Some scientists refer to certain dust and debris clouds in galaxies as star “incubators” because they think stars form naturally within them. But since the formation of a star from a compacted cloud would take far too long to observe even in many lifetimes, many references to stellar nurseries rely on circumstantial evidence and naturalistic reasoning.

The naming of newly-discovered fossils sometimes involves significant people or prominent associations. Darwinius masillae was named for British naturalist Charles Darwin. Dracorex hogwartsia was inspired by the dragons of the famed Harry Potter books. And now shipping company FedEx has been honored with a fossil of its own.

Vampire bats, boas, pythons, and pit vipers―like rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths―all have specialized infrared-sensing organs that allow them to determine if something might be prey. Of these creatures, the pit vipers’ “pit,” which is located between its eyes and nostrils, is by far the most sensitive.

Humans don’t need to learn the ability to move to a rhythm, according to a new study. They are born with it. Two researchers from Finland and the United Kingdom wanted to find out how soon in life people begin to dance to rhythms. They were surprised to find that babies as young as five months old match body motion to music.

Following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010, Chile experienced a 7.2 magnitude aftershock on March 11, the same day that President Sebastian Pinera was sworn into office.¹ Considering the size of the initial earthquake, it is no surprise that the aftershock was significantly powerful, and more strong aftershocks remain likely.