Professor Pip's Science Discovery Collection

A collection of children's stories where Professor Pip learns and teaches kids about science.

Professor Pip's Bug Adventure: Discovering the Wonders of Insects

Professor Pip's Bug Adventure: Discovering the Wonders of Insects

This children's book text is a whimsical journey filled with colorful illustrations and engaging characters, designed to stimulate kids' imaginations, teach valuable lessons, and foster a lifelong love of reading.

Professor Pip and Maya's Galactic Quest

The Search for Earth's Second Home

Professor Pip and Maya's Galactic Quest

Professor Pip and his young assistant, Maya, are on a mission to find Earth's second home among the stars! They use Professor Pip’s specially built 'Astro-Scanner' (modeled after JWST) to observe a distant planet. The planet seems dull until they realize that the star's light passing through its atmosphere is leaving colorful fingerprints—these are the 'biosignatures.' Pip teaches Maya how to read these spectral clues, realizing one fingerprint suggests water vapor and another suggests something living might be breathing out oxygen!

Professor Pip's Green Thumb Adventure: The Magic of Photosynthesis

Professor Pip's Green Thumb Adventure: The Magic of Photosynthesis

What makes a tiny seed grow into a big plant? Professor Pip digs into the science of photosynthesis, explaining how plants use sunlight, water, and air to grow and thrive.

Professor Pip's Heart Adventure: A Journey Through the Human Heart

Professor Pip's Heart Adventure: A Journey Through the Human Heart

Professor Pip standing knee-deep inside a giant, brightly colored, translucent model of a human heart, pointing at the flow lines of red and blue "blood" with a tiny pointer.

Professor Pip and Zippy's DNA Adventure: The Mystery of the Wilting Plant

Professor Pip and Zippy's DNA Adventure: The Mystery of the Wilting Plant

Professor Pip's laboratory falls into chaos when a magical, unseen 'Genetic Glitch' begins making common animals (like ladybugs or squirrels) unwell because their instruction manuals (DNA) have tiny mistakes! With the help of his student companion, Zippy the microscope monster, and using miniature, molecular scissors (representing CRISPR), Professor Pip must guide them to find the exact faulty gene sequence and 'snip it out' while simultaneously pasting in the correct healthy code. They save the day by fixing a sample plant that is struggling to bloom.

Professor Pip and Beavers in London

Saving a London Train Station From Flooding

Professor Pip and Beavers in London

Professor Pip knelt on the riverbank in the golden afternoon light, patting his bulging green lab-coat pockets. "Hmmm, where did I put it… ah!" He pulled out a small wooden tray, a handful of little twigs, and a paper cup full of water. ...

Professor Pip and the Enchanted Fireflies: A Forest Adventure

Professor Pip and the Enchanted Fireflies: A Forest Adventure

How do fireflies light up the night? Professor Pip shines a light on the science of bioluminescence, teaching kids about how these tiny creatures create their own beautiful glow.

Professor Pip Introduces Tylosaurus rex

A new sea king from the dinosaur age

Professor Pip Introduces Tylosaurus rex

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. The waves whispered against the sandy shore as he reached in and pulled out a long, curved fossil tooth, almost as long as his a...

Professor Pip's Incredible Invention: A Tale of Teamwork and Ingenuity

Professor Pip's Incredible Invention: A Tale of Teamwork and Ingenuity

Professor Pip reviewing a large blueprint with a pencil, standing in front of a busy, small-scale construction site with wooden beams and miniature equipment.

Professor Pip Goes to Japan

Professor Pip Goes to Japan

Professor Pip adjusted his crooked spectacles and pulled a folded map from one of his bulging green lab-coat pockets. "Today's adventure," he announced, his fluffy ringed tail swishing excitedly, "takes us to one of the most fascinati...

Professor Pip and Astro's Cosmic Adventure: Discovering Distant Worlds

Professor Pip and Astro's Cosmic Adventure: Discovering Distant Worlds

Professor Pip and his trusty space robot companion, Astro, are tasked with investigating a series of distant stars. They realize that simply seeing a star isn't enough; they need to find the planets orbiting them! Using advanced 'cosmic filters,' Professor Pip teaches the children how scientists use the transit method—watching for a slight dip in starlight when a planet passes in front of its star—to map out and characterize newly discovered, potentially life-supporting worlds.

Professor Pip and the Dinosaur Discovery

Professor Pip and the Dinosaur Discovery

Professor Pip carefully brushing dust off a large, exposed dinosaur bone (like a femur or skull) at a sunny, sandy dig site, using a tiny brush and wearing a wide-brimmed safari hat over his lab coat.

