💡 A Tiny Insect with Extraordinary Piss

What’s popular and new this week in Nautilus. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( EDITORS' CHOICE Together with Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for stopping by. Today we have a tiny insect with extraordinary piss. Plus, the cognitive magic of “hi,” and how magic can help us understand animal minds. And our popular story this week reveals how Schrödinger’s cat got famous. Be sure to check out your question of the day (on something old) and today’s free story (on being gutsy, devious, and irresponsible in science) below. Happy Father’s Day to my fellow dads out there! —Brian Gallagher The latest from Nautilus ZOOLOGY A Tiny Insect with Extraordinary Piss The sharpshooter catapults its urine at high speed. BY KRISTEN FRENCH What goes in must come out! [Continue reading →]( COMMUNICATION The Cognitive Magic of “Hi” How a simple word illuminates children’s cognitive development and linguistic creativity. BY TOM ROEPER [Continue reading →]( ZOOLOGY Abracadabra! How Magic Can Help Us Understand Animal Minds By performing tricks for birds, monkeys, and other creatures, researchers hope to learn how they perceive and think about their world. BY BETSY MASON [Continue reading →]( Popular This Week PHYSICS How Schrödinger’s Cat Got Famous Fifty years ago, science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin popularized physics’ most enigmatic feline. BY ROBERT P. CREASE The world’s most famous cat seems to be everywhere—and nowhere. [Continue reading →]( ADVERTISEMENT Ditch Dairy to Fight Climate Change A big chunk of our greenhouse gas emissions comes from the dairy industry, so switching to plant-based milk is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. With the [Chefwave Milkmade]( you can shrink your carbon footprint even more by making fresh, plant-based milk at home. The [Milkmade]( can make up to 6 types of non-dairy milk including almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk. [Get yours today]( and ditch dairy for the good of the planet! [Buy on Amazon→]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What is the oldest thing you’ve ever seen in person? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by “[The Oldest Ecosystems on Earth](.”) Top Answer to Our Previous Question (On Your Hard-to-Say Word) • I have the worst time with the word “caterpillar.” My family and friends like to make fun of me when I try to pronounce it, for it always comes out “callipitter.” Which to me seems to suit those cute critters better, anyway. – Denise B. • “Peremptorily,” and almost any polysyllabic word not part of my regular speaking vocabulary. – Bill J. • I have no clue why it’s always been difficult for me to pronounce “circuitous.” It’s not a difficult word. – Debbi B. • I don't know how this word won't make it onto the list: “Worcestershire.” I'm 47 years old and still find my tongue in knots trying to properly pronounce this beast. Bonus word: “synecdoche.” – Todd B. • “Twelfth.” – Lynn H. • “Apocalyptic,” “anthropomorphism,” and sometimes “animal”—words beginning with a! I am dyslexic, but I’m not sure if that’s why I struggle on occasion. – Martin A. • I am Peruvian (and speak Spanish) and can never say properly or fast the word “concienciación”! – Carolina E. Everything You Need in One Kit The [Work From Anywhere Kit]( has 18 essentials to keep you productive no matter where you are. It’s the [perfect gift]( for college grads! [BUY ON AMAZON]( QUOTE OF THE DAY “Using a high-speed camera, we can see a bead of pee form on the butt flicker before it’s flung at extreme accelerations.” [Jordan Collver and Rik Worth explain the feats of a remarkable bug.]( Your free story this Sunday! HISTORY The Prizefighters If you want to know what it takes to succeed in science, head to the Nobel Prize ceremony. BY MICHAEL BROOKS Gutsy. Bloody-minded. Irresponsible. Devious. Cavalier. Reckless. Tough. There’s a Nobel Prize for each of those characteristics. [Continue reading for free→]( Get 15% Off a Digital Nautilus Membership for Father’s Day What better way to connect with your father than by sharing the science storytelling you love? You can gift your dad [a digital Nautilus membership]( for 15% off and get immediate access. Each digital Nautilus membership includes unlimited ad-free articles, a weekly newsletter, and bonus access to Nautilus channels. Nautilus’ engaging science storytelling is the gift that keeps giving year-round. Save money and make your dad proud! [Get 15% off]( P.S. The Nobel Prize-winning botanist and geneticist Barbara McClintock was born on this day in 1902. Her “bloody-minded pursuit of her big idea in genetics [carried her past an array of jeering colleagues](,” wrote Michael Brooks. “One even referred to her as ‘just an old bag,’ but it didn’t stop her bagging the 1983 prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery that genetic elements can change positions on a chromosome, which causes genes to be active or inactive.” Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, if you find our content valuable, consider [becoming a member]( to support our work, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. Copyright © 2024 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](