The Birth of Biodiversity
If you’ve been reading the news this week, you know that we’ve just been starkly reminded that the Earth is in the midst of a mass extinction – a biodiversity crisis like nothing it has experienced in 65 million years. ...
Neil Losin
A Mission to Reach the “Snows of the Nile”
When you think of Africa, glaciers probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. And certainly not glaciers on the Equator. But the Rwenzori Mountains aren’t in the business of conforming to expectations. The Rwenzoris rise 5000m ...
Out of Their Element: Science Students Produce Films in Costa Rica
In the warm, humid air of the rain forest, with the voices of katydids in the trees outside, the darkened room burst into applause. As the credits rolled on the first screenings of their films, a roomful of tired students ...
Out of Their Element: Science Students Produce Films in Costa Rica
In the warm, humid air of the rain forest, with the voices of katydids in the trees outside, the darkened room burst into applause. As the credits rolled on the first screenings of their films, a roomful of tired students ...
Snakes, Squirrels, and Signals: A Tale of Tails
Getting fancy in front of your enemies can be dangerous. Just ask Anderson Silva, the former UFC Middleweight champion who lost his title to upstart Chris Weidman in July. Silva, famous for showboating and taunting his opponents in the ring, ...
Snakes, Squirrels, and Signals: A Tale of Tails
Getting fancy in front of your enemies can be dangerous. Just ask Anderson Silva, the former UFC Middleweight champion who lost his title to upstart Chris Weidman in July. Silva, famous for showboating and taunting his opponents in the ring, ...
Snakes, Squirrels, and Signals: A Tale of Tails
Getting fancy in front of your enemies can be dangerous. Just ask Anderson Silva, the former UFC Middleweight champion who lost his title to upstart Chris Weidman in July. Silva, famous for showboating and taunting his opponents in the ring, ...
Journey to Vanishing Tropical Glaciers
National Geographic Explorer Neil Losin and his colleague Nate Dappen are planning an expedition to document climate change in Africa’s Rwenzori Mountains, one of the few places on Earth where glaciers can be found on the equator – and you ...
“The Symbol” Part 4: Our Lizard Saga Comes to an End
Earlier this summer, National Geographic Young Explorer Dr. Neil Losin and his colleague Dr. Nate Dappen traveled to the Spanish Mediterranean islands of Ibiza and Formentera to create a book about the endemic Ibiza Wall Lizard (Podarcis pityusensis), the symbol ...
“The Symbol” Part 3: Island of Mystery
Since mid-June, National Geographic Young Explorer Dr. Neil Losin and his colleague Dr. Nate Dappen have been in the Spanish Mediterranean islands of Ibiza and Formentera to create a book about the endemic Ibiza Wall Lizard (Podarcis pityusensis), the symbol ...
“The Symbol” Part 2: Photographing Lizards in Paradise
We had an unexpected stroke of luck during the 3rd week of our expedition to photograph the Ibiza Wall Lizard (Podarcis pityusensis) on the Mediterranean islands of Ibiza and Formentera. We got a visit from our friend Joris van Alphen, ...
“The Symbol” – Photographing the Ibiza Wall Lizard
As a biologist, I love surprises. And after the first week of our month-long photographic expedition to the Mediterranean islands of Ibiza and Formentera, it seems like there are biological surprises around every corner. Dr. Nate Dappen, an evolutionary biologist ...
A Rainbow of Lizards in the Mediterranean
The spectacular Pityusic Archipelago lies 50 miles east of Valencia in the Spanish Mediterranean. Most people know Ibiza, the largest island in the archipelago, for its spectacular beaches, crystal-clear waters, and world-famous nightlife. But as anyone who has visited Ibiza will ...
Nature’s Nightmares: Snakes in a Cave
Halloween has its share of imaginary monsters: vampires, werewolves, zombies… But some of the most pervasive symbols of Halloween are real animals, animals that (rightly or wrongly) strike fear in countless people. When you think of Halloween, what creepy creatures ...
Video: Your Ever-changing Brain
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, the old adage goes. The statement has intuitive appeal: as we age, we often get stuck in our ways. And until recently, neuroscience also supported the notion that once we reach ...