#skunkbear

sheltered skeletons laugh

beneath the dance of fireflies

the ace up Lucifer’s sleeve

has fallen out for all to see

too late to put your cards

on the table

his toothy smile

Why do dogs have floppy ears?

But what’s behind this mysterious change? What possibly could link tameness and ear cartilage? Skunk Bear’s latest episode shares one fascinating hypothesis that ties it all together, and explains shortened snouts and patchy coats along the way.

Why do pets and livestock tend to have “drooping ears?”

“Wolves, for example, have…

Science Communicators, Get Your GIF On

The first animated GIF I ever made was a flaming red danger sign. The year was 1997, and I’d just started my own graphic design page on the free website-building platform, Geocities. The most popular GIF at the time was the Dancing Baby, known for its appearance that same year on the TV show Ally McBeal. My GIF obsession started as a childhood hobby but has since become a major part of my job as a science communicator. These fun flickering images are an efficient and effective form of digital communication and should be used more as a science communication tool.

Trading Cards: The Who's Who Of #NPRWormWeek

Worm isn't a scientific term. According to one of the Smithsonian's worm experts, Anna Phillips, a worm is just "an organism that is long and thin ... without legs ... that's not a snake."

Worms span several phyla and inhabit nearly every ecosystem. Long, thin, legless creatures tunnel under the ground, swim under the sea and even crawl under our skin. Some of them stay long, thin and legless throughout their entire lives. And then there are the wormlike larvae of insects that eventually transform into flies or moths.

Some worms are vermin in the modern and the ancient sense (vermis is Latin for worm) — they're parasites known as helminths that cause deadly diseases. Others give humanity a boost by enriching our fields and even ending up on our plates.

rare

beautiful 

will develop stress ulcers when forced to be in the company of others

roll up into a ball when threatened

trouble vocalizing caused by 27-inch tongue anchored in pelvis 

covered in toenails 

smol

Earlier today I read this amazing NPR story (seriously, well done, skunkbear) and watched their incredible video on the New Horizons success, and I would suggest you all go do the same right now.