Professor Pip's Cosmic Journey: A Magical Tour of the Solar System

Professor Pip's Cosmic Journey: A Magical Tour of the Solar System

Professor Pip explains about the planets in our solar system, their unique features, and how they orbit the sun. With one page dedicated to detailing each planet, and others discussing the sun and the system as a whole, children will embark on an exciting journey through space, learning fun facts about each celestial body.

Professor Pip's Division Adventure: A Forest Friends Math Journey

Professor Pip's Division Adventure: A Forest Friends Math Journey

Professor Pip explains math explaining division and some tricks to help kids do division in their head, get faster at thinkiing about division, and how to work through problems on paper.

Professor Pip's Amazing Erosion Adventure

How Rivers Shape the Earth

Professor Pip's Amazing Erosion Adventure

This children's book text features engaging stories and colorful illustrations designed to teach and entertain young readers, fostering their imagination, learning, and love for reading.

Professor Pip's Sound Wave Adventure

Professor Pip's Sound Wave Adventure

What makes a loud noise different from a quiet one? Professor Pip demonstrates the science of sound waves and vibrations, showing how everything from a gentle whisper to a big bang travels through the air.

Professor Pip's Electric Adventures: A Static Electricity Story

Professor Pip's Electric Adventures: A Static Electricity Story

Professor Pip explains Professor static electricity. He is demonstrating static electricity with balloons and hair to a room full of curious children.

Professor Pip's Starry Adventure: A Red Panda's Journey Through the Cosmos

Professor Pip's Starry Adventure: A Red Panda's Journey Through the Cosmos

Professor Pip enthusiastically looking through a large brass telescope, set up on a grassy hill, with a clear, star-filled night sky and a vibrant nebula visible in the background.

Professor Pip and the Secrets of the Silver Screen

Professor Pip and the Secrets of the Silver Screen

This children's book features engaging narratives and vibrant illustrations to cultivate imagination, foster creativity, and teach valuable lessons to young readers.

Professor Pip's Deep Sea Adventure: Discovering the Ocean's Wonders

Professor Pip's Deep Sea Adventure: Discovering the Ocean's Wonders

Professor Pip peering out the circular window of a whimsical, mini-submarine, observing colorful coral and friendly deep-sea creatures.

Professor Pip's Icy Adventure: A Journey into the World of Freezing Water

Professor Pip's Icy Adventure: A Journey into the World of Freezing Water

Dive into the chilly world of freezing water with Professor Pip! Learn how liquid water turns into solid ice, discovering the science of molecules and temperature changes.

Professor Pip and the Magnetic Mystery

Professor Pip and the Magnetic Mystery

What makes magnets stick to some things and not others? Professor Pip explores the invisible forces of magnetism, showing how a simple stone can have a powerful, invisible pull.

Professor Pip's Volcano Adventure: Discovering the Fiery Secrets of Our Earth

Professor Pip's Volcano Adventure: Discovering the Fiery Secrets of Our Earth

What makes volcanoes go "BOOM!"? Professor Pip explains the incredible science behind volcanic eruptions, teaching kids about magma, pressure, and the Earth's fiery inner workings.

Professor Pip and the Day-Night Mystery

Professor Pip and the Day-Night Mystery

Why is it light outside during the day and dark at night? Professor Pip uses a flashlight and a globe to explain the Earth's rotation and how it creates our daily cycle of light and darkness.

Professor Pip's Tornado Twirl

What makes a tornado spin? Professor Pip shows how swirling winds and clouds can create a powerful vortex, explaining the science of these incredible weather phenomena.

Professor Pip's Tornado Twirl

This children's book features engaging text that captivates young readers with fascinating stories, fun characters, and educational content, designed to stimulate their imagination and promote a love for reading.

Professor Pip's Mammoth Miracle: An Arctic Adventure

Professor Pip's Mammoth Miracle: An Arctic Adventure

Professor Pip explains how to bring back extinct animals via cloning and trying to restore wolly mammoths to the arctic tundra.

Professor Pip's Awesome Autumn Colors

Professor Pip's Awesome Autumn Colors

This children's book text is a fun, educational narrative that combines engaging characters and vivid illustrations, aiming to spark a child's imagination while promoting a love for reading and learning.

Stories & Updates

Read short stories and latest discoveries from the Professor Pip's Science Discovery team.

Newsletter Issue

A See-Through Fish Was Just Filmed Alive in the Deep Sea

A See-Through Fish Was Just Filmed Alive in the Deep Sea
The News: On a 35-day expedition off the coast of Brazil aboard the research ship Falkor, scientists filmed a barreleye fish (Winteria telescopa) alive in it...

Professor Pip’s fluffy tail was bouncing so much it nearly knocked over a lantern. On the deck of the Little Compass, a sturdy little research boat, he cradled a large glass jar of seawater against the pink twilight s...

