MULTI-PURPOSE TOOLS

There are more than 10,000 species of birds. They range in size from birds that weigh less than an ounce to birds that weigh hundreds of pounds and can inflict a deadly kick. They live on land or water; in tropical rainforests or in the Arctic tundra; they climb trees or dive into water. So it’s not surprising that birds have many different types of feet capable of performing amazing feats.

The Rise & Fall of the Terror Birds

AFTER THE DINOSAURS, A NEW PREDATOR REIGNED IN SOUTH AMERICA. FOR A WHILE.

SHOULD SCIENTISTS BRING BACK DINOSAURS?

IN THE JURASSIC PARK MOVIES, scientists bring dinosaurs to life.

10! 10! Say it again!

10! 10! Say it again!

MARIA A. GANDOLFO

Animals and insects aren’t the only ones that leave their remains in stone and amber! Meet paleobotanist Maria A. Gandolfo, who studies fossils made from flowering plants. A flowering plant tucks its seeds inside a flower instead of growing them on its leaves. Most of the plants we eat and use as medicine and fuel are flowering plants. Today they flower all over the planet—but that wasn’t always the case. Here Gandolfo explains what plant fossils can tell us and how flowering plants got to be such a big deal.

Muse News

Muse News

LOVE

My pets are my own true loves.

ERIN ARGYILAN

Erin Argyilan of Indiana University is known for her lively teaching style and leading some of the best geology field trips in the Chicagoland area. She takes people of all ages on interactive tours that lead to dune climbing, animal identifying, and accessing some of the rarest plants in the world. Read on to learn about the major mystery surrounding the Cretaceous Period’s effect on midwestern geology.

Whose Foot?

Everybody is different. So why do we use feet to measure length?

ARE WE LIVING IN THE ANTHROPOCENE?

A name can tell you a lot about a person. Take your last name, for example. Does it come from a certain language, a place where your ancestors were born, a traditional family occupation? How about your first name? What does it say about you? If you could change it, would you? What would you change it to, and why?

Sole Beauty

The painful history of foot binding

Tyler Clites – Biomedical Engineer

Tyler Clites is a tinkerer. He’s been this way since childhood—coming up with inventions and taking things apart.

A Visit to the PAST

WELCOME TO TEXAS’ BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

Reflexology – A Different Kind of Map

There’s nothing like a foot rub after a long day. The question is, can putting pressure on the toes and heels help other body parts—like your head, back, and stomach— feel better too? Fans of reflexology think so. This practice uses massage on specific reflex points to relieve tension and improve health. It dates back more than 4,500 years, but doctors and scientists do not fully agree that rubbing the feet can cure ailments throughout the body.

Selling Socks to Save Seabirds

Brothers Will and Matty Gladstone are comitted to conservation.

THE DAY THE CRETACEOUS ENDED

When the asteroid hit, it sent Cret trillions of tons of molten rock and dust into the atmosphere, much of it hotter than the surface of the sun.

TAKING A JOURNEY

Through the planet’s history

Watch Out for the Hedley Beast

An English Fairy Tale Retold by Madeline Juran

Cloud Fishing

An English Fairy Tale

Doodlebug & Dandelion Little Green Man

An English Fairy Tale

BOOMSLANG

DEADLY AFRICAN TREE SNAKE

Life Behind the Mask : THE DOGON

In the central region of Mali and spread out as far as the land of Burkina Faso, there lives a mysterious people known as the Dogon (do-gän).

Mali: An Ancient Empire

The Republic of Mali was once part of the Mali Empire, an ancient empire that controlled a large portion of West Africa. A West African prince named Sundiata Keita established the empire in 1235. He united a group of indigenous groups and waged war against the Sosso people who controlled the region at the time.

Mali's Music: A Universal Language

The country of Mali and the U.S. state of Mississippi are more than 5,000 miles apart and very different from each other in almost every way. But many people say that music is a universal language, and in this case, it’s true. Mississippi and Mali share a flavor of blues music that connects their modern-day musicians with ancient African musical traditions. How did these two places end up sharing a musical language?

Saving Mali's Migrating Desert Elephants

Eco-guardians spread the word to the Tuareg villagers, “The elephants are coming.”

The Brave Librarians of Timbuktu

Ever hear the expression “from here to Timbuktu”? People use the word “Timbuktu” to mean a faraway, remote, and possibly mythical place. But not only is it a real city in the north of Mali, it was once the crossroads of the world. Hundreds of years ago, caravans passed through Timbuktu, trading gold, salt, and other goods between the Middle East and Morocco. Timbuktu became a city of wealth, not just in material riches, but also in learning and ideas.

WHITE GOLD: The Sahara Salt Trade

During the cool months from October to March, camel caravans arrive in the desert city of Timbuktu every few days.

The Great Mosque of Djenne

Looking like a giant sand sculpture, the Great Mosque of Djenne (JEH-nay) is the world’s largest adobe building.

Volcano Power

Iceland’s unlikely agricultural success

ELLENA BAUM

FOOD AND FARM EDUCATOR