Popular Science

Jackie, a bald eagle with a devoted internet following, died early in the morning on August 10 in Ojai, California, while in the care of the Ojai Raptor Center. She was 14 years old. 

The Ojai Raptor Center announced her death and it was shared by Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the nonprofit who monitors the eagles of Big Bear Valley.

“Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists,” the center writes. “She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit. Throughout her time at Ojai Raptor Center, every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest.”

Jackie’s remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

“Soar free Jackie,” FOBBV wrote on Facebook.

Jackie was the first bald eagle known to be born in Big Bear Valley. Image: FOBBV Jackie’s story

Jackie was born, raised, and lived in Big Bear Valley in southern California. Prior to the 2011-2012 nesting season, no bald eagle chicks were known to have ever hatched in Big Bear Valley. Then came Jackie, named after a forest ranger and born to parents Ricky and Lucy in 2012. 

During the 2016-2017 nesting season, Jackie took over a nest where Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) had a camera stationed. In 2018, she had two chicks named Stormy and Big Bear Baby (or BBB) with her first mate, Mr. B. 

Her long-time partner Shadow entered the picture in summer 2018. He showed up at the nest and would not leave. FOBBV called the new male Shadow because he appeared so determined to stay in the nest, and the team initially believed he was one of Jackie’s siblings, also named Shadow. The eagle’s plumage indicated he was one year older than the other Shadow and not Jackie’s sibling, but the name stuck. 

Shadow continued to hold his ground and Mr. B gave up and eventually left. Jackie then accepted Shadow as her new mate.

Wildlife cameras documented Jackie and Shadow’s life together, offering viewers a direct look into the brutality and beauty of nature. The pair successfully raised chicks in 2019 (Cookie and Simba) and 2022 (Spirit). The pair’s eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Jackie laid three eggs that all hatched in early March. However, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong wind and only two of the chicks (Sunny and Gizmo) survived.  

Jackie and Shadow with their 2026 chicks, Sandy and Luna. Image: FOBBV

In January, Jackie laid two eggs in the nest, but ravens destroyed them. She later laid two more eggs that hatched in April and were later named Luna and Sandy. The name Sandy is in honor of FOBBV’s former executive director Sandy Steers who died from cancer in February. 

Jackie’s injury

On July 17, Jackie was found injured on the ground near Dana Point Park, California. Cell phone video from a witness confirmed that she had an altercation with two other subadult eagles. She successfully fended off the other eagles by turning over and using her talons, but could not fly far away. 

She was transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for care, where she was diagnosed with severe anemia. Her anemia worsened during the first week of August, the Ojai Raptor Center said that she was in unstable condition on August 9. Her packed cell volume (PCV) fell below six percent, before rising to nine percent.  

Jackie’s resilience inspired millions of people around the world. 

To honor Jackie’s memory, FOBBV accepts donations to support its conservation efforts in the area.  You can help the rescue organization nursing Jackie back to health by donating to Ojai Raptor Center’s Bald Eagle Recovery Campaign. 

Cards can be mailed to:

Ojai Raptor Center

Attn: Patient 26-519

P.O. Box 182

Oak View, CA 93022

This is a developing story and we will continue to share updates from The Ojai Raptor Center and Friends of Big Bear Valley as they become available.

The post Jackie the bald eagle dead at 14 appeared first on Popular Science.

The famed hydrothermal vents and geysers found across Yellowstone National Park are impressive, but best admired at a distance. All that bubbly water isn’t carbonation, after all. A hot spring regularly reaches boiling temperatures, and their eruptions can launch scalding plumes dozens of feet into the air.

Despite these dangers, Yellowstone oversees approximately 15 miles of walkways around its famous natural attractions. But how are these routes planned, constructed, and maintained to keep the national park’s millions of annual visitors both in awe and safe? To showcase the process, Yellowstone recently shared a brief video to social media that offers a rundown of its lengthy boardwalks.

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While the paths are all built by hand, mapping the routes requires a lot of preparation work. Park geologists rely on thermal cameras to identify particularly hot areas, which construction crews then avoid as they lay out new paths. However, it’s not only Yellowstone’s human visitors that need to be kept safe. Botanists also survey proposed paths to make sure any rare native plants remain undisturbed and free from damage during construction. Then there are hidden subjects to consider. Archaeologists examine routes for any ancient artifacts or historic remains buried underground, then adjust plans accordingly.

The final results are reliable boardwalks that let you get close—but not too close—to Yellowstone’s hydrothermal hotspots while also keeping the region’s native ecosystem and history intact. For more tips, be sure to check out the park’s safety website.

The post How Yellowstone builds boardwalks beside piping hot thermal pools appeared first on Popular Science.

Government organizations and landowners across Texas are teaming up to help a tiny rodent that is at risk of extinction. Meet the Lone Star State’s own kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator).

There are 23 species of kangaroo rat in North America, and the Texas kangaroo rat calls the state’s west-central Rolling Plains region home. While the small nocturnal creature looks nothing like a kangaroo, it likes to hop on its hind legs, hence the name. Texas kangaroo rats weigh up to 4.5 ounces and can reach up to to 13.75 inches in length, though that number mostly comes from their long tails, which make up more than half their size. 

Unfortunately, this adorable creature is under threat, largely because of habitat loss and degradation. The species’ preferred habitat—short grasses interspersed with minimal woody cover—depends on periodic disturbances to keep the grass at the right length. The historical removal of American bison (Bison bison)and the eradication of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), as well as fire repression, have reduced the natural disturbances that provide the species with a suitable habitat. At the same time, its native range has been destroyed in favor of crop fields, further decimating its habitat. 

The Texas kangaroo rat next to its burrow opening in its natural environment. Image: Joseph Veech/Texas State University via USFWS.

In 2022 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) proposed a voluntary agreement to incentivize private landowners to help conserve the rat. As part of the Conservation Benefit Agreement, landowners within the animal’s historical range collaborate with federal and state governments to protect the species and its habitat. 

“The beauty of management for the Texas kangaroo rat is that the actions that it requires are already compatible with [cattle] ranching and most of the land uses you see in this region,”  Darren Proppe, a biologist at the TPWD, said in a statement. “In fact, having cattle on land can be beneficial because it maintains areas of bare ground and sparse cover that are utilized by the Texas kangaroo rat.” 

According to the TPWD, the agreement promotes good land ownership through “prescribed grazing, prescribed fire, range planting and reseeding, and brush management.” Land owners can tailor the practices they’ll use to their needs, while protecting this species. 

“This little species has been hanging on for a long time and now it finally has a team in its corner,” added Jennifer Khan, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. “By working together, we can give the Texas kangaroo rat a real shot at recovery.”

The post The cute, tiny Texas kangaroo rat needs help appeared first on Popular Science.

Dragon enthusiasts may have to wait upwards of two years for the platinum-haired Targaryens and their fire-breathing pets on House of the Dragon to return, but real reptile enthusiasts have a new real-life lizard to get excited about. Recently discovered in the high mountain forests of western Thailand, Acanthosaura syrax is named after Syrax, aka Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s dragon on the HBO show. The new dragon-inspired lizard is described in a study recently published in the journal ZooKeys.

A. syrax brings the number of known Acanthosaura lizards up to 23. It is part of a group called mountain horned dragons with spiny crests along their necks and backs. It lives in the evergreen forests of Mae Wong National Park at elevations above 4,265 feet, and does not appear to exist anywhere else. 

