After A Fight, Rooks Go To Their Mates For A Beak Rub
After a fight, the opponents fly to their mates for consolation.
Snakes Steal From Toads and Eat Them Too
A snake steals toxins from the toads it eats.
Ocean in a Bottle
Researchers figured out how the ocean smells like the ocean.
Material Girls
Young female chimps were spotted making spears for hunting.
Feeling Feverish? Sit Still
Viruses evolve differently depending on how free their hosts are to move and mingle.
The Mama Mafia
Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds nests and then retaliate if the foster parent doesn't take good care.
Need a laugh? Get some good science jokes (and a bunch of groaners, too) in our chat with three science comedians.
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Raj Lada is on a quest to keep your Christmas tree thriving in the afterlife. Get his embalming tips.
![$quickiesfour[stories].qimgtitle](imagecache/lichenmini_jpg_447e8cc66adc1e7816a2774c11a0cc4e.jpg)
SciFri listeners from across the country sent in photos of lichens from their neighborhoods. Lichenologist James Lendemer identified them. Check it out!
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Have you noticed that the word "geek" has gotten a little chic? Maybe it's time for a new term for those of us true geeks. Tell us your suggestion for the new geek.
Sounds Appetizing
Termites use sound to determine what's for dinner. (2007-03-16)
Strange Relations
A tiny grass family turns out to be an ancient flower lineage. (2007-03-16)
Good Eating
The amount of methylmercury in freshwater fish may be linked to how fast the water fleas are growing. (2007-04-16)
Super Faster
The Burmese python can survive on just a few meals a year. Scientists found a new type of cell that may explain why it can live on so little. (2007-04-16)
Leech On Me
A 200-year-old controversy is put to rest: Genetic tests show that FDA-approved leech is not one species, but three. (2007-04-19)
A Recipe for Spider Silk, But Who Will Spin It?
The ingredients in black widow's silk may explain why it is so tough. (2007-06-14)
Bird Brains Revealed
Scientists look at the brains of songbirds for clues to human speech impediments. (2007-07-24)
Shrinking Coral
A new study shows dramatic coral declines at protected and unprotected reefs alike. (2007-08-16)
Squirrels Ward Off Snakes With Hot Tails
Squirrels use infrared radiation to intimidate rattlesnakes. (2007-08-23)
Age-Old Orchid
A fossilized orchid, the first ever discovered, reveals the age of the flower family. (2007-08-31)
A Human Shield--for Moose
Moose are birthing babies closer and closer to the road. (2007-10-12)
Insect Attack
Some entomologists worry that insects are an overlooked avenue for terrorist attack. (2007-10-26)
Watch out hand sanitizer. Clay kills bacteria too.
A certain type of french clay wipes out bacteria. (2007-11-02)
Genome of dandruff-inducing fungus sequenced
Unwanted flakes? Scientists inspect the genes of the fungus responsible for dandruff. (2007-11-08)
Super-Sized Scorpion
Ancient claw indicates sea scorpions were over eight feet long. (2007-11-29)
Lousey Death
Pink salmon populations are careening towards collapse--but this time fishing isn't the cause. (2007-12-14)
Shell Shock
A new species of snail has a bewildering shell. (2008-01-11)
Chimp Business
Chimps in clothes are giving people the wrong idea. (2008-03-21)
One Crustacean: Many Powers
The most complex visual system in the animal kingdom belongs to an agressive crustacean. (2008-04-03)
Urban Agriculture in Milwaukee - Growing Power
A farm within the Milwaukee city limits? We take a tour of Growing Power, an organization focused on sustainable urban agriculture. (2008-05-13)
Extinct Genes Resurrected
Researchers took DNA from the extinct Tasmanian tiger and put it in a mouse. (2008-05-23)
A Thicker Skin--for Snails
Snails bulk up their shells in response to predators. What triggers the process? (2008-06-10)
Dogs Bark, Birds Chirp, Fish Grunt
The origin of vocal communication--like talking--may date back to prehistoric fish. (2008-07-23)
Gluing Broken Bones
A tiny sea worm may hold the key to knitting bones without screws. (2009-08-21)
Hunting for caribou ancestry
Scientists are studying ancient caribou in the Yukon (2010-02-25)
The Curious Case Of The California Tiger Salamander
A salamander native to Texas is wreaking havoc on the wetlands of Northern California. (2010-03-10)
Clues To Biofuel Production In A Gribble’s Gut?
A hungry marine crustacean excels at turning wood into energy. (2010-03-15)
Lake Tanganyika Heating Up, Warmest In 1,500 Years
Lake Tanganyika in east Africa is getting warmer, say geologists from Brown University. (2010-05-19)
Darwin’s Fox: The Rarest In South America
Darwin’s fox can’t find enough temperate rainforest on Chile’s southern coast. (2010-10-25)
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SciFri 20th Anniversary -- Hard to believe! We'll be entering our 20th year of SciFri this October... (more)