Orcas communicating
Source: Animal Planet
We may be the only species that produces poetry, but animals communicate, too! Watch this video to learn how orcas, also known as killer whales, communicate with humans and each other.
Science & Nature
Sunflowers Melt Fukushima’s Nuclear “Snow”
Source: Reuters
The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami severely damaged Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Read this article about how local residents are planting sunflowers not only to help absorb radiation leaked from the damaged reactors but also to bring hope to local residents.
Bioluminescent Art: Beautiful Bacteria Glow in the Dark
Source: Mother Nature Network
Changes that happen in nature can be a source of surprising art. In this article, Anna Norris discusses how microbiology and visual design merge to create a new art form.
Creativity in the Wild
Source: PLOS One
Is it time to drop that controller, switch off that television, and head outdoors? This article reports the results of a scientific study of whether exposure to natural settings improves cognition. Perhaps the American Romantics were right about the effects of nature on imagination and thought. Read to find out.
Eagles: Lions of the Sky
Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Our national symbol is the bald eagle, as you know, but few of us know much about eagles at all. Visit this site to read summaries of legends about eagles, and, when you’re done, click the links to learn facts about these incredible birds. If the season is right, you can even watch live videos of eagles in the wild!
Horse (Exhibition)
Source: American Museum of Natural History
How do domestic animals differ from their wild cousins? How were wild animals domesticated in the first place? Visit the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibit on horses to find out. Click on each of the site’s many links to discover where today’s wild horses came from and much more. You may be surprised by what you find!
Hurricane Hunters Association
Source: Hurricane Hunters Association
Why would anyone fly a plane into one of the world’s most powerful storms? Visit this site to learn about “hurricane hunting” with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. Learn about its mission, its history, its people, its planes, and its role in saving lives. While you’re there, be sure to click on the “Cyberflight” link to experience a flight into Hurricane Dennis!
Weeder
Source: Orion Magazine
Read about a man whose occupation—harvesting seaweed from the ocean—keeps him immersed in the rhythms of nature.
Feasting and Fighting: The Long-Lost Secrets of Beowulf
Source: The Independent
Archaeologists in Denmark have excavated the sixth-century great dining hall at the center of the epic poem.
The Teen Brain: It’s Just Not Grown-Up Yet
Source: NPR
Teenagers are ready for more responsibility, but that doesn’t mean they function like adults. Listen to or read the transcript of this short radio story on the way adolescent brains are still developing.