When people heard in 2006 that Pluto was no longer a planet, many were outraged. The beloved ninth planet, the satisfying conclusion to the list of the solar system’s members rattled off by many a schoolchild, was no longer special. Some accused celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson of killing Pluto; Tyson confessed only to driving the “getaway car.” The real villain was California Institute of Technology astronomer Mike Brown, who discovered an object called Eris that’s slightly bigger than Pluto. This observation suggested that Pluto was just one among many other “dwarf planets.” Full Article »

The original Z151 lived in a pond in Lancashire, England. She spent her days the way most microscopic animals of her species do, munching on the pond’s algae and using her eight translucent legs to shamble from one clump of pond scum to another, until November 13, 1987, when a fellow named Bob McNuff scooped her up as part of a water sample. Full Article »

Here’s a challenge: Close your eyes and then try touching your nose with your finger.  Did you do it? Even without using any of the five famous senses—sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell—you most likely found your nose without any trouble.  How does this happen?  Find out in Eben Bein’s story in the Atlantic.

Neuroscientists have known since the 1960s what nerves tell a person’s legs to step off the curb to cross the street. But until now, they had no idea which hold the person back to avoid getting hit by a car.  Margaux Phares reports on NOVA Next.

Contrary to previous reports, China’s efforts at protecting its forests appear to have been successful.  Kendra Pierre-Louis reports at NOVA Next.

Can this new technology stop pet cats from killing local birds?  Conor Gearin reports in the Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/12/accessories-for-your-murderous-pet/419601/

Conor Gearin reports on how doctors can tell when a mole begins to turn cancerous.  Read more at NOVA Next: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/doctors-finally-decide-when-a-mole-is-benign-and-when-its-cancer/

We know hypothermia as something that people die from, but can it help save them as well?  Margaux Phares reports on NOVA Next.

When early hominins—the chimp-like forerunners of modern humans—moved from the forest to the savannah, they also started hearing a bit more like modern humans, according to a study in the September 25th issue of Science Advances. Full Article »