Sorcha McDonagh
All Stories by Sorcha McDonagh
- Animals
Sleep lessons from sparrows
During migration season, certain sparrows remain amazingly alert even when they haven't had much sleep.
- Health & Medicine
Spitting Up Blobs to Get Around
A nasty parasite finds a new host by making a fly cough up a blob of gel.
- Tech
Flying the Hyper Skies
A little airplane called the Hyper-X has broken the speed record for jet aircraft.
- Environment
Little bits of trouble
Extremely tiny particles known as buckyballs can harm living cells.
- Chemistry
Cooking up superhard diamonds
Popping diamonds into a high-pressure oven can make these hard minerals even harder.
- Earth
Earth’s early oxygen boost
The steady buildup of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere may have helped life forms become more complex.
- Brain
Reading Verbs Revs Up Your Brain
Silently reading the word "dance" gets your brain to react as though you're really dancing.
- Tech
Roll-Up Computer Monitors to Go
Future electronic displays may be paper-thin and as flexible as a stick of gum.
- Environment
A vulture’s hidden enemy
Vultures may be getting a deadly dose of medicine from the carcasses they feed upon.
- Earth
Slip slidin’ away — under the sea
A thin layer of water can keep ocean avalanches moving far and fast.
- Planets
Roving the Red Planet
Two little robots have touched down on Mars, ready to study the planet's rocks and soil.
- Animals
A bowerbird’s guide to style
To attract a mate, male bowerbirds go for a cheaper, low-key look instead of showy decorations.