Nonfiction Science

Did you know that a rattlesnake’s rattle is made up of segments of keratin? These segments knock against each other to produce a buzzing or rattle-like sound. Rattlesnakes use their rattles to distract their prey or to warn a predator to stay away! Each time a rattlesnake sheds its skin, it adds another segment to their rattle. Have you ever wondered why snakes stick out their tongues? They use their tongues to pick up scents. As they move their tongues back inside their mouths, a special “taste-smell” organ helps them locate their next meal.

Learn about the workings of the Human Body with iMindsJNR audio learning series for younger minds. The human body is more sophisticated than even the best computer. But while scientists know more about the human body than perhaps anything else, there are still mysteries that baffle us. When it comes to the human body, it seems that the more we know, the more we realise we don't know!

Fall brings cooler weather and in autumn there are shorter days. The leaves change from green to orange, red, and purple, until they start falling to the ground.

The word “mammal” refers to a mother’s mammary gland, which is used to feed her babies milk. Most mammals are warm-blooded animals that give birth to their babies live, although there are some mammals that do lay eggs. Mammals have backbones and most mammals have hair. Did you know that you are a mammal? Catchy lyrics and a fun melody line will teach kids about mammals in this fabulous audiobook.

Years ago, when astronauts needed to leave the spacecraft, they used the manned maneuvering unit (MMU). Even though this piece of equipment is no longer used, it is still very interesting.

Lions are meat-eating mammals that like to live in groups or families. A lion's family is called a “pride.” Usually there will be many females that live together along with their cubs, but only one male. Lions like to play and hunt together. Because they have a keen sense of hearing and sight, they often will hunt at night. Usually the females do the hunting. They work in groups to catch their prey. The male lion takes his share of the catch before the females and cubs get any food. Lions are known for their loud, ferocious roar.

If you love to learn about dinosaurs, you might want to consider becoming a paleontologist. A paleontologist studies the remains of prehistoric life. They study why fossils form and why the animals and plants lived where they did.

"Henry Gee presents a pithy, fascinating account of the stages of biological evolution. ... a meditative and friendly listening experience. —AudioFile on A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth Written and read by the award-winning author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: a history...

Charlotte Runcie has always felt pulled to the sea, lured by its soothing, calming qualities but also enlivened and inspired by its salty wildness. When she loses her beloved grandmother and becomes pregnant with her first child, she feels its pull even more intensely. In Salt on Your Tongue Charlotte explores what the sea means to us and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages.

An "elegant", "engrossing" (Carol Tavris, Wall Street Journal) examination of what we think we know about the brain and why -- despite technological advances -- the workings of our most essential organ remain a mystery. "I cannot recommend this book strongly enough."--Henry Marsh, author of Do...

Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for you. There's a long-running joke that after "coming out", a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. This is that instruction manual. You're welcome.

On the eve of a major treaty conference between Iroquois leaders and European colonists in the distant summer of 1722, two White fur traders attacked an Indigenous hunter and left him for dead near Conestoga, Pennsylvania. This act of brutality set into motion a remarkable series of criminal investigations and cross-cultural negotiations that challenged the definition of justice in early America. Leading historian Nicole Eustace reconstructs the crime and its aftermath, bringing us into the overlapping worlds of white colonists and Indigenous peoples in this formative period.

Departing from a simple linear history, The Soviet Century traces all the continuities and ruptures that led from the founding revolution of October 1917, to the final collapse of the late 1980s and early 1990s, passing through the Stalinist dictatorship, the impossible reforms of the Khrushchev years, and the glasnost and perestroika policies of Gorbachev.

Squeal! Guinea pigs make fun pets. Some have long hair and some have almost no hair at all. Some have crests on their heads and others have droopy ears. Young listeners will learn about the appearance and behavior of guinea pigs, and discover why these playful rodents make great pets.

Why do mandrills have blue faces? What makes a parrot's feathers so bright? Learn these answers and more about some of nature’s most colorful creatures in Science Behind the Colors.

Welcome to Peru! Hike through the clouds to ancient cities of the Andes Mountains. Hear the calls of birds in the Amazon rain forest. Learn about the people, places, and traditions of this beautiful South American country.

The radical, paradigm-shifting international bestseller that destroys our delusions about energy consumption and will change the way we talk about climate change. We have long been taught that humanity’s relationship with energy is one of progress, with wood superseded by coal, coal by oil...

From Oxford's leading AI researcher comes a fun and accessible tour through the history and future of one of the most cutting edge and misunderstood field in science: Artificial Intelligence The somewhat ill-defined long-term aim of AI is to build machines that are conscious, self-aware, and...

In 1939, 50 million Americans went to the movies every week, Louis B. Mayer was the highest-paid man in the country, and Hollywood produced 530 feature films a year. One decade and five thousand movies later, the studios were faltering....

Polar bears look cuddly, but beware! Their curved claws, powerful jaws, and jagged teeth all help them attack and kill prey. Discover how the world’s biggest land predator finds its next meal.