Newsletter Issue

Scientists Found a Sweet Sugar Floating Near the Milky Way's Heart

Scientists Found a Sweet Sugar Floating Near the Milky Way's Heart
The News: Astronomers using two radio telescopes in Spain have detected a real sugar molecule — called erythrulose, the same kind found in raspberries — drif...

Professor Pip nudged his crooked spectacles up his nose and grinned at the open dome above his head. A river of stars spilled across the sky, so bright that Mia and Leo could see each other’s faces in the starlight. “...

Newsletter Issue

One Little Bone Reveals a Giant Long-Necked Dinosaur

One Little Bone Reveals a Giant Long-Necked Dinosaur
The News: In northeastern Thailand, paleontologists have named a brand-new dinosaur species — Uragasaurus kalasinensis — from a single fossil bone (a vertebr...

Professor Pip patted the sandy soil and let out a happy whumf. “Ah! Here we are, my brave paleontologists — a fossil dig in the sun!” Mia, Leo, and their new friend Asha crouched around a patch of tan rock. In the mid...

Newsletter Issue

The Shark That Takes a Stroll

The Shark That Takes a Stroll
The News: Off the coral reefs of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, scientists just identified a brand new species of 'walking shark' — the Dudgeon walking shark, ...

Professor Pip was crouched on a smooth wet rock at the edge of a tropical reef when the children came racing up, sandy feet slapping."Professor! Professor! What are you looking at?!"Pip pressed a paw to his lips. "Shh...

Newsletter Issue

One Old Bone, A Whole New Dinosaur

One Old Bone, A Whole New Dinosaur
The News: Paleontologists in Thailand just named a brand-new dinosaur — Uragasaurus kalasinensis — that lived about 150 million years ago and stretched rough...

Professor Pip pushed his crooked spectacles up his nose and patted his bulging green coat pockets. "Ah! Just what I need," he said, tugging out a small brass magnifying glass and his little notebook labeled Notes.In f...

Newsletter Issue

A Fish With a See-Through Head

A Fish With a See-Through Head
The News: Scientists exploring a wild patch of the Atlantic Ocean called the Doldrums Fracture Zone filmed a live barreleye fish — Winteria telescopa — for t...

Inside Professor Pip's cozy little lab, the lamps were dim and a great glass tank of dark, dark water glowed a soft blue-green in the middle of the room."Come closer, come closer!" whispered Pip, pressing his paw agai...

Newsletter Issue

Two Galaxies Crashed, Twirled, and Made a Cosmic Masterpiece

Two Galaxies Crashed, Twirled, and Made a Cosmic Masterpiece
The News: This week NASA's James Webb Space Telescope turned four years old, and to celebrate, scientists released the sharpest picture ever taken of a galax...

Professor Pip stepped out onto the porch just as the last streak of sunset faded from the sky. He adjusted his crooked spectacles, patted his bulging green lab-coat pockets, and pulled out two small glass bowls — one ...

Newsletter Issue

A Baby Dinosaur Was Found Hiding Inside a Rock — Without Cracking It Open

A Baby Dinosaur Was Found Hiding Inside a Rock — Without Cracking It Open
The News: Scientists in Korea and Texas just announced a brand-new baby dinosaur species — the very first new Korean dinosaur in fifteen years, and the first...

Professor Pip set a chunky brown rock on his workbench and grinned. He adjusted his crooked spectacles, patted his bulging green lab-coat pockets, and pulled out a small brass flashlight — and then a wobbly block of p...

Newsletter Issue

A 125-Million-Year-Old Shark Was Finally Filmed Alive

A 125-Million-Year-Old Shark Was Finally Filmed Alive
The News: Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi and the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Center just filmed a goblin shark alive in the wild for the very f...

Professor Pip's cozy lab glowed with warm amber lamplight. He adjusted his crooked spectacles, patted the bulging pockets of his forest-green lab coat, and pulled out a stack of colored cardstock plates — bright sunli...

Newsletter Issue

A Dinosaur Was Hiding in a Museum Drawer for 40 Years!

A Dinosaur Was Hiding in a Museum Drawer for 40 Years!
The News: Scientists just announced that a bone collected in Antarctica way back in 1985 — and stored in a museum drawer ever since — is actually the first d...

Professor Pip adjusted his crooked spectacles and clambered up onto a small wooden step-stool. He was in the very back room of a natural history museum, where enormous wooden drawers stretched from floor to ceiling — ...

Newsletter Issue

Robots Dive Deep and Find 31 Brand-New Sea Creatures!

Robots Dive Deep and Find 31 Brand-New Sea Creatures!
The News: A team of scientists sent a robot submarine called SuBastian deep into the ocean off the coast of Brazil, into a shadowy layer of water called the ...

