A robot lizard that does pushups! No, it’s not the latest must-have toy this Christmas. It’s a research tool for studying “lizard-speak” in the wild.

Just look at this fellow. Seems like the trustworthy type, right? The kind of crab who would take long scuttles on the beach, dine on some detritus by moonlight, and then go home to meet your mother? Alas, this is not the case.

Rather than give you the same tomfoolery as other sites this Thanksgiving, we thought it would be worth re-posting a story we did at the start of the Turkey Genome Mapping Project. Gobble gobble.

Even the toughest dads can get warm and fuzzy when it comes to their kids. Now researchers studying monkeys have found that’s not just an attitude, it’s a physical response to the mere scent of their infant. This ScienCentral News video explains.

Why are flies so hard to swat? It took the world’s top fly researchers at Caltech to give us the answer. This ScienCentral News video explains the finding that will give you pointers the next time you swing your swatter.

Chili peppers can add a little spice to your dish, but where does that heat come from? See why researchers say it’s a rare case where we can be thankful for bugs and a fungus.

Researchers studying the brains of toddlers say the strength of their brain waves can indicate language ability. The research might lead to early identification of language impairment.

Genes don’t just tell whom you’re related to or why you look a certain way; now, they can also tell you where you came from. Researchers have created a genetic map of Europe, and they hope to expand it globally, as this ScienCentral News video explains.

Could a change in the rules governing commercial fishing actually reverse a worldwide trend of declining fish populations? As this ScienCentral video explains, a just-released study of where those rules have changed says, “yes.”

The Lasker Foundation has announced that Doctors Victor Ambros, Gary Ruvkun, and David Baulcombe won the Lasker Medical Prize for their discovery of micro-RNA molecules, and their role in gene regulation.