Although the blue-ringed octopus has long been the only species with a venomous reputation, a new study finds that all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squid also have venom proteins.

In the same Chilean town where 1,500 penguins had washed up a week and a half ago, thousands of dead sardines mysteriously tuned up on beaches. Video.

Even before they can babble a single word, babies in bilingual households may get a head start in mental development, scientists report.

A Brazilian mountain animal rehabilitation center nurses everything from monkeys to wolves, birds to boas. Video.

Children of centenarians are more outgoing and less neurotic on average, a new study says, supporting previous observations that the long-lived—and their offspring—are likeable people.

ADAM is the first—but maybe not the last—robot to make a new scientific discovery, according to researchers who recently built themselves a mechanical colleague.

Cells irradiated by nuclear-bomb tests offer the first proof that the heart can partly regenerate—a discovery that could lead to new medical treatments, scientists say.

A Kazakh woman claims to be 130 years old, making her the oldest living human in history. Her doctor believes she's 130, and her passport is offered as proof, but skeptics question the claim. Video.

The world's most advanced electron microscope has finally revealed how bones begin—as a small cluster of about ten charged particles.

Anthrax may not have been shipped over from Europe—new evidence suggests Ice Age Asian migrants brought it to North America, possibly after scavenging infected animals.

Eating salt may make humans happier, suggests a new study in rats. And too little salt could have the opposite effect.

In a world where more than 2.5 billion people do not have access to a clean, safe place to do their business, development agencies are selling sanitation with celebrity endorsements, karaoke videos, and other unconventional tactics.

Some caterpillars munch on drug-laced leaves to rid themselves of crippling parasites—the first clear demonstration of self-medication among insects, a new study says.

A Thai snake farm produces antivenom and thrills. Here, snake handlers dazzle tourists—and have the scars to show for it. Video.

A newfound partial body and skull of a plague victim show her jaw forced open by a brick—a medieval exorcism technique used on suspected vampires.