Twilight had settled over the porch. Professor Pip crouched beside a shallow tin tray filled with dark water, patting his gadget pockets. "Ah! Perfect timing," he said, pulling out a tiny brass flashlight, a chemistry...

Newsletter Issue

Bumblebees Lick Their Lips When They Like a Treat!

Bumblebees Lick Their Lips When They Like a Treat!
The News: Scientists filmed bumblebees in super slow motion and made a surprising discovery: when a bee tastes something sweet, it sticks out its little tong...

The wildflower meadow buzzed with warm afternoon sun. Professor Pip crouched beside a wooden bench where he had set out two tiny white ceramic saucers. One was full of golden honey-water. The other was full of dark, b...

Newsletter Issue

🪐 Two Giant Planets Lighter Than Cotton Candy

🪐 Two Giant Planets Lighter Than Cotton Candy
The News: Astronomers using NASA's TESS space telescope just announced the two biggest "super-puff" planets ever found. They orbit a faraway star called TOI-...

Professor Pip's lab smelled, unexpectedly, of sugar. He was standing at his workbench, tail swishing with excitement, holding a fluffy pink cloud of cotton candy in one paw and a small grey pebble in the other. "Fello...

Newsletter Issue

🕷️ Meet the Ballista Spider — a Bug-Catapult From Down Under

🕷️ Meet the Ballista Spider — a Bug-Catapult From Down Under
The News: Scientists in Australia just described a brand-new spider that catches its meals like a medieval war machine. The ballista spider builds tiny, spri...

Professor Pip crouched on a mossy patch of the Australian rainforest, patting his bulging pockets. "Ah! Just what I need," he said, pulling out a small green rubber band and two smooth twigs. Mia and Leo peered over h...

Newsletter Issue

🦕 A Dinosaur Was Hiding in a Museum Drawer for Forty Years

🦕 A Dinosaur Was Hiding in a Museum Drawer for Forty Years
The News: Back in December 1985, a geologist named Mike Thomson chipped a strange curved bone out of a rocky Antarctic island and shipped it home. Nobody kne...

The museum backroom smelled of old wood and older secrets. Professor Pip padded down the aisle between rows of tall cabinets, his tail swishing softly. Mia and Leo followed close behind, ducking under a lamp that hung...

Newsletter Issue

The Planet That Outlived Its Own Sun

The Planet That Outlived Its Own Sun
The News: Astronomers just used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to peer at a giant planet called WD 1856 b , which orbits the burned-out core of a dead sta...

Professor Pip stood on a grassy hilltop, his brass telescope propped on its tripod. Twilight was turning the sky deep purple, and one bright pinkish glow flickered on the horizon. He patted his lab coat pockets and pu...

Newsletter Issue

Giants Under the Ice: A Dinosaur Turns Up in Antarctica

Giants Under the Ice: A Dinosaur Turns Up in Antarctica
The News: Scientists just announced that the very first dinosaur fossil ever found in Antarctica belonged to the sauropod group — the enormous, long-necked, ...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and stomped his boots to shake off the powdery snow. Around him, warm-glowing tents flapped in the wind, and cold blue light spilled across a rocky slope. He patt...

Newsletter Issue

Meet the Little Shark That Walks in the Moonlight

Meet the Little Shark That Walks in the Moonlight
The News: Divers surveying the reefs of Papua New Guinea have just discovered a brand-new species of shark — and it doesn't only swim. It walks . Meet the Du...

Professor Pip crouched at the edge of a warm, shallow tidepool. The sky above was black and full of stars, and palm trees swayed silently in the salty breeze. He held a small lantern high, and the glow rippled across ...

Newsletter Issue

The Tiny Spider That Catapults Its Dinner Into the Air

The Tiny Spider That Catapults Its Dinner Into the Air
The News: In the rainforests of northern Australia, scientists have just described a brand-new kind of spider that hunts using a built-in catapult. It builds...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip patted his coat pockets. "I know I had a slingshot in here somewhere…" Out came a tiny wooden Y-shape with a rubber band stretched between the prongs, then a small pebble, th...

Newsletter Issue

A Dinosaur Bone Hides in a Drawer for 40 Years

A Dinosaur Bone Hides in a Drawer for 40 Years
The News: Scientists just announced the very first dinosaur bone ever found in Antarctica — and it was sitting in a museum drawer in England for forty years ...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Ah! Just what I need," he murmured, pulling out a brass magnifying glass and a...