The team led by Poramad Trivalairat and colleagues from Chulabhorn Royal Academy and Kasetsart University chose this fantasy-related name deliberately. In House of the Dragon and the book it is based on (Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin), Syrax is known for striking yellow coloring, comparatively modest size next to the other Targaryen dragons, and for laying an unusually large number of eggs.

Adult male holotype of the newly described Acanthosaura syrax from Mae Wong District, Kampheang Phet Province, Thailand. Image: Trivalairat et al., 2026.

A. syrax has all three of these qualities. It has yellowish-green tones, is one of the smallest members of the Acanthosaura genus, and lays notably large clutches of eggs for a lizard of its size. The team proposed “Syrax mountain horned dragon” as its common English name, alongside a Thai name that translates the same way.

This lizard also stands out for having the smallest neck and back crest scales recorded anywhere in the genus, and an overall small body size. A. syrax also does not have a black patch around its eye like several of its related species do. It also has a distinctive dark collar marking. A DNA analysis of two genes confirmed that A. syrax is genetically distinct from its closest relative, Acanthosaura lepidogaster, and from the other known species in the group.

The team only observed A. syrax in a narrow band of high-altitude forest, and its populations are naturally scattered around due to the mountain ranges’ rugged terrain. This fragmentation leaves it vulnerable if its habitat comes under more pressure from humans.  The team is calling for stronger environmental protection of Mae Wong’s high-elevation forests, suggesting that this new lizard could be a flagship species for the area, along with the Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys), Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), and other rare wildlife only found living at these heights.

The post New lizard named after colorful ‘House of the Dragon’ character appeared first on Popular Science.

The Pure Oil Gas Station just southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio, can’t top off the tank for roadtrippers—but it does offer something else that’s at least worth a pitstop. The American Cardboard Boat Museum is a nearly 20-year-old local institution dedicated to documenting decades’ of experimental vessels built from the ubiquitous material.

“Over the last 19 years, we probably have over 40 boats or parts of boats displayed in the museum,” co-founder Angie Jetter tells Popular Science.

Entrants are allowed to decorate their boats however they want, as long as it doesn’t add to the floatation. Credit: Cardboard Boat Museum

The roadside attraction in the town of New Richmond appropriately overlooks the banks of the Ohio River. The museum’s first cardboard boat was launched into that same river in 1992, but locals quickly expanded the project into an annual regatta that now draws people—and cardboard sailors—from around the United States 

The main event is a 200-yard race along the river, with awards doled out to the fastest boats and most creative designs. There’s even a “Titanic Award” for the most dramatic sinking. The only major criteria for entry is that each design must only use cardboard, tape, and paint. That said, there is a separate mechanical category for builders who want to use additional materials for propulsion and steering, so long as it remains human-powered.

The museum contains roughly 40 boats collected over the years. Credit: Cardboard Boat Museum

The museum itself is overseen by Ed and Tom Lemon, Timmy Young, and Ken Smith, who also build and repair their own boats. The most well-constructed vessels often return to multiple regattas, with one boat estimated to be around 16 years old. 

By 2007, the museum’s organizers were running out of space to store their boats off-season, which led to taking over the former gas station.

Some boats can include mechanical additions. Credit: Cardboard Boat Museum

The Cardboard Boat Regatta takes place every July 4th, so while this year’s celebration is in the books, there’s still plenty of time for boat builders to start working on something for next summer. The museum’s co-founders even have some tips for newcomers.

“Tape every little hole you see, and put about five coats of paint on it,” Jetter said.

The post Ohio’s Cardboard Boat Museum is a tribute to improbable homemade vessels appeared first on Popular Science.

Spend any time with a dog, and it’s clear many have a remarkable ability to understand how we’re feeling. But while there are endless anecdotes of empathetic dogs coming to comfort us when we’re sad and barking happily when we’re feeling good, actual hard scientific evidence of the extent to which dogs really understand human emotion is surprisingly thin on the ground. This is because ultimately, we can never know what it’s like to be a dog—and sadly, we can’t just ask them. In the famous words of British veterinarian and author James Alfred Wight (better known by his pen name James Herriot): if only they could talk.

Nevertheless, scientists are slowly developing a more sophisticated understanding of the ways that dogs relate to us. Multiple recent studies  have provided strong evidence that dogs can respond to human facial cues and distinguish between human facial expressions. Now, a study, published today in the journal iScience, has found evidence that dogs appear to be able to make such distinctions on a more sophisticated level than simply understanding “positive” or “negative”.

“Previous behavioral studies [in dogs] have compared faces expressing a negative emotion with faces expressing a positive emotion,” study co-author and psychologist Laura Verónica Cuaya-Retana from Mexico’s National Autonomous University, explains to Popular Science.

Trained pet dogs remained awake during fMRI scans as researchers measured their brain activity while they viewed images of human faces expressing happiness, anger, fear, and sadness. This dog’s name is Kun-kun. Image: Laura V. Cuaya.

This study takes our understanding of how well canines interpret our emotions a step further than comparing the differing nature of how a dog’s brain responds to witnessing positive and negative emotions in humans. It also examines whether seeing differing emotions within those categories elicited different cerebral responses.

To carry out the research, the team placed eight different dogs within a fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machine. For the record, these were very, very good dogs.

 “The dogs participated awake, unrestrained, and remained still voluntarily in the fMRI scanner after gradual training,” Cuaya-Retana says. “The study was possible thanks to [the dogs’] cooperation and that of their families.”

While in the fMRI machine, the dogs were shown photos of the same person expressing three negative emotions—fear, anger and sadness—as well as one positive emotion, happiness. The researchers then examined activity in the animals’ brains in response to each image. 

They found that anger, fear, and sadness appeared to stimulate different areas of the dogs’ brains. Interestingly, while the dogs displayed differing responses to fear and anger, and to fear and sadness, they did not seem able to differentiate anger and sadness. 

“This is the first evidence in general that the dog brain can distinguish between some human facial expressions within the same [category]. This suggests more detailed processing [than simply positive or negative],” Cuaya-Retana explains. 

Familiarity also appears to be a key factor in a dog’s understanding of human emotional cues. For this reason, the team showed the dogs images of strangers. 

“We do know that experience influences dogs’ ability to discriminate emotions, and that familiarity is highly relevant to how the dog brain processes faces,” says Cuaya-Retana. “For this reason, we presented faces of strangers, allowing us to test whether brain responses differed according to facial expression rather than familiarity.”

According to the team, these robust results are particularly striking because, like humans, dogs take their cues from many sources in addition to facial expressions. 

“The dogs viewed static images of unfamiliar people, without voices, body movements, odors, or context…  [and] even under these restricted conditions, we found a robust brain representation of happy faces and evidence that some negative expressions were processed differently,” Cuaya-Retana says.

The results provide a tantalizing suggestion that our canine companions can identify our expressions for what they are—that their understanding seems to be more along the lines of, “This human is smiling, so they are in a positive emotional state,” than, “This human’s emotional state appears more happy than it was five minutes ago.” 

However, Cuaya-Retana cautions against anthropomorphizing these findings since we can’t truly access a dog’s subjective experience.

Odin and Kun-kun observing their own brain scans in the lab. Image: Laura V. Cuaya

 “Our results suggest that dogs’ brains can differentiate between some facial expressions as distinct categories, rather than merely detecting that one expression is more positive or negative than another,” she explains. “The evidence goes beyond dogs simply detecting whether their caregiver is pleased or displeased with them. Still, we cannot conclude that dogs understand/experience emotions in the same conceptual way that humans do.”

