91av

Senses

vampire bat

Life

Vampire bats might avoid bitter substances to dodge indigestion

Vampire bat taste receptors react to "bitter salts" like magnesium sulphate – perhaps because drinking water containing the salts might react badly with the blood the bats eat

News
round goby fish

Environment

Some fish fins are as sensitive to touch as human fingertips

News
naked mole rat

Life

Naked mole rats are nearly deaf because their ears can’t amplify sound

News

Anosmia
miso soup

Humans

Umami: How to maximise the savoury taste that makes food so satisfying

Regulars

Humans

The life of Veronique Le Guen, record-breaking caver

Regulars

Mind

Some people are exceptionally good at recognising voices

News

Life

Fossil of a newly-discovered mammal shows it had bizarre ears

News
Mother and baby

Humans

Babies are less afraid when they can smell their mothers

News
A dilated pupil

Humans

Just thinking about bright objects changes the size of your pupils

Our pupils change size in response to light levels in our environment, but it seems that just thinking about something bright or dark can have the same effect

News

Humans

Your body’s hidden language: How smell reveals more than you ever knew

Features

Mind

Weird illusion makes you think fabric is moving faster than it is

News

Humans

Humans are good at smelling cheese thanks to special smell receptors

News

Physics

Is reality real? How evolution blinds us to the truth about the world

Features