Newsletter Issue

Astronomers Spot a New Earth-Sized World Right Next Door

Astronomers Spot a New Earth-Sized World Right Next Door
The News: Astronomers at UC Irvine just announced they've found a new world! It's called GJ 3378b. It's about twice the size of Earth and orbits a star only ...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip set down his picnic basket and patted his pockets. "Ah, here we are — yes — and yes —" Out came a small brass telescope, a thermos of cocoa, and three steaming little mugs. M...

Newsletter Issue

Tiny Feathered Dinosaur Glided Between Trees Like a Flying Squirrel

Tiny Feathered Dinosaur Glided Between Trees Like a Flying Squirrel
The News: Paleontologists in northwestern China have just announced a brand-new species of feathered dinosaur called Jian changmaensis (say it like "jee-AHN ...

Professor Pip patted his lab-coat pockets and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Aha! Just the thing for a hillside afternoon." Mia, Leo, and their friend Asha sat cross-legged in the grass under a tall pine. Pip's ...

Newsletter Issue

Astronomers Find Two Giant "Cotton Candy Planets" Lighter Than Air

Astronomers Find Two Giant "Cotton Candy Planets" Lighter Than Air
The News: Astronomers announced this week that they've found two enormous planets orbiting a star called TOI-791, about 1,100 light-years away. The planets a...

Professor Pip adjusted his crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Ah-ha! Just the thing." Out came a fluffy pink puff of cotton candy — and out of the other pocket, a tiny glass jar ...

Newsletter Issue

A Robot With Three Arms Is Racing Up to Catch a Falling Telescope

A Robot With Three Arms Is Racing Up to Catch a Falling Telescope
The News: High above our heads, a NASA space telescope called Swift is slowly falling toward Earth. It's been watching the universe for 22 years, hunting for...

Professor Pip rummaged in his pockets on the front porch. "Now, where is that — ah! There you are." Out came a long-handled grabber tool with three pinching fingers at the end. From another pocket, a little cardboard ...

Newsletter Issue

Astronomers Just Found Planets Fluffier Than Cotton Candy

Astronomers Just Found Planets Fluffier Than Cotton Candy
The News: Astronomers found two enormous planets that are lighter than cotton candy . The pair, called TOI-791 b and c, are about as big as Jupiter but as fl...

The sun was just dipping behind the hills when Professor Pip rummaged in his pockets and pulled out the strangest pair of objects: a giant pink-and-blue cloud of cotton candy on a stick, and a tiny grey pebble. "Tonig...

Newsletter Issue

Meet the Tiny Dinosaur That Flew Like a Squirrel

Meet the Tiny Dinosaur That Flew Like a Squirrel
The News: Scientists in China just described a brand-new feathered dinosaur called Jian changmaensis . About the size of a barn owl, it lived 120 million yea...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. Out came a pair of folded paper wings, a roll of string, and a wide grin. "Today, my fellow scientists," he ...

Newsletter Issue

Divers Find a Coral Older Than Your Country in a New Zealand Fjord

Divers Find a Coral Older Than Your Country in a New Zealand Fjord
The News: Deep down in the cold, dark waters of Fiordland, New Zealand, marine biologists just found a HUGE black coral. It's about 4 meters (13 feet) tall —...

Professor Pip waddled down to the edge of the tide pool, his green lab coat splashed with seawater and a snorkel mask pushed up over his crooked spectacles. He plopped open his pocket notebook and pulled out a brass m...

Newsletter Issue

A Tiny Spider Builds a Spring-Loaded Catapult to Catch Ants

A Tiny Spider Builds a Spring-Loaded Catapult to Catch Ants
The News: Scientists from Macquarie University in Australia just discovered a brand-new spider deep in the rainforests of Queensland. It's so small you could...

"Watch this very carefully," whispered Professor Pip, sliding his crooked spectacles up his nose. He had crouched down in a sunny clearing, and Mia and Leo had crowded close. In his paws, Pip held a long, thin, green ...

Newsletter Issue

A Sea Cucumber's Tiny "Toes" Keep Living for Three Whole Years

A Sea Cucumber's Tiny "Toes" Keep Living for Three Whole Years
The News: Marine biologists in Newfoundland, Canada were moving a scarlet sea cucumber between tanks when they noticed something strange: a few of its tiny "...

"Now this," said Professor Pip, kneeling carefully at the edge of a glittering tide pool, "is a question I find delicious." He held up his chemistry flask — full of clear, salty seawater — and squinted at it through h...

Newsletter Issue

A 12-Billion-Year-Old Snowball Just Zoomed Through Our Sky

A 12-Billion-Year-Old Snowball Just Zoomed Through Our Sky
The News: Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just figured out something amazing about a comet called 3I/ATLAS that visited our solar system ...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and squinted up at the deepening sky. The first stars were beginning to wink on above the hilltop. "Ah! Perfect timing," he said, patting his bulging green lab co...