Using three negative emotions and one positive one also raises an interesting question. Is it reasonable to expect that the same sorts of results would arise from multiple positive expressions? Cuaya-Retana says, “Yes, … but it still needs to be tested.” 

While the nature of dogs’ understanding of our emotions is fascinating in and of itself, Cuaya-Retana suggests this study could also help us understand the development of our own responses to emotional cues. “Studying the dog brain can also help us understand the evolution of social brain networks,” she says. “Humans and dogs are evolutionarily distant species with very different brains, yet both are sensitive to human emotional signals. Comparing how each species processes these cues can reveal which neural solutions evolved independently and which may reflect more general principles of social cognition.”

There’s also one final unanswered question here.  Cuaya-Retana says that dogs may take their cues more from non-visual sources. The most obvious cue is scent. While humans are visual creatures, relying first and foremost on our eyesight to understand the world, dogs rely on their peerless sense of smell. 

Expanding research beyond visual cues is therefore one possible future direction for research.

“Future studies could include active tasks in which dogs respond to emotional cues, allowing us to connect brain activity with what they perceive, learn, and choose to do,” Cuaya-Retana says.  “It would also be valuable to use more naturalistic and multimodal stimuli, and to incorporate the dogs’ perspective into the experimental design.”

The post Dogs can tell if you’re angry, scared, or sad appeared first on Popular Science.

Cold, snow, and lots of ice: these are the ingredients that come to mind when thinking about penguins. But not all penguins are made the same. Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) enjoy Peru and Chile’s dry and hot shorelines. 

Recently, one of these seaside desert penguins hatched into this world far from its natural home. The chick was born at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, in association with a breeding program called the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan. The initiative is devoted to safeguarding a healthy population of the species. 

“We are eggstatic to announce the arrival of a new Humboldt penguin chick!” the zoo wrote in a statement. 

The furry, grey chick is a female and the first chick born to parents Merlin and Tucker. The still-to-be-named chick is still in a nesting burrow, where her parents are taking care of her. Humboldt penguins are one of nature’s examples of coparenting, where both participate in incubation responsibilities as well as in daily chick care. Their pairing was recommended by the Humboldt Penguin Species Survival Plan. 

Still, the zoo’s staff are keeping an eye on the new arrival, weighing her every so often to make sure she’s growing properly. Eventually she’ll catch up with Woodland Park Zoo’s colony in the outdoor habitat, bringing the colony to 34 individuals. 

The baby penguin is Merlin and Tucker’s first chick. Image: Woodland Park Zoo.

These penguins are strong swimmers that can swim up to 20 miles per hour. They live on coastal islands or on rocky shores along the mainland, where they come together in large colonies. However, threats including habitat loss, overfishing, and climate change are bringing down their numbers. The IUCN Red List classifies the species as vulnerable, with 23,800 mature individuals in existence. 

“Woodland Park Zoo has one of the most successful Humboldt penguin breeding programs in North America,” the zoo said. “Since the zoo’s first breeding season in 2010, a year after the new penguin habitat opened, the zoo has successfully raised 98 chicks.”

Here’s to hoping the Humboldt penguin chick will one day also become a waddleful parent.

The post New ‘desert’ penguin chick arrives in Seattle appeared first on Popular Science.

A moth’s wings do much more than help these pollinating insects fly. Their powdery look comes from tiny scales made of sensitive hairs that help moths stay stable in the air, thermoregulate, and taste sweet and bitter molecules. Now, a study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology found that in tobacco hawkmoths (Manduca sexta), they can even help the insects smell. 

A team of scientists in Germany initially suspected that moth wings may be able to detect certain aromas based on earlier research. 

“The tobacco hawkmoth was recently found to have receptor proteins in its wings that could detect different smells and tastes,” study co-author Sonja Bisch-Knaden, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, explained in a statement. 

To begin their study, the team gently clipped the edges of the moth’s wings and sprayed them with a gold mist. Then, they took a closer look at the tiny hairs on the wings, using a scanning electron microscope and found that some of them were porous—a hallmark sign of scent sensors. Then, they spent months conducting an analysis that revealed the wings have the genes for odor receptors. 

To confirm that the moths could actually sensor odors with their wings, the researchers used a technique called electrowingography. They placed cut out wings between two electrodes and recorded how they responded to different odor molecules. The wings only picked up two odors—pyrrolidine and piperidine, a pair of stinky organic compounds called amines that are found in the leaves of nightshade plants. 

What’s more, the wings could still pick up the scents with their edges trimmed off. “This suggests that the moth has special sensory hairs across its wings, not just along the edges, that can smell those odors,” said Bisch-Knaden. 

As a final test, the researchers used artificial intelligence to predict the structures of ten candidate odor receptors and see whether pyrrolidine and piperidine fit into their binding pocket. Both of the malodorous molecules fit neatly into two of the candidates, confirming that the wings have a sense of smell. 

There’s still a lot the scientists don’t know about these sniffing wings, including how they impact moth behavior. Tobacco hawkmoths like to lay their eggs on nightshade, so it’s possible that they use their wings to guide them towards the plants. 

The post These furry moths smell with their wings appeared first on Popular Science.

For decades, the prehistoric Hohle Fels cave in Germany has been a treasure trove for archeologists. Excavations have unearthed ancient musical instruments, jewelry, and even the world’s oldest human figurine. Now, scientists have discovered  artefacts that show our relationship with birds goes back thousands of years: a pair of thumbnail-sized bird figurines carved from mammoth ivory. 

The two birds were found in 2025, in layers dating back some 40,000 years to the Aurignacian period, which represents some of the earliest known culture in Europe. 

“The figurines demonstrate that the earliest artists were skilled ivory-carvers, who could depict delicate motifs in miniature form,” Nicholas Conard, an archeologist at the University of Tübingen who led the excavation, said in a statement. 

Depiction of a lying bird from the Ice Age site of Hohle Fels. Image: University of Tübingen

They were discovered less than five feet away from each other, which suggests they may have been carved by the same artist. The birds are extremely small, each measuring less than half an inch. Usually, figurines from this period measure between one to four inches. One of the figurines is complete and depicts what the researchers believe may be a brooding bird, while the incomplete one depicts a bird with outstretched wings that may be in flight or landing. 

“The carvings are not highly stylized but instead include many specific and unique features,” Conard added. “Here, the artist has recorded detailed observations that allow us to consider which kind of bird is represented and what the bird could be doing.” 

For instance, the bird with spread wings could be flying, landing, or mid-courtship. 

The researchers believe one of the birds may be a ptarmigan, a bird in the grouse family that is often seen in artefacts from Hohle Fels and is still living today. The other bird could also be a ptarmigan, but it’s also possible that it’s another bird in the grouse family or a bird of prey. Whatever they may be, the figurines offer a window into not just the natural world at the time, but also how our ancestors interacted with it. 

Depiction of a bird with outstretched wings from the site of Hohle Fels Cave. Image: University of Tübingen.

“Our region and landscape have always been the home of a vast range of birds, and nearby Lake Schmiechen is today a bird sanctuary,” added Stefanie Kölbl, the managing director of the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art in Blaubeuren. “Even 40,000 years ago birds were here. Their song filled the air, and some species came to the region in the course of annual migrations. Their calls signaled warnings, and the residents of the region often used their hollow bones and even mammoth ivory to make flutes that produced magical sounds.”

Despite their tiny size, the figurines also raise many questions, including what meaning they may have held for the cave’s residents. Were they personal talismans? Could they be symbols of  identity for specific groups like a sigil? Perhaps the cave has more answers waiting to be uncovered. 

