We instinctively use high-pitched voices to talk to infants and pets. Is baby talk a silly affectation, or is there an explanation for this sing-song cadence? — How would you talk to an adult, a baby and a puppy? Most of us would adopt a different tone of voice for the latter two — slower, higher-pitched, exaggerated, musical. Baby talk, or “parentese”, isn’t quite the same everywhere. Intonational exaggeration is more dramatic for speakers of American English…

For centuries, scientists have named new species after friends, benefactors and cultural figures. But what should we do if a species is named after someone whose actions are now seen as reprehensible? — In March 2015, political activist Chumani Maxwele hurled a bucket of faeces over a bronze statue at the University of Cape Town. The statue was of the 19th-century British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes, a white supremacist who supported “the bringing of the whole world under British rule”.

Thanks to advances in DNA sequencing and analysis, clinicians will soon be able to deduce how infectious diseases will affect you personally. But before we can use this information, we’ll have to work through several ethical dilemmas. — Picture this: the year is 2053, and Liam is working as a nurse at a busy hospital. A life-threatening pandemic is poised to sweep his country. Last week, he and his colleagues were sent for a genetic test that can identify high-risk individuals or superspreaders. Liam’s results have just come…

A small handful of ant species contain only queens and must sponge off other species to survive. New research on these social parasites offers insight into the ant caste system. — Life is unfair, especially if you’re an ant. In most ant species, females are divided into two castes: workers and queens. The queens are the only females who can reproduce, while a worker’s role is to collect food, defend the nest and care for the queens’ offspring. …

Researchers have suggested humans cooperate because we’re used to living in family groups. What do studies of animal sociality and hunter-gatherer tribes say about this idea? — Have you ever donated to charity, stopped to help a stranger on the street or showed kindness towards a child who wasn’t your own? If so, then in the context of the rest of the animal kingdom, you’ve done something very odd.

A popular science communicator is being paid to promote fossil fuels. Let’s remember that smart people can still be bought. — Former MIT engineer Emily Calandrelli, also known as the Space Gal, is one of the most successful science communicators. She talks about scientific literacy and space exploration, writes children’s books, and has hosted two TV shows. Her online following is impressive too. On TikTok, Calandrelli’s energetic, fast-paced videos have earned…

Although oxytocin is classically thought of as “the love hormone”, a new study shows that prairie voles can pair-bond without its involvement. — It’s serendipitous that “vole” should be an anagram of “love”. Most prairie vole nests are occupied by a pair-bonded male and female, who remain together for life. If an unfamiliar individual of the opposite sex gets too close to a happily committed vole, it’ll be met with aggression. …

According to a recent study, science is less “disruptive” than it used to be. What’s changed? — The 20th century was a golden age for science. Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, Ernest Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus and Alexander Fleming introduced us to penicillin. We also learned the universe was expanding, came up with the Big Bang theory and learned about DNA for the…

Taxonomy, the science of classifying organisms, is plagued by those who would ignore evidence to leave a legacy. — According to his website, Raymond Hoser is the world’s leading authority on reptiles. It’s a bold claim, but he certainly has a long list of achievements. Between January 2000 and September 2012, Hoser came up with 76% of new names for snake genera and subgenera.