Emma Bryce

Is this expression really a smile?

Elephants gather round their dead, dogs go into decline and chimpanzees stop eating when their companions die. Is this grief, as humans know it?

For these gregarious animals, 'alone time' is a fantasy.

Lightning is one of the greatest natural forces on our planet. New mapping tools are revealing just how big it is.

The history of anesthesia in surgery was grisly, painful and occasionally very dubious.

It's often assumed that birds are the only animals that sing. But these other divas of the animal kingdom prove otherwise.

Some animals lead quiet lives, while others prefer constant chatter. Why do some animals vocalize more than others, and what are they saying?

Comfort, consolation and conflict avoidance are just some of the reasons animals embrace.

In 1626, native people purportedly sold Manhattan to the Dutch for a pittance. But there are problems with this story that we shouldn't overlook.

Here's how crude oil becomes plastic.

Which species died out first because of humans?

Lacking human oversight, glitches in oil refineries and nuclear plants could lead to fires, nuclear explosions and fallout.

Pandemics, climate change, artificial intelligence: these are just some of the wide-ranging threats to humanity's survival. But they all have one factor in common...

For centuries, we plundered the ocean's depths, hauling up whales by the thousands. But what was the purpose of this dangerous and destructive industry?

Our brains are ravenous, guzzling up to a quarter of the body's energy. So thinking really hard should be an easy way to burn more calories — right?

Head-bobbing might make pigeons look ridiculous, but there's a practical purpose behind this very strange display.

Several countries are launching claims to vast swathes of the Arctic seabed. But what does that mean for political and environmental stability in the region?

How many people could fit on the moon? Answering that may require asking other questions — about lunar survival.

The image of the hooded executioner is iconic, but it tells us only a small part of the story.

Beneath the Arctic lie billions of barrels of oil. But as the international energy race intensifies, we wonder, how did all that oil get there in the first place?

Could our most beloved fruit go extinct?

We're making great strides in developing alternatives, but here's why it's still necessary to test on animals.

You may give them little thought beyond when to trim them or which nail color to apply. But the humble nail laid the groundwork for our evolution into the humans we are today.

It's not nearly as nonsensical as it may seem.