If you happen to be in Germany soon, the figurines will be on display at the Museum of Prehistory and Ice Age Art in Blaubeuren until April 2027. 

The post Ice Age bird figurines discovered in German cave appeared first on Popular Science.

Jackie the internet-famous bald eagle mom is still in critical condition, according to the latest update from the Ojai Raptor Center. She remains in intensive care, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring by the staff. 

“Her blood values have declined again, with her packed cell volume (PCV) falling below 10 percent, and her condition remains critical,” the center shares.

The contrast CT scan and bone marrow biopsy she had earlier in the week have also given the team important new information, while the results of additional specialized testing is still pending. 

“Every decision we make is guided first and foremost by her medical condition, her welfare, and what is truly in her best interest,” they write.

A team from the Ojai Raptor Center taking care of Jackie. Image: Ojai Raptor Center.

Jackie was admitted about three weeks ago, after she was found injured on the ground near Dana Point Park on July 17. Cell phone video from a witness confirmed that she had an altercation with two other subadult eagles. She successfully fended off the other eagles by turning over and using her talons, but could not fly far away. She has since been diagnosed with anemia, and been under the Ojai Raptor Center’s care ever since.

This is a developing story and we will continue to share updates as they become available from the Ojai Raptor Center and Friends of Big Bear Valley’s (FOBBV) official channels.

Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 babies: Everything you need to know

It’s been another roller coaster nesting season for Jackie and Shadow, a pair of internet-famous bald eagle parents living in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. After two of their eggs were destroyed by ravens in January, Jackie and Shadow laid two new eggs that have successfully hatched.

Chick 1 hatched on April 4 at 9:33 p.m. PDT, while Chick 2 followed on April 5 at 8:30 a.m. Their large nest in Big Bear Valley east of Los Angeles is livestreamed 24 hours a day by nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) and has captivated millions. 

On May 1, FOBBV announced the chicks’ names: Sandy and Luna.

How long will the chicks stay in the nest? 

Chicks usually stay in the nest until 10 to 14 weeks of age. Sandy and Luna were last spotted at the nest on July 23 and have likely left the area on what FOBBV calls their “grand journey.”

What challenges do the eaglets face?

Before leaving the nest, the chicks face threats from other birds of prey, including hawks, ravens, other eagles, and owls. Inclement weather can also present challenges for the chicks. In 2025, a March snowstorm resulted in the death of one of Jackie and Shadow’s three chicks.

During fledging, only 70 percent of eaglets survive. One of the greatest threats is from cars that can injure or kill the birds while they scavenge for food on roadkill. 

Who are Jackie and Shadow? 

The pair first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. However, their eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. Only 50 percent of eagle eggs successfully hatch, so this pair has already beaten the odds.

What happened to Jackie and Shadow’s 2025 eaglets?

In 2025, Jackie laid three eggs that all hatched in early March. On March 13, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong winds. Only two of the chicks were visible on the live cam when the storm passed by the next morning. FOBBV later confirmed the passing of one of the chicks. The two surviving chicks were later named Sunny and Gizmo after 54,000 names were submitted by fans.

What happens after chicks fledge? 

Young eagles usually fledge–or leave the nest and fly–when they can flatten their wings and have feathers capable of flight. This typically occurs when the birds hit 10 to 14 weeks of age. Males also tend to take their first flight a little sooner than females. 

According to FOBBV, fledglings from Southern California have been spotted as far south as Baja California, as far north as British Columbia, and as far east as Yellowstone National Park.

About 70 percent of bald eagles survive the fledgling stage. FOBBV does not tag their eagles, so it’s not possible to follow the chicks’ journeys after they flee the nest.

How can I help Jackie and Shadow?

FOBBV accepts donations to support its conservation efforts in the area. The organization recently reached a goal of raising $10 million to purchase land around Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. A $5.5 million donation from Anna and Greg Brockman pushed the fundraiser to its goal ahead of a deadline. Greg Brockman is the co-founder and President of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Before the Brockmans’ donation, more than 25,000 donations had raised almost half of the necessary funds.

You can help the rescue organization nursing Jackie back to health by donating to Ojai Raptor Center’s Bald Eagle Recovery Campaign.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Popular Science’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The post Jackie the bald eagle’s blood values drop again, still in critical condition appeared first on Popular Science.

Voyager 2 recently experienced its own “Big Bang” moment, allowing NASA scientists to squeeze a bit more life out of the intrepid space probe. Nicknamed after the universe’s origin story, the process involved powering off selected devices aboard the cosmic traveler, while simultaneously swapping them with less resource-hungry alternatives. At the same time, mission specialists needed to make sure Voyager 2 stayed warm enough to avoid entering a permanent freeze.

Both Voyager 1 and 2 have spent almost 49 years soaring through space. In the process, they’ve traveled further than any other human-made objects have ever gone before. Initially intended to provide never-before-glimpses of the outer planets, they have surprised researchers by continuing to send back remarkable data while sailing further into the unknown.

The Voyagers each draw power from three radioisotope thermoelectric generators, (RTGs) that use decaying plutonium-238 as fuel. These RTGs supplied about 470 W of energy at 30 volts at the mission’s outset in 1977. Because plutonium has an 87.74-year half-life, this means the spacecraft annually lose around four watts of their power. At this point in their journey, Voyager 1 and 2 are running on about two-thirds their original reserves.

NASA began strategically shuttering nonessential equipment in 2024, including Voyager 2’s plasma science instrument. The technology measured solar winds and planetary magnetospheres, making it largely irrelevant since the probe exited the solar system in 2018. Three instruments are still operational aboard Voyager 2—its magnetometer, plasma wave subsystem, and cosmic ray subsystem.

With the successful implementation of NASA’s “Big Bang” hack, Voyager 2 will save enough power to add another year of life to its remaining trio of programs. Given that Voyager 1 is farther away, engineers will next attempt a similar energy swap in the near future. If all goes as planned, it’s possible that at least one instrument aboard one or both of the historic explorers can continue communicating with humanity into the 2030s.

If nothing else, Voyager 2’s sibling is on track to pass a momentous milestone later this year. On November 18, 2026, Voyager 1 will officially have traveled 16,094,799,096 miles—or one light-day—from Earth. It’s a record distance that many of the spacecraft’s designers never imagined possible, and one that likely won’t be surpassed anytime soon.

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Turtle mothers are stubborn creatures of habit. They usually return to the same nesting area to lay their eggs, even in the face of great obstacles. 

During the spring and summer (aka baby season), it’s not unusual for the New England Wildlife Centers south of Boston to receive calls about turtles and roads, Priya Patel, the center’s Wildlife Medical Director, tells Popular Science. These include turtles trying to cross a road, on a road, or possibly struck by cars. 

“Turtles are on the move as soon as it starts getting warm in the spring,” Patel explains. “They usually tend to brumate [reptilian hibernation] in one spot and then when they come up in the spring, they’ll find their partners, mate, and then they have specific areas where they usually like to lay their eggs every year. And they’ll try to get to that area, no matter what’s in their way.” 

Given their perseverance, it’s unsurprising that turtle mothers will also find their way into backyards. They hide their eggs so expertly, however, that the average person is unlikely to recognize a turtle nest unless they see the mother in action. And even then, many people are unsure of what the turtle is up to. 

“Most people don’t know what they’re doing when they find them. They’ve just seen them in a spot for a long period of time and then they’re worried about them,” she adds. 

Depending on the situation, the wildlife center asks people to either send in pictures or video before disturbing the turtle, unless the turtle is obviously injured. 