Newsletter Issue

A Cartoon Character Inspired a Real Baby Dinosaur's Name

A Cartoon Character Inspired a Real Baby Dinosaur's Name
The News: Scientists in Korea just announced a brand-new species of baby dinosaur named Doolysaurus , after a beloved green dinosaur cartoon character named ...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip pushed his crooked spectacles up his nose and patted his pockets, sending up a small puff of garden dust. "Ah! There you are," he said, fishing out a soft fossil brush and hi...

Newsletter Issue

The Pop-Out-Jaw Shark Nobody Had Ever Filmed

The Pop-Out-Jaw Shark Nobody Had Ever Filmed
The News: Scientists in Hawaii and Australia just shared something thrilling: for the very first time, an extremely rare deep-sea creature called a goblin sh...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip stood in his cozy wood-paneled lab, beside a tall round aquarium tank lit from above by a single beam of light. The water in the tank looked dark and mysterious, like the dee...

Newsletter Issue

A Wobbly Space Peanut Tumbles Through the Stars

A Wobbly Space Peanut Tumbles Through the Stars
The News: NASA's Lucy spacecraft just shared what it learned when it zoomed past a tiny asteroid named Donaldjohanson last year. The asteroid turned out to b...

📚 A Story from Professor Pip Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his forest-green lab coat. "Ah! Just what I need," he said, pulling out a lump of grey clay shaped ...

Newsletter Issue

The fossil that sat on a shelf for 66 years — and rewrote how life came on land

The fossil that sat on a shelf for 66 years — and rewrote how life came on land
The News: For 66 years, a Vietnam veteran named Richard Rock kept a curling little fossil on his shelf labeled "baby lamprey." A new study in Science shows i...

Professor Pip knelt on a sandy riverbank, gently sweeping his tiny fossil brush across a small reddish stone. Swish… swish… swish. Bit by bit, the brush uncovered a curling shape pressed into the rock — like a tiny li...

Newsletter Issue

A peanut-shaped asteroid that just can't spin straight

A peanut-shaped asteroid that just can't spin straight
The News: NASA's Lucy spacecraft zoomed past a small asteroid named Donaldjohanson (yes, really!) and discovered it's shaped like a peanut — two bumps joined...

Professor Pip pushed his crooked spectacles up his nose and patted his bulging green coat pockets. "Where is it… ah-HA!" He pulled out a small peanut, still in its shell, and held it up. From another pocket came a smo...

Newsletter Issue

The spider that dressed up as the thing that eats spiders

The spider that dressed up as the thing that eats spiders
The News: In the Ecuadorian Amazon, scientists discovered a brand-new spider — Taczanowskia waska — that disguises itself as a parasitic fungus called Gibell...

Professor Pip crouched low on a mossy log, his bushy tail curled neatly behind him, magnifying glass raised in one paw. "Ssshhh," he whispered to the children behind him. "Look very carefully. Do you see it?" The kids...

Newsletter Issue

Watch a Whole Planet Vanish in the Daytime Sky Tomorrow!

Watch a Whole Planet Vanish in the Daytime Sky Tomorrow!
The News: On Wednesday, June 17, the Moon will slide right in front of the planet Venus — in the middle of the bright afternoon sky. People all across the Un...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Aha! Here we are." He pulled out his small brass telescope, his pocket notebook labeled Notes, and — for so...

Newsletter Issue

A 125-Million-Year-Old Shark Finally Caught on Camera!

A 125-Million-Year-Old Shark Finally Caught on Camera!
The News: Scientists have just published the first-ever video of a real, live goblin shark swimming in the deep ocean! Goblin sharks belong to a family that'...

Professor Pip's lab was glowing amber in the dusk light. On the workbench sat a small model of the strangest fish anyone had ever seen — pinkish-grey, with a long flat snout like a sword and a mouth that did not sit w...

Newsletter Issue

Honey Bees Have Their Own Tiny Highways in the Sky

Honey Bees Have Their Own Tiny Highways in the Sky
The News: Scientists at the University of Freiburg in Germany used a clever drone-camera trick to follow real, wild honey bees flying back and forth between ...

Professor Pip sat in the warm meadow beside an old wooden beehive, his bushy tail curled neatly around his paws. The air buzzed gently. Bees zipped past his whiskers, in and out of the hive, on important bee business....

Newsletter Issue

Tiny Crawlers Walked the Land 460 Million Years Ago

Tiny Crawlers Walked the Land 460 Million Years Ago
The News: Scientists at Virginia Tech just finished building the first complete family tree of every kind of millipede alive today. Using DNA from 82 species...

