Museum of Science and Industry

While most in the southeastern United States might prefer to avoid an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, some herpetologists are becoming afraid of something else: not being able to find them. The world's largest rattlesnake seems to be disappearing from its natural habitat.

The US Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced a year-long study to determine if the rattlers' numbers have...

Have you ever wanted to trick a fish? Of course you have. And now, through the miracle of robotics, we can make that dream a reality. Researchers at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University have invented a robotic fish that moves realistically enough to cause real fish to follow it in a school. In the process, they have learned (at least partly) what makes a leader among fish: beating its tail rapidly. This creates a wake in which other fish can follow with less tail movement, which...