Based on photographs, the wildlife center might tell residents to simply leave the turtle alone for the time being, because she could be laying eggs. If the turtle is endangered, however, then it’s good to let someone know. 

By shining a light through the shell, vets can see the developing turtle embryo inside and confirm that the egg is viable. It’s a simple technique that offers a glimpse at the next generation before they hatch. Image: New England Wildlife Center.

“If it’s an endangered species, then we would recommend you report it,” Patel explains. “And then the state or a conservation group like Mass Aubon might come out and flag the nest.”

When the wildlife center does receive an injured pregnant turtle, they do everything in their power to care for her. If she is beyond saving, the team will collect her eggs and incubate them to make sure that at least the babies survive. Even in the case where the mother can be saved, the team will induce egg-laying chemically and incubate the eggs so that the mother can focus all of her energy on healing. 

If you come across a turtle during baby season that you’re worried about, reach out to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or a local wildlife center.And make sure to have your camera on you. Photographs or a video could help experts decide what you should do next. That next action might consist of simply appreciating—from a distance—a committed mama hard at work. 

The post What to do if you find a baby turtle appeared first on Popular Science.

Archaeologists in western Turkey recently discovered a detailed account of 1,600-year-old tax fraud so brazen that ancient Rome made it a deadly offense. Initially believed to be funerary ode inscriptions, the Late Antiquity stone tablets actually provide vital missing information in a notably widespread corruption case that spanned more than a decade—and even implicated the estate of Emperor Valentinian III’s daughter, Placidia.

The artifacts found at the ruins of Stratonikeia in western Turkey relate to a financial case documented on similar stones studied by researchers since the 18th century. Around 465 CE, Roman officials began receiving complaints about tax officials operating in western Asia Minor who were reportedly issuing payment receipts without actually recording the specific totals. They then related lower numbers to the imperial treasury in Constantinople and pocket the excess money.

Despite the flagrant issue, it would take around 15 years for Rome to enact effective reforms. But in 480 CE, a Praetorian Prefect known as Flavius Illus Pusaeus Dionysius finally managed to clamp down on the problem. To ensure an end to the corruption, Dionysius threatened to strip the estate from his special envoy sent to handle the situation unless it was handled. He also issued a much more intense declaration to the suspected fraudsters. Anyone convicted of the scheme would be put to death.

As Arkeonews recently noted, Rome sent at least 11 other imperial orders between the 4th and 6th centuries about properly issue tax receipts, but none mentioned capital punishment. According to University of Warsaw historian Paweł Nowakowski, the decision to dramatically up the consequences for fraud was likely motivated by more than lost money.

“It’s less about the scale of the offense and more about defying imperial will: a kind of rebellion or affront to the emperor’s authority,” he said. “That may be why we see such a severe punishment for officials abusing the imperial family’s estate.”

Nowakowski also suggested the new death penalty was more rhetorical than actionable. He cited other Roman dictates that sometimes mentioned intense penalties to highlight the seriousness of the matter, without any evidence of someone receiving the punishment.

Nevertheless, the decree’s intensity appeared to work. Rome didn’t have a habit of distributing public stone inscriptions across the empire unless the message was received by locals.

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People looking to buy or rent a new home expect to get a good look at the place before writing out a check. Online listing makes this easier with room by room photos, and, in some cases, even remote tours conducted through virtual reality headset. But it turns out these virtual real estate walk-throughs go back much further than expected. A new study published in the journal Early Popular Visual Culture, found examples of a fancy London real estate firm offering proto-virtual walk-throughs of property listings dating back as early as the 1830s. 

Their virtual medium of choice was the cosmorama: a gallery where a wealthy buyer could look through a lens and see a magnified, illuminated painting of a property and its surrounding grounds. Though cosmoramas, like their better-known peepshow cousins, were widely used as a form of 19th-century visual entertainment, this is one of the first known examples of the technology being used for a commercial real estate application.

“What we’ve discovered through this latest research project, however, is that its use extended beyond simple entertainment: the appeal of cosmoramas was that they sold an experience of virtual travel,” John Plunkett, a University of Exeter professor and study co-author, said in a statement. “This was utilised by estate agents seeking to sell luxury properties and country estates.”

A form of visual entertainment, cosmoramas were made of a series of paintings viewed through a magnifying glass. Image: C. Blunt, ‘popular description of the cosmorama’, La Belle Assemblée, nº155, vol. 24, November 1821, 233. Cosmoramas: an early, immersive visual adventure

Historians trace the first cosmorama back to Paris in 1808, though they didn’t really pick up steam until the 1820s. The medium was typically presented indoors, and consisted of a series of detailed paintings viewed through a magnifying lens. Use of the lens enhanced perspective and gave the illusion of greater depth. It was an early way for people to have an “immersive” visual experience.

Cosmoramas took off in popularity as a means of visual entertainment largely across Europe and the Americas. They were a form of escape and virtual travel in an era where getting far from one’s immediate hometown wasn’t common. Viewers looking through the lenses could suddenly find themselves transported across the world to some distant country, or get a glimpse of what life might feel like in someone else’s shoes. And while it’s easy to take for granted today, in a world of abundant Netflix shows and never-ending doomscrolling, cosmoramas were a visual marvel for their time.

Plunkett was researching examples of cosmoramas in 19th-century England when he came across a newspaper clipping advertising something previously unseen. A real estate firm called Brooks and Hedger (later named Brooks and Greens) ran an ad dating to 1838, saying they were offering cosmoramic views of certain property listings for sale. The firm claimed to use the medium to offer hundreds of views of estates, showing an aerial, bird’s-eye view of the house and its adjoining grounds. To pull this off, artists would have had to go to each listing and painstakingly paint the scene by hand. Brooks and Hedger offered the cosmoramic viewings for the better part of 20 years, though most of the adverts Plunkett found date to the 1840s.

One of those newspaper advertisements notes how the cosmorama of the property listing depicts a mansion and its surrounding estate with “all the vividness and truth of nature.” Naturally, given the intense amount of labor needed to make these designs, cosmoramas were reserved for more expensive, higher-end listings.

A newspaper advert for a real estate listing promotes the immersive benefits of a cosmorama. Image: ‘Brooks and Green’, The Patriot, 4 April 1842.

“Its great advantages over mere verbal description, is that a purchaser, intent on visiting a distant property may thus enjoy the advantage of having it brought, as it were, within his view, or of selecting for inspection from amongst many, that which best suits his taste and fortune,” the advertisement reads. 

From cosmoramas to virtual reality

Plunkett says the listings are a reflection of a shifting cultural and economic environment at the time. Urban population growth in England and Europe led to an uptick in property sales throughout the 19th century. Meanwhile, more and more competition for  a shrinking supply of properties, led to the creation of the first specialized real estate agents. With competition growing, these sellers had to get creative to entice the biggest spenders. They didn’t know it at the time, but those real estate agents would help create a standard for listings that endures to this day through iterations of various visual mediums.

“But the founding of the first specialised estate agents set in motion a more professional approach to marketing property, fuelled by population growth, urbanisation and improved transport links,” Plunkett added. “In that context, we can see how Brooks and Green pioneered the virtual tour, over 150 years before digital technology would fully realise this potential.”

In That Time When, Popular Science tells the weirdest, surprising, and little-known stories that shaped science, engineering, and innovation.

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At first glance, this adult male bird looks just like any other piping plover (Charadrius melodus) scurrying around the beach. But he is missing some crucial body parts.