Professor Pip pushed aside a curtain of ferns and dropped to his knees on the damp forest floor. "Aha! Right where I left it." He pulled out his big round magnifying glass and pointed. Curled in the leaf litter was a ...

Newsletter Issue

The Moon You Can't See — But the Ocean Sure Can

The Moon You Can't See — But the Ocean Sure Can
The News: This weekend — June 14 through June 16 — Earth is passing through a super new Moon . The Moon is at its closest point to Earth all year (about 357,...

Professor Pip stood at the top of a soft, grassy hill, his lab coat flapping gently in the night breeze. Above him, the sky was the deepest blue-black, freckled with more stars than the children had ever seen. "Now th...

Newsletter Issue

A Parrot Might Actually Know Your Name

A Parrot Might Actually Know Your Name
The News: Scientists at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Pittsburgh studied recordings of more than 889 pet parrots — and found stro...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the pockets of his green lab coat. "Aha! Just what I need." Out came his pocket notebook, a pencil, and a small handful of paper tags tied with string....

Newsletter Issue

A tiny piece of frozen poop tells the secret of the Ice Age

A tiny piece of frozen poop tells the secret of the Ice Age
The News: Scientists drilling into the frozen Arctic ground this week pulled out a pellet of 30,000-year-old squirrel droppings . Inside, they found tiny tra...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Ah, here we are," he said, fishing out his magnifying glass, his pocket notebook labeled "Notes," and a sma...

Newsletter Issue

A faraway planet where sunset doesn't match sunrise

A faraway planet where sunset doesn't match sunrise
The News: Using the gigantic James Webb Space Telescope, scientists this week mapped the morning and evening sides of a faraway "hot Jupiter" planet called W...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and pulled out his small brass telescope from one of the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. Then he fished out a red balloon, a small flashlight, and a tiny b...

Newsletter Issue

Beneath every forest, a hidden web bigger than half a galaxy

Beneath every forest, a hidden web bigger than half a galaxy
The News: Researchers just published the first global map of mycorrhizal fungi — the secret network of thread-like fungus living underneath nearly every fore...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and crouched low among the tall mossy trees. He patted his bulging lab-coat pockets and pulled out his magnifying glass and a long length of pale string. His note...

Newsletter Issue

A bee with a brain smaller than a sesame seed just solved a puzzle

A bee with a brain smaller than a sesame seed just solved a puzzle
The News: Scientists at the Centre for Ecological Research in Hungary just published a study showing that bumblebees can solve brand-new puzzles all on their...

Professor Pip patted his bulging green lab coat and pulled out — clunk — a small wooden box no bigger than a teacup. A bright yellow string dangled out one side. "Today, my fellow scientists," he announced, his bushy ...

Newsletter Issue

City birds are changing their songs to be heard over traffic

City birds are changing their songs to be heard over traffic
The News: A new study from the same Hungarian research center found that birds living in busy cities are singing differently than birds living in quiet fores...

Professor Pip's porch had a perfect view of the busy street below. A truck rumbled past. A bus hissed. A jackhammer thudded somewhere a block over. And on the porch railing — improbably — a small red-breasted robin sa...

Newsletter Issue

Two planets are sharing a "cosmic kiss" — and you can see it tonight

Two planets are sharing a "cosmic kiss" — and you can see it tonight
The News: Right now, on Monday and Tuesday nights, two of the brightest dots in our sky — Venus and Jupiter — appear so close together they look like one gia...

The sun had just slipped behind the hill, leaving the sky in glowing layers of peach, lavender, and deep navy. Professor Pip stood at the top of the hill, fishing inside his green lab coat. Out came his small brass te...

Newsletter Issue

An Eight-Armed Genius Just Passed the Mirror Test

An Eight-Armed Genius Just Passed the Mirror Test
The News: Scientists at Dartmouth College found that octopuses can use mirrors as tools to find food hidden where they can't see it directly. The clever ceph...

Professor Pip's whiskers twitched as he reached deep into his lab coat pocket. "Aha! Just the thing." He pulled out a small round mirror, no bigger than a teacup, and held it up so a sunbeam bounced off its surface an...

Newsletter Issue

A Whisper-Quiet Plane Just Broke the Sound Barrier

A Whisper-Quiet Plane Just Broke the Sound Barrier
The News: NASA's experimental X-59 aircraft flew faster than the speed of sound for the very first time on Friday, hitting Mach 1.1 (about 713 mph) high abov...

Professor Pip stood on the grassy hilltop, paws full of a long, springy ribbon-whip. His tail swished with anticipation. Mia, Leo, and their friend Asha sat cross-legged in the warm grass, watching as he adjusted his ...

