Carl Zimmer

The Loom

My Microbial Muse

Glowing fireflies at night

Learn more about firefly population decline, and how it might not be too late for these glowing insects to bounce back. 

Are We Really the Last Generation to Enjoy Twinkling Fireflies in the Summer?

tortoise

Learn about the unique way turtles create their scales and how it’s revealing an ancient evolutionary link to dinosaurs, crocodiles, and birds.

Turtle Scales May Hold the Secret to How Dinosaurs Formed Their Skin

Are crows smart? (Image Credit: Heidi Bollich/Shutterstock) 

Are crows smart?

Are crows smart? Learn more about the intelligence of crows and their unique relationship with humans. 

Crows Are Smart — Just Like Humans, They Hold Grudges and Use Tools

Bubble ring created by a humpback whale named Thorn. (Image Credit: Dan Knaub, The Video Company)

Humpback whale bubble

Learn about the playful and curious side of humpback whales, as seen when they create bubble rings during friendly interactions with humans.

Humpback Whales Offer Humans Giant Bubble Smoke Rings as a Token of Friendship

Chaitén Volcano in southern Chile erupted on May 2, 2008 for the first time in 9,000 years. NASA satellites that monitor changes in vegetation near volcanoes could aid in earlier eruption warnings. (Image Courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

NASA satellites that monitor changes in vegetation near volcanoes

Learn how the changing color of tree leaves is being used as an early warning sign for volcanic activity.

Trees Can Warn Us of Volcanic Eruptions From Space

(Image Credit: Olga Bogatyrenko/Shutterstock)

Black and white butterfly

Tiny wing scales trapped in fossilized dung suggest butterflies evolved long before flowers appeared.

236-Million-Year-Old Poop Fossil Reveals a Hidden Treasure — Oldest Evidence of Butterflies

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