“We’re always looking on the sand for piping plover footprints because they have this really distinctive, three-toed pigeon-toed walk,” Laura Minich Zitske, a wildlife ecologist at Maine Audubon and director of the Coastal Bird Project tells Popular Science. “We first noticed that there were some funny tracks that we couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. And then we saw this guy without any toes, so we’ve been calling him ‘no toes.’”

In July, photos of “no toes” began to spread among birders. They found their way south to Lorraine Margeson in Florida, after Maine biologist Alex Lamoreaux tagged her in a photo on Facebook to see if she knew this particular plover. A retired shorebird biologist and 23-year volunteer with the Florida Shorebird Alliance, she is a well-known force for bird conservation, particularly for piping plovers.

“There’s just no one else that looks like this,” Margeson tells Popular Science. “This is not an injury I’ve ever seen on any bird.” 

Fully named Phoenix the Footless, Margeson first spotted him in January 2023 around Outback Key in Fort De Soto Park southwest of Tampa. The shorebirds spend the fall and winter in Florida and other states along the Gulf Coast, before flying up north towards the Great Lakes, Great Plains, Mid-Atlantic, and New England for summer breeding season. 

Phoenix successfully pulled up prey from the sand. He was also observed defending his feeding territory from other plovers nearby. Its behavior seemed completely normal despite missing all of its toes. Image: Alex Lamoreaux.

“All of the birds are always coming and going. Some stay, some pass through. One day, I see this poor bird that has fishing line around both its feet,” Margeson recalls. “I immediately called our rescue organizations and the park rangers. We made 20 forays over a couple months to try to get the bird and get the line off. And the little bugger would fly off every time.”

After about a month and a half of this wild plover chase, Margeson noticed that the bird’s feet were developing gangrene and turning black. She was preparing to have to catch him so that he could be humanely euthanized, since parts of his feet were already falling off.

“He must have been so miserable,” Margeson says.

Phoenix’s injuries in March 2023. Image: Lorraine Margeson.

However, when she returned to the beach one day, she noticed a bird running around the sand without any feet, just like any other piping plover. Margeson named him Phoenix the Footless after this remarkable recovery. 

Instead of migrating north, Phoenix stayed put in Florida that first year without his feet as the wounds were healing. He is now migrating just like other piping plovers. 

While birds can survive injuries like this one, Minich Zitske says that it is still fairly rare. Fishing line is particularly dangerous for these tiny birds, but even something as small as a human hair can also be troublesome.

“Especially for chicks because once plovers are adults, they’re not moving on their feet quite so much. They’re mobile within hours of hatching, and running all over the beach,” Minich Zitske explains. “We were able to catch a chick that had been entangled in human hair, and one of its legs was getting swollen, but we were able to remove that hair.”

Typically, ornithologists consider it a good sign if a bird is able to fly away, but the risk of infection still looms. Fortunately for Phoenix, the injuries healed and he is continuing about his bird life. He has not had chicks of his own yet, but observers with Maine Audubon say that he is going through the normal motions to try and nest. 

Phoenix spending the winter in Florida (left) and summer in Maine (right). Image: Lorraine Margeson/Alex Lamoreaux.

Some populations of piping plovers are still listed as endangered, while others are considered threatened. Either way, these birds are rebounding thanks to decades of conservation efforts. This year’s piping plover nesting in Maine has been particularly successful. After only 33 nesting pairs were spotted in 2011, a record-breaking 190 piping plover pairs were spotted on Maine’s beaches this season. As of August 7, 342 chicks have already fledged and 9 are still in Maine.

“If we hadn’t seen all those birds, we wouldn’t believe it,” Minich Zitske says.

Birds like Phoenix the Footless also demonstrate how animals can heal and beat the odds without human intervention. Piping plovers are only six-inches-long, but as Margeson puts it, “they are the toughest little shits that ever walked the planet.”

The post Piping plover beats the odds after losing feet in fishing line appeared first on Popular Science.

While internet-famous bald eagle dad Shadow doesn’t have to care for eaglets Sandy and Luna around the clock these days, he still swung by his habitat yesterday. According to Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), he perched on one of his preferred trees over Big Bear Lake for about 45 minutes.

One banded nearly mature eagle joined him for a moment, but Shadow did not appear to be in the mood for company. He left the perch in less than 30 seconds, before that visitor flew in the same direction. Later on that morning, a “very vocal” sub adult eagle showed up on the nest and spent 40 minutes there before flying out. 

“It is not uncommon for visitors to stop by the nest in the off season,” FOBBV writes. “We believe this eagle is too young to be looking for a nest or territory; it is also not the right time of year. We cannot say with any certainty whether this eagle is a male or female or if it is the same sub adult eagle that has been active in the habitat the last few weeks.”

Shadow’s nesting partner Jackie is continuing her recovery in Ojai. Jackie was admitted to the Ojai Raptor Center about three weeks ago. She was found injured on the ground near Dana Point Park on July 17, after an altercation with two other subadult eagles. Cell phone video from a witness confirmed that the adult successfully fended off the other eagles by turning over and using her talons, but could not fly far away. 

She has been diagnosed with anemia and received contrast CT scan, bone marrow biopsy, and other advanced diagnostics earlier this week. 

If you would like to send a thank you card to the care team that is taking care of Jackie 24/7, the Ojai Raptor Center asks well-wishers to send them to the following address:

Ojai Raptor Center

Attn: Patient 26-519

P.O. Box 182

Oak View, CA 93022

This is a developing story and we will continue to share updates as they become available from the Ojai Raptor Center and FOBBV’s official channels. 

Jackie and Shadow’s 2026 babies: Everything you need to know

It’s been another roller coaster nesting season for Jackie and Shadow, a pair of internet-famous bald eagle parents living in San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. After two of their eggs were destroyed by ravens in January, Jackie and Shadow laid two new eggs that have successfully hatched.

Chick 1 hatched on April 4 at 9:33 p.m. PDT, while Chick 2 followed on April 5 at 8:30 a.m. Their large nest in Big Bear Valley east of Los Angeles is livestreamed 24 hours a day by nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) and has captivated millions. 

On May 1, FOBBV announced the chicks’ names: Sandy and Luna.

How long will the chicks stay in the nest?

Chicks usually stay in the nest until 10 to 14 weeks of age. Sandy and Luna were last spotted at the nest on July 23 and have likely left the area on what FOBBV calls their “grand journey.”

What challenges do the eaglets face?

Before leaving the nest, the chicks face threats from other birds of prey, including hawks, ravens, other eagles, and owls. Inclement weather can also present challenges for the chicks. In 2025, a March snowstorm resulted in the death of one of Jackie and Shadow’s three chicks.

During fledging, only 70 percent of eaglets survive. One of the greatest threats is from cars that can injure or kill the birds while they scavenge for food on roadkill. 

Who are Jackie and Shadow? 

The pair first got together in 2018 and successfully raised chicks in 2019 and 2022. However, their eggs failed to hatch in 2023 and 2024. Only 50 percent of eagle eggs successfully hatch, so this pair has already beaten the odds.

What happened to Jackie and Shadow’s 2025 eaglets?

In 2025, Jackie laid three eggs that all hatched in early March. On March 13, a strong snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow and battered the nest with strong winds. Only two of the chicks were visible on the live cam when the storm passed by the next morning. FOBBV later confirmed the passing of one of the chicks. The two surviving chicks were later named Sunny and Gizmo after 54,000 names were submitted by fans.

What happens after chicks fledge? 

Young eagles usually fledge–or leave the nest and fly–when they can flatten their wings and have feathers capable of flight. This typically occurs when the birds hit 10 to 14 weeks of age. Males also tend to take their first flight a little sooner than females. 

