Fossil and Living Birds Reveal the Dazzling Biology of Feathers

The Dazzling New Science of Feathers

By Laura Helmuth

Have you ever picked up a feather and felt how sleek, smooth, firm or fluffy it is? (The Migratory Chicken Treaty Act prohibits possession of most fowl feathers, but if you find a feather and stick it in your cap or pack, no person below at Scientific American will switch you in.) Feathers are marvels of evolutionary engineering that have been analyzed for hundreds of years, but in the past several yrs, as paleontologist Michael B. Habib aspects, scientists have manufactured some big discoveries about their evolution, construction and function. We hope the story will aid you take pleasure in the specializations of hummingbirds, hawks, penguins, owls, and extra.

The “strong force” that pulls together protons, neutrons and atomic nuclei is, as its identify indicates, the strongest force we know of in the universe. It is also the the very least understood. But not long ago physicists have designed true development in measuring the strong drive. Amid other issues, they’ve identified that it results in being continuous at a specific length between particles. Stanley J. Brodsky, Alexandre Deur and Craig D. Roberts recount how their independent traces of investigate merged to uncover new qualities of the force that binds together most of the subject in the universe.

Kids want to be reasonable, and they obtain a perception of justice at a incredibly youthful age: they quickly learn that hurting other men and women is improper and that sharing is right. But this creating perception of morality can conflict with their producing sense of belonging. Children readily decide up on us-versus-them group identities centered on components such as race and gender. Psychologist Melanie Killen describes what she and her colleagues have learned about morality and prejudice in youngsters. Based mostly on their study, they developed a teaching program that productively teaches little ones to be far more inclusive and empathetic.

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We are living in the age of fire—the Pyrocene, a phrase coined by environmental historian Stephen Pyne. As he writes, human beings tamed fire and modified the world. He breaks our relationship with fire into 3 waves and chronicles how fireplace has adjusted human bodies and civilization and is now transforming all lifetime on the earth. Enjoy the extraordinary, fireplace-breathing photo-essay by Kevin Cooley that accompanies the article.

Prostate most cancers is one of the most popular forms of malignancies, but many thanks to improvements in detection, analysis and remedy, it has come to be progressively workable. Marc B. Garnick, a leading expert on prostate most cancers, explains how the ailment starts off and grows. He also provides an overview of the approaches that can now be employed to check and prevent it, introducing a long time to patients’ life.

Some of the to start with visuals captured by the James Webb House Telescope a handful of years back were stunning: they unveiled overgrown galaxies in the early universe—galaxies that, in accordance to cosmological principle, should not have existed. As science writer Jonathan O’Callaghan demonstrates, astronomers are coming up with new theories to describe these surprising galaxies and increase our comprehending of their formation.

One of the issues I respect most about walks in nature (the forms of walks exactly where you could possibly obtain a feather and the place the loudest sound is a screaming cicada) is how peaceful they are. If you’ve ever tensed up in discomfort at leaf blowers, shouty bars, obnoxious car or truck horns, or other sound air pollution, wellness correspondent Joanne Silberner’s story might really feel like vindication. A increasing body of study files how and why sounds can bring about a assortment of health difficulties and how you can decrease your exposure to strengthen your wellness. And our Science of Wellness columnist Lydia Denworth explores the significance of character and well-being. May well you be surrounded by nice and welcome sounds as you delve into this month’s issue.