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Porcupines and warthogs are known to be prey for the spotted hyena. So scientists were surprised when they realized that hyenas, porcupines, and warthogs were peacefully sharing dens in a wildlife preserve in Kenya.

Scientists made the discovery when they were reviewing footage from cameras that had been set up outside two dens. At one point, one of the dens was home to two porcupines, three warthogs, and seven hyenas. The other housed two porcupines, six warthogs, and 11 hyenas. All the animals used the same entrances to the dens. Sometimes all three species entered the dens within minutes of each other. There’s no evidence that there were any fights—or worse—in the three years the scientists observed the dens.

Since the three species aren’t usually peaceful with each other in the wild, scientists aren’t sure how the living arrangements worked. They believe there may have been separate chambers inside the underground dens, so the inhabitants didn’t get in each other’s way. 

Marc Dupuis-Désormeaux, the lead author of a study on the living arrangement, says it’s likely the animals decided to share existing dens rather than dig new ones during the dry season, when the ground is hard. In fact, when the rainy season arrived, the animals seemed to stop sharing the dens.

Also, the porcupines and warthogs would have been safe inside the dens. Hyenas use stealth to hunt—but they can’t sneak up on their prey in a small space.

“They’re just faced with a faceful of really nasty warthog tusks or porcupine spines,” Dupuis-Désormeaux told Radio France Internationale.

A mountain climber from Spain spent 500 days alone in a cave to help researchers study the effects of isolation on the human brain. Beatriz Flamini entered the cave in November 2021 and did not see another human being until she emerged in April 2023.

The cave was located 230 feet (70 meters) underground near Granada, Spain. Flamini spent the time weaving, drawing, cooking meals, and exercising. She also read 60 books. Throughout her time in the cave, Flamini made and transmitted videos, which a support crew watched in order to monitor her mental and physical health. The crew was also responsible for leaving food at a drop-off point. Flamini left the cave only once—around day 300—when there was a technical problem. She spent about eight days alone in a tent until she could return to the cave.

Flamini had no idea what was happening in the outside world. She asked the crew not to tell her about any news events or even anything having to do with her family. After about two months, she stopped keeping track of time. She later said she didn’t mind the isolation at all, possibly because she’s an extreme athlete who regularly undertakes sports challenges.

“You have to be focused,” she told The Guardian. “If I get distracted, I’ll twist my ankle. I’ll get hurt. It’ll be over and they’ll have to get me out. And I don’t want that.”

On the 500th day, crew members entered the cave to get her, as planned. Flamini said the time had passed so quickly that she couldn’t believe it was time to leave. Researchers in Spain are now studying how both the lack of human contact and the constant darkness affected Flamini. For now, though, Flamini says she remained content throughout the experiment.

“I was sleeping—or at least dozing—when they came down to get me,” Flamini told The Guardian. “I thought something had happened. I said, ‘Already? No way.’ I hadn’t finished my book.”

Should social media access be restricted for users under age 18? Many parents and lawmakers think so. In the United States, state governments, as well as the federal government, are making moves to limit access to sites like Instagram and TikTok.

Four U.S. senators have introduced legislation that would make it illegal for children under age 13 to use social media and would require children aged 13 to 17 to get permission from a guardian to create an account. Senators Katie Britt of Alabama, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Brian Schatz of Hawaii say they’re responding to parents who worry that social media use is affecting their children’s mental health. Other concerns about social media include the fact that technology companies can collect users’ personal data and target advertising to children and teens.

This is not the first time leaders have proposed a law restricting social media use by minors. In the past, laws were proposed in the U.S. Congress but did not pass because lawmakers didn’t agree on the details. But a few new laws have been proposed in Congress, and some states have passed laws that would apply to children who live there. 

Not everyone supports such laws. Some people, including those who run social media companies, point out that social media can have a positive effect on children’s lives because it can help them feel more connected. Others say the government shouldn’t restrict social media and recommend leaving the decision up to parents.

 The legislation that has been introduced in the U.S. is bipartisan. That means it’s been introduced by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Some of those lawmakers have said this is a sign that many Americans would welcome these types of laws.

“We simply say kids 12 and under shouldn’t be on a social media platform at all,” Senator Schatz told the Associated Press. “And I think most people agree with us.”

When you can’t be with someone in person, a video call may be the next best thing. That’s true not just for people. A recent study found that pet parrots may benefit from having video calls with other pet parrots.

In the study, researchers and parrot owners taught 18 pet parrots how to touch a photo of another parrot on a tablet screen to start a call with that parrot. Over the course of three months, the parrots made 147 deliberate video calls to each other. During the calls, the parrots behaved the way they would if they were with other parrots in real life, according to study co-author Dr. Jennifer Cunha of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

“[The parrots displayed] mirroring behaviors where they might move in the same kind of way, dancing, singing together,” Cunha told National Public Radio. “They really seem to, as one owner said, come alive during the calls.”

“I was quite surprised at the range of different behaviors,” Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas of the University of Glasgow in Scotland, another co-author, told the Guardian. “Some would sing, some would play around and go upside down, others would want to show another bird their toys.”