According to FOBBV, fledglings from Southern California have been spotted as far south as Baja California, as far north as British Columbia, and as far east as Yellowstone National Park.

About 70 percent of bald eagles survive the fledgling stage. FOBBV does not tag their eagles, so it’s not possible to follow the chicks’ journeys after they flee the nest.

How can I help Jackie and Shadow?

FOBBV accepts donations to support its conservation efforts in the area. The organization recently reached a goal of raising $10 million to purchase land around Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. A $5.5 million donation from Anna and Greg Brockman pushed the fundraiser to its goal ahead of a deadline. Greg Brockman is the co-founder and President of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Before the Brockmans’ donation, more than 25,000 donations had raised almost half of the necessary funds.

You can help the rescue organization nursing Jackie back to health by donating to Ojai Raptor Center’s Bald Eagle Recovery Campaign.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Popular Science’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The post Outside eagle spotted on Jackie and Shadow’s nest appeared first on Popular Science.

We give them names like Otis, Chunk, and Diver. We gamify their annual salmon run (and indulge in some friendly competition ourselves) as we watch them gorge on sockeye salmon during what’s affectionately known as Fat Bear Week. We fall in love with the spring cubs, otherwise known as cubs of the year (COYs), delighting in their silly antics as we watch them grow and learn.

From our safe remove in front of our laptops or phones, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the roly-poly brown bears we’re watching on the Brooks River livecams, a beloved livestream stationed at the Brooks River inside Alaska’s Katmai National Park, aren’t animated characters on a kids’ TV show. But then something happens to remind us that what we are really watching is nature, at its most untamed, uncensored, and—at times—most cruel.

Over the past few weeks, two different mother bears at Brooks River have killed cubs that weren’t their own. Park naturalists believe these mark the first documented cases of female-perpetrated infanticide at Brooks River.

“These situations are challenging, often difficult, and frequently confusing,” Mike Fitz, resident naturalist for Explore.org, the nonprofit that runs Katmai’s live bear cams, said during a livestream discussion park rangers led after the first incident. “We love to celebrate the success of bears with full stomachs and ample body fat. But their ferocity is real, the risks they face are real.”

Even the experts who watch these bears every day admit they’re confused. So what would drive mother bears to kill another’s cub?

The nonprofit Explore.org runs Katmai’s live bear cams at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Video: LIVE Brooks Falls – Katmai National Park, Alaska 2026 | explore.org, Explore Live Nature Cams Unwanted adoptions might fuel mother bears to attack cubs

Although experts don’t have a definitive answer for why these back-to-back infanticides happened, plain aggression doesn’t appear to be the cause. According to Dr. Stephen Stringham, a bear researcher and author whose recent work has focused on bear infanticides, it comes down to something stranger: adoption in the animal kingdom.

Stringham says in cases of bear infanticide, the killings often follow a pattern: cubs from two different mothers end up mingling—playing, wrestling, and otherwise producing some of the adorable footage we watch on livestreams. In doing so, they also start to pick up each other’s scent. If this mingling continues, an unrelated cub can end up nursing, seeking protection, or otherwise drawing on resources meant for the mother bear’s own cubs.

“They can’t tell kids, ‘Go home, go to your mother, I’m tired of you,’” Stringham says. “[These unrelated cubs] are competing with her cubs for her milk and for her attention. It’s not to her advantage as a general rule to allow that to happen.”

Something close to this pattern occurred in the first of the two Brooks River incidents. Bear 806, a mother already caring for two cubs of her own, had allowed an unrelated spring cub to play alongside them. Then she chased the cub down and killed it.

Making it stranger still is the fact that just months earlier, Bear 806 had taken in a cub that wasn’t biologically hers: a cub known as Biggie, who’d been abandoned in the spring by his mother. The same maternal instinct that led her to adopt one unrelated cub didn’t extend to another.

“It’s not fully known,” Stringham says, of what actually tips the balance between adoption and infanticide, triggering a bear to attack a cub she had previously tolerated. 

Bear 806 seen on the bear cam after attacking the young cub. Image: Explore.org

The second incident, involving an unidentified mother bear attacker, occurred away from the cameras, downstream from where the park’s cams are stationed. However, the infanticide was documented by a park visitor and confirmed by rangers. Jolly, a six-year-old bear known to rangers, was identified as the victim’s mother. She was later seen in the area where her cub had been killed, appearing to search for the cub.

Dominance may play a role in infanticides

Stringham’s research offers another clue into these infanticides: the possibility that the relationship between the victim cub’s mother and the attacker may play a role.

“In the cases where we’ve been able to distinguish there was a difference in rank, it’s always been [the bear] that was acting in a more dominant fashion,” Stringham says, meaning that the more dominant bear is often the one that ends up killing the other mother’s cub. “I’m not talking about there being a long history of Bear A always dominating Bear B, but that there’s been a general tendency in that direction.” Whether or not this was the case in either of the Brooks River incidents has not been confirmed. 

Food scarcity might lead to similar bear/cub attacks

Stringham added that competition over food is unlikely to have been a driver in these specific attacks, but could potentially fuel other mother bears to kill another mother’s cubs. During times of scarcity, mother bears might become increasingly intolerant of adopted cubs intermingling with their own.

“When you’ve got several different litters out there simultaneously, there’s a much higher chance that cubs are going to intermingle with each other and start smelling like each other,” he says. “And if there’s lots of fish, the females may tolerate that. But when they choose to leave the falls, and certainly when fish get scarce, things might get a little more dicey.” When the food supply dwindles, mother bears look out for their own. 

Nevertheless, Stringham is not certain whether that was the case in these specific incidents.

“That would be pure speculation,” he says. 

Bear 335 seen with her three cubs in July 2026. Image: Explore.org When something runs from a bear, predator instinct kicks in

Rangers did observe one other factor in the case of Bear 806: the cub ran when it saw the mother bear, which may have caused the situation to suddenly escalate into a predatory chase behavior. This echoes the advice rangers give to humans: Don’t run from a bear. Though Stringham notes, cubs run constantly during play without triggering an attack from their own mothers.

Bears, however, don’t operate on human logic, which is why Katmai rangers are quick to remind livestream viewers not to judge these animals using our own morality.

“We shouldn’t villainize a bear because they killed another bear. We shouldn’t blame a bear because she wasn’t able to protect her cub,” Christine Loberg, a Katmai ranger, said during the discussion.

For Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce, the upsetting event is a useful reminder to the rest of us: that even from our comfortable vantage points in front of our screens, we’re not as detached from the harsh realities of nature as we might think.

“I constantly have to remind myself that I too am a part of this wild planet,” she said. “This happening on bear cam is not separate from me also living on this earth. This is just kind of what it means to kind of be alive.”

In Ask Us Anything, Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.

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A small natural history museum in New Hampshire has a colorful new visitor: a blue lobster. This unique creature certainly had a long journey to its current home. He was captured by commercial fishermen in New Bedford, Massachusetts, sent up to Maine, and then down to New Hampshire. The crustacean was then donated to Explore the Ocean World, a hands-on museum in Hampton Beach. 

Ellen Goethel, Explore the Ocean World’s owner and curator tells Popular Science he is currently acclimating in his new tank. “He’s a beautiful lobster,” she says.

Researchers estimate that blue lobsters like this one are about 1 in 2 million. 

This unique crustacean will spend the summer at Explore the Ocean World in New Hampshire. Image: Ellen Goethel/ Explore the Ocean World. Why are some lobsters so colorful?

