank, Sonar, CNN Space, Science Locations: South Africa, Johannesburg, Spain, Utah, North America, Tunisia, Italy’s, Tunisia’s, Costa Rican, Great Britain, Hawaii

☆ Scientists discover the first virgin birth in a crocodile
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists say they have documented the first virgin birth in a crocodile. Many of the offspring produced this way are very ill or weak, according to Booth. Any offspring produced in this manner shares most of its DNA with the mother. And Coquita’s parthenogenically produced offspring — which was female — likely formed that way solely because of the temperature at which the egg was incubated. “They are all using the exact same cellular mechanism for parthenogenesis,” Booth said.

Persons: Coquita, Warren Booth, Booth —, Booth, Parthenogenesis, it’s, ”, “, ” Booth, parthenogenesis, parthenogenically Organizations: CNN —, Reptilandia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, State University, Research Locations: Costa Rican, Costa Rica, parthenogenesis

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