Parrots are very intelligent, social animals. In the wild, they often live in large flocks, but as pets, they are often alone or in a small group. Pet parrots run the risk of getting bored or lonely. Some even develop psychological problems with symptoms like pacing back and forth or plucking out their feathers.

Researchers say the calls with other parrots could benefit the birds by mimicking the experience of living in a flock. In fact, Cunha said the study resulted in lasting friendships.

“Some of the birds continue to call each other,” Cunha said. “So I think that there’s a lot of long-term potential for these kinds of relationships.” 

Check out the video for some highlights from the study.

The weather’s warming up—which means summer is right around the corner. From novels to comic books to movie blockbusters, summer is the season of storytelling. And there’s a story for everyone. Here are our picks for the perfect summer reading experience.

It’s not every day that a new king or queen is crowned. The coronation of King Charles III, which is set to take place on May 6, 2023, will be the first crowning of a new British monarch in nearly 70 years!

Both King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Charles became the king of the United Kingdom (U.K.) immediately after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022. The coronation is a ceremony in which the monarch’s role is made official. Coronation ceremonies in the U.K. (and England and Scotland before they joined together to become the U.K.) have taken place for more than 1,000 years.

During the ceremony, King Charles will promise to uphold the law and the Church of England. Experts say this is a formality. Long ago, England’s kings and queens were its true rulers. As a modern monarch, Charles holds no political power. (The government is run by a prime minister and a lawmaking body called Parliament.) But many of the traditions of the monarchy live on.  

As is fitting for a king, the event is designed to look very regal. The king and queen will travel from their home at Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the black and gold, horse-drawn carriage known as the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. Well-wishers are expected to line the route, as they often do when members of the royal family travel to a major event.

Will King Charles actually get a crown? Sort of. The royal family has a collection of incredibly valuable items, including more than one crown. During the ceremony, St. Edward’s Crown, which was made in 1661, will be placed on the king’s head. It’s the same crown that was placed on Queen Elizabeth’s head in 1953, at her coronation. 

Around 2,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, including Charles’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as William’s family. For everyone else, the ceremony will be broadcast and live streamed in many parts of the world.  

You can see photos having to do with the coronation in the slideshow below!

Mina Fedor is at the forefront of the fight against anti-Asian racism. The teen activist is the founder of AAPI Youth Rising, a youth-led organization that works to bring about positive change through small actions.

Now in its third year, AAPI Youth Rising (AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander) came together after a rally in March 2021, which Fedor had organized. More than 1,200 people—many of them under age 18—gathered in Berkeley, California, to raise awareness about anti-Asian hate. After the event, Fedor realized it was only the beginning.

Led by a group of middle school and high school students, AAPI Youth Rising is dedicated to making AAPI voices heard. Its members have given speeches; participated in panel discussions about racism, bullying, and other topics; and helped people register to vote. A large part of their mission is education. Fedor, whose mom is Korean, says most U.S. schools don’t teach enough AAPI history. As a result, many people aren’t aware of the rich cultures and histories of the diverse AAPI community. And ignorance, or a lack of knowledge or understanding, can fuel racism. 

In 2022, Fedor and three other teens put together a slideshow to share information about AAPI history. The slideshow covers both painful and inspiring events, including the passage of U.S. laws that discriminated against Asian Americans and the fight against this legislation by Asian American activists. The teens visited schools where they shared the slideshow, and AAPI Youth Rising later converted the slideshow into a video format. Now, anyone can download the video from the Teach for America website. 

“It’s very important to learn your own history and learn others’ history because that is the first step to sort of working against racism,” Fedor told Teach for America. “You have to learn about histories of racism and histories of celebrating other communities as well.”

Felix Finkbeiner planted his first tree when he was 9 years old. Now 25, he’s on a mission to get young people around the world to do the same.

Currently, there are about three trillion trees on the planet—about half as many as there once were. That’s a problem. Trees release oxygen and take in carbon dioxide—a major ingredient in the climate crisis. They also provide cooling shade, slow soil erosion, and help control flooding.

Finkbeiner’s organization, Plant-for-the-Planet, encourages and empowers children and young adults to help restore the world’s trees. Finkbeiner, who grew up in Germany, was inspired to take on tree loss after reading about Wangari Maathai, an activist from Kenya who led a movement to slow deforestation that resulted in the planting of 30 million trees.

When he was in fourth grade, Finkbeiner gave a presentation in front of his class. He told his classmates that kids in each country should plant one million trees. On March 28, 2007, he and his classmates planted a crab apple tree in front of their school. Soon after, Finkbeiner launched Plant-for-the-Planet, and within three years, the organization’s tree count had reached one million. 

Finkbeiner says one reason Plant-for-the-Planet caught on was that it was created by a kid, and therefore received a lot of media attention. When kids around the world heard about it, they wanted to help—and they started planting trees. 

Trees are among the best tools we have to take on the climate crisis, Plant-for-the-Planet says.