The World’s Deadliest Bird Was Raised by People 18,000 Years Ago

Researchers studying ancient cassowary egg shells in New Guinea found signs that the sharp-taloned bird was being domesticated.

How Peppers Proliferated Around the Planet

In the world’s plant gene banks, scientists studied how so many varieties of the humble capsicum worked their way onto our plates.

This Flower Hides a Secret: It’s Actually a Carnivore

That this perennial wildflower digests trapped insects suggests that other plants’ appetites for animals may be overlooked.

Venus Lacks Plate Tectonics. But It Has Something Much More Quirky.

Scientists say giant slices of rock may move across the surface of Earth’s closest neighbor like pack ice floating in the sea.

Magic Tricks May Fool You, but These Birds Can See Through Them

A small experiment using sleights of hand and illusions offers insights into how birds and people perceive the world.

Where Your Watermelon Came From

A genetic analysis of a melon found in Sudan may point to the wild fruit that gave rise to one of summertime’s sweetest treats.