Showing results by author "Bethany Brookshire" in All Categories

A squirrel in the garden. A rat in the wall. A pigeon on the street. Humans have spent so much of our history drawing a hard line between human spaces and wild places. When animals pop up where we don’t expect or want them, we respond with fear, rage, or simple annoyance. It’s no longer an animal. It’s a pest. At the intersection of science, history, and narrative journalism, Pests is not a simple call to look closer at our urban ecosystem. It’s not a natural history of the animals we hate. Instead, this book is about us.

How much do you know about that three-pound hunk of tissue in your head - your brain? Its structure and function drive your behavior in profound ways. Scientists are studying the brain and its chemicals to find behavioral patterns, to figure out the sources of good moods and random outbursts, for example. This compilation from Science News for Students turns to brain science to answer all sorts of questions: Can you actually be addicted to your phone? Why is it so hard to sleep away from home?