Ari Daniel
Stories
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Stand back! This explosive cucumber is bursting with seeds
A small, hairy, toxic version of the cucumbers found in the produce aisle does have an advantage over its more palatable cousins — a feat of ballistic seed dispersal.
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This squirting cucumber uses ballistics to spread its seeds far and wide
The squirting cucumber doesn't get its name for nothing. And it's why her supervisor, who studies biomechanics, was so excited about them. Gorges searched for the plant on YouTube, and turned up this David Attenborough video.
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Farewell to USAID: Reflections on the agency that President Trump dismantled
July 1 is the official end date for the agency that President Trump dismantled. We talk to four former top officials about this milestone event.
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This federal program helps track America's ecosystems. Trump's budget would gut it
Buried in the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget is the near elimination of something called the Ecosystems Mission Area. It's a program that monitors living things and the health of the land and water they inhabit. NPR's Ari Daniel reports that career scientists are deeply concerned about the potential cut.
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How migrating Australian moths find caves hundreds of miles away
Billions of nocturnal Bogong moths migrate up to 1,000 km to cool caves in the Australian Alps that they have never previously visited. New research shows how they may find their way there and back.
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In photographs, scientists revel in the world they seek to discover
The magazine Nature announced the results of its annual Scientist at Work photography contest. The six winning entries are a set of dramatic, intimate portraits of research from all over the globe.
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By removing invasive bullfrogs, scientists help Yosemite's native turtles recover
The huge amphibians "will literally just feed on anything that fits into their mouth" — including turtle hatchlings. Clearing thousands of frogs from ponds helped other species stage a comeback.
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Invasive bullfrog eradication allows pond turtles to recover
American bullfrog populations have exploded around the world with dire consequences for native wildlife. But researchers say they may have found a way to help these species rebound.
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These researchers think the sludge in your home may help save the planet
What if the solutions to some of Earth's biggest problems could be found in some of its smallest creatures? That bet has led a team of researchers to places both remote and — lately — rather familiar.
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The hunt for a microbial marvel that can help with the planet's biggest issues
What if the solutions to some of Earth's biggest problems could be found in some of its smallest creatures? That bet has led a team of researchers to places both remote and — lately — rather familiar.
