Kids News - Science Articles

Plants undergoing stress, such as drought or insect damage, use various tactics to defend themselves and warn others of danger. Some release strong scents, while others change color and shape. A recent study found that stressed plants even produce popping or clicking sounds. However, humans cannot hear them because they are at frequencies beyond our hearing range....

Cockatoos are highly intelligent birds. Past studies show that they can solve complex problems, use tools, and even mimic human speech. Now, researchers have discovered that these clever birds have learned to dip bland food into sauces, possibly to improve its taste....

Wildlife biologists have discovered the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded. The adult male weighs an impressive 166 pounds (75 kg). This surpasses the typical range of 102 to 154 pounds (46 to 69 kg) for males. Female panthers, which are much smaller, generally weigh between 50 and 108 pounds (22 and 49 kg)....

A kayaker in Chile had the fright of his lifetime when he briefly found himself inside the mouth of a humpback whale. Luckily, the mammal had no interest in eating a human and quickly spat him out....

On January 28, 2025, XB-1, an experimental aircraft built by US company Boom Supersonic, became the first privately built jet to fly faster than the speed of sound. To prove this was not a fluke, test pilot Tristan Brandenburg flew around for two more supersonic runs over California’s Mojave Desert before returning to land....

Ocean shipping moves about 90 percent of global trade, from oranges to televisions. But the industry also produces over 3 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. If nothing changes, its carbon footprint could reach 10 percent by 2050. UK-based startup Seabound aims to tackle this with a device that can capture up to 95 percent of a ship’s emissions....

After spending months spinning in the Antarctic waters, A23a, the world’s largest iceberg, is on the move again. This massive chunk of ice covers 1,418 square miles (3,673 sq. km). This is more than twice the size of the city of London. It weighs over a trillion tons and is about 1,312 feet (400 m) thick....

Mount Everest, Earth's highest peak, is growing faster than expected. Recent GPS measurements indicate it is adding up to 2 millimeters annually. This is nearly twice the previously estimated rate. This growth is mainly due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates over the past 50 million years. However, a new study by the China University of Geosciences suggests that a river capture event may also be helping the growth of the 29,032-foot (8,849-meter) mountain....

When a giant, dolphin-like animal washed ashore a beach in Otago, New Zealand, locals alerted the Department of Conservation (DOC). Upon arrival, the experts realized the 16-foot (5-meter) mammal was no dolphin. It was a spade-toothed whale, the rarest whale species known to science....