American lobsters (Homarus americanus) are usually a greenish-brown color, to help them blend in with the rocky seafloor. They get their color from a red-orange pigment called astaxanthin. When astaxanthin binds to proteins in the shell—including a blue-colored protein called crustacyanin—its color shifts, producing a lobster’s familiar hue. 

But some lobsters end up more colorful. Rare genetic mutations can alter the amount of crustacyanin or how it interacts with astaxanthin, producing a striking blue shell. Other colors include half-orange half-black, cotton candy, or even calico patterns. A lobster’s diet can also impact its shell color. For example, individuals that only eat small fish rather than shrimp and crabs get less astaxanthin, which can affect their coloration.

The chance of finding a blue lobster like this one is about 1 in 2 million. As for the other colors, the chance of finding a red lobster is 1 in 10 million, split-colored is 1 in 50 million, and albino and cotton candy are 1 in 100 million.

This particular lobster was caught near New Bedford, Massachusetts. Image: Ellen Goethel/ Explore the Ocean World. Winning the lobster lottery

Come Labor Day, this particular blue lobster will once again be on the move. Goethel says the  museum will shut down its tanks, and return all of its animals to the ocean. 

Before they’re released, each of the museum’s multicolored lobsters will be fitted with a tag so that the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department can monitor it. This way, if one turns up in a fisher’s trap, the fisher can call the department and report where it was caught, so researchers can track its migration patterns. Then, the lobster can be set free once more. 

“They kind of won the lottery,” says Goethel. “All of the lobsters that we have have a little extra safety measured into their lives.” 

The post Rare blue lobster gets another shot at life in the ocean appeared first on Popular Science.

Polyvinyl chloride, better known as PVC, is most frequently found in pipes, credit cards, plastic bottles, electrical cable insulation, and other everyday items. PVC demand is high, too, with around 40 million tons of the material produced every year. It’s also one of the most difficult plastics to recycle, thanks to its additives and high chlorine content, meaning the vast majority of PVC winds up in landfills.

Researchers say they have finally found a way to convert the serious ecological issue into something equally useful and far less harmful. According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, PVC can now be broken down and repurposed as a key ingredient for industrial lubricants.

“Number one, we have proved that it is feasible to use plastic waste to make high-performance lubricants,” Guioliang “Greg” Liu, a chemical engineer at Virginia Tech and study co-author, said in a statement. “Number two, these lubricants are green, and they can meet the emerging needs for sustainability by the market.”

Graduate student Adrian DiMarco prepares a sample of engine oil created from upcycled plastic waste in Greg Liu’s lab. Credit: Luke Hayes / Virginia Tech

To transform PVC, Liu’s team places the plastic into a solvent along with chemical compounds like aluminum trichloride and alpha-olefins. That combination is then heated for three hours at 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The end result is a substantially thick oil, aka a lubricant.

Liu said the idea came to his team because PVC is one of the most easily activated types of polyethylene. Theoretically, this means that the plastic should be easily convertible into other, more useful molecules after replacing their chlorine atoms. However, initial trials fell short of their goal. The resulting PVC goop was too soft, gooey, and unable to withstand the high performance needs of existing industrial lubricants.

“One day I realized—if this polymer is so gooey and so soft, why don’t I just keep breaking the polymer chains down to smaller segments that mimic lubricants?” Liu recalled.

After additional refinement, this new end product is a comparatively eco-friendly oil that may find its way into the next generation of industrial lubricants. Moving forward, the team is now working to make their invention even more sustainable, scalable, and affordable for general use.

“Lubricants are the silent hero out there. We often don’t recognize they exist, but they are out there working quietly,” said Liu.

The post Hard-to-recycle PVC turned into sustainable lubricant appeared first on Popular Science.

A team of engineers created new, Blade Runner-esque eyewear that gives wearers a glimpse into the hidden world of infrared light. 

Though it’s literally all around us, humans can’t naturally perceive infrared. Each tiny infrared photon does not have enough energy to trigger the light-sensing cells in our retinas. To work around this biological limit, a team from the Beijing Institute of Technology built a system that captures infrared light and converts it into electrical charges. The charges are then funneled into an OLED- layer (like those used in some laptops and monitors) built directly into the glasses’ transparent lens. Once converted, the process turns infrared into light human eyes can actually see. 

Previous conversion efforts represented all infrared light as a single color. These glasses can pinpoint different infrared wavelengths and represent them as varying hues of red and cyan (yellow), all while still letting natural visible light pass through. The end result is a pair of glasses that let the user simultaneously see infrared wavelengths next to ordinary visible light through one lens.

The researchers aren’t subtle about the perceived impact of the device. They refer to this new ability to see infrared vision as a “paradigm shift,” and a step towards surpassing our evolutionary biology. What that actually means for everyday people in more practical applications, however, is still less clear. 

“By surpassing the evolutionary boundaries of biological photoreception, this technology paves the way for next-generation visual prosthetics, high-fidelity augmented reality, molecularly sensitive substance identification, and robust navigation in degraded visual environments,” the team writes in the paper. 

Their findings were published last week in the journal Science Advances. 

The infrared-to-full-color upconverter is applied as (A) the wearable eyeglass and (B) the new-generation retinal photoreceptor. Image: Fu et al. 2026 ‘Science Advances.’
Humanity’s lackluster eyesight 

When it comes to light perception, humans are pretty limited compared to many other animals. Rattlesnakes, vampire bats, and certain beetles and all perceive infrared waves. Bees and birds likewise have the ability to perceive ultraviolet light. Humans can’t do either. In fact, our eyes are limited to wavelengths somewhere between 400 to 700 nanometers, which means we can only see somewhere less than one hundredth of a percent of the total electromagnetic spectrum. As a result, the researchers say that humans are “inherently blind to infrared radiation.” 

But what humans may lack in eyesight, they can make up for in ingenuity. To convert infrared, the team used tiny engineered particles called mercury telluride colloidal quantum dots. These particles are capable of absorbing infrared photons. That absorbed light was then funneled into a light-emitting OLED layer with two separate color channels: a red layer that lights up first, and a cyan layer that only gets triggered once the red layer is overwhelmed by a stronger or shorter-wavelength signal. Weaker, longer-wave infrared light results in a red image, while stronger, shorter-wavelength infrared light produces a red-cyan mixture.

That conversion system was then fitted into a pair of lightweight, 23-gram (about half an ounce) eyeglasses. In testing, researchers shone infrared light onto various shapes and moving objects. The glasses then rendered that infrared in shades of red or a red-cyan mixture, overlaid on top of a normal field of visible light. 

Infrared visualization wearable eyeglass displaying infrared intensity-controlled emitted color and luminance variation. Image: Fu et al. 2026 ‘Science Advances.’

The glasses achieved their scientific goal, but they likely won’t be seen on any runways anytime soon. Their flimsy frame is made of a strip of beige plastic, with the display covering only one eye. The final product looks something like a cross between a low-budget Cyberpunk eyepiece and the disposable 3D glasses used in early-2000s movie theaters.

These aren’t the only infrared vision devices currently in the works. Another research team out of the University of Science and Technology of China recently designed a prototype contact lens that can similarly detect infrared wavelengths and present them as color. Though both this and the infrared glasses are still very much in the lab and testing phase, researchers from both teams see their work as a stepping stone to one day give wearers a kind of “super vision.” 

And while it might not sound as impressive as comic-book-style X-ray vision, it would at least give humans a leg up in the infrared department compared to bugs and birds.

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