Newsletter Issue

A Comet from Another Star Just Spilled an Ancient Secret

A Comet from Another Star Just Spilled an Ancient Secret
The News: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope spotted methane gas — the same stuff that comes out of a stove — pouring off a strange comet named 3I/ATLAS . The...

The porch lantern flickered as Professor Pip held a small block of ice up to the light. Tiny bubbles glinted inside, frozen for who-knew-how-long. Above the trees, the sky was turning deep velvety purple, and one brig...

Newsletter Issue

How Does a Pigeon Find Its Way Home? A Tiny Compass Inside

How Does a Pigeon Find Its Way Home? A Tiny Compass Inside
The News: Scientists have wondered for a long time how a homing pigeon can fly hundreds of miles away from home and still find its way back. This week, resea...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip balanced on a low stone garden wall, his bushy tail twitching for balance. He patted his bulging pockets — clink, clatter — and pulled out his small brass compass. The needle...

Newsletter Issue

An Octopus Looked in a Mirror and Found Its Lunch

An Octopus Looked in a Mirror and Found Its Lunch
The News: At a lab at Dartmouth College, scientists discovered something amazing. Three California two-spot octopuses learned to use a mirror to find food hi...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip's cozy lab smelled like seawater and warm wood. He patted his green coat pockets, fished out a small round silver mirror, and held it up. "Aha! Just the thing." Mia, Leo, and...

Newsletter Issue

A Sleek New Jet Just Cracked the Sound Barrier — With a Whisper

A Sleek New Jet Just Cracked the Sound Barrier — With a Whisper
The News: Today at 11:08 in the morning, NASA's new X-59 jet flew faster than the speed of sound for the very first time. It zipped through the sky at 713 mi...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip stood on a sunny hilltop, the long grass tickling his bushy tail. He patted his bulging green coat pockets, fished out a small white paper airplane, and grinned. "Aha! Just w...

Newsletter Issue

The Tiny Ant That Slept for 40 Million Years

The Tiny Ant That Slept for 40 Million Years
The News: Scientists in Germany just discovered three insects perfectly preserved inside amber that once belonged to the famous 18th-century poet Johann Wolf...

Professor Pip bustled into his cozy lab and patted his pockets one by one. Out came his magnifying glass, his pocket notebook labeled "Notes," and finally — held up like a treasure — a small golden lump that glowed in...

Newsletter Issue

A Comet from Another Star Just Whooshed Past Earth

A Comet from Another Star Just Whooshed Past Earth
The News: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just sniffed out a strange chemical smell coming off a comet called 3I/ATLAS — and the "3I" means it's only the t...

Professor Pip stood on the grassy hilltop at twilight, adjusting his crooked spectacles. From one bulging pocket he pulled a small brass telescope; from another, a chunk of ice with bits of dirt frozen inside; and fro...

Newsletter Issue

Pigeons Have a Secret Compass Tucked Inside Their Liver

Pigeons Have a Secret Compass Tucked Inside Their Liver
The News: Scientists have finally cracked one of biology's oldest mysteries — how homing pigeons find their way home when clouds hide the sun. The surprising...

Professor Pip patted his bulging coat pockets and pulled out a small brass compass and a tiny silver bar magnet. "Ah! Perfect," he announced, his fluffy tail swishing with excitement. A gentle gray pigeon cooed softly...

Newsletter Issue

A 400-year-old shark just whispered its DNA secrets

A 400-year-old shark just whispered its DNA secrets
The News: Scientists at the University of Tokyo, led by Shigeharu Kinoshita, just mapped 96.7% of the genome of a Greenland shark — the very first time anyon...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip pulled his magnifying glass from his coat pocket and pressed it against the glowing blue glass of his big lab tank. Inside, a long, slow, pale-grey shadow drifted by — the si...

Newsletter Issue

How some people see the world with their ears

How some people see the world with their ears
The News: Scientists Haydée García-Lázaro and Santani Teng wanted to know how the human brain builds a picture of a room from just sound . They studied four ...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Ah! Just the things." He pulled out two acorns and a small wooden clicker, the...

Newsletter Issue

A kid-sized space rock went BOOM over New England

A kid-sized space rock went BOOM over New England
The News: On Saturday, May 30, around 2:06 p.m., a brilliant fireball ripped across the daytime sky over the northeastern United States. NASA confirmed the s...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip galloped up the hilltop with his green lab coat flapping behind him, brass telescope tucked under one arm and a bright red balloon bobbing in the other paw. "There!" he point...

Newsletter Issue

Twelve-Thousand-Year-Old Dice Show How Long Kids Have Been Playing

Twelve-Thousand-Year-Old Dice Show How Long Kids Have Been Playing
The News: Archaeologists just announced that small polished bone game pieces found in western North America are about 12,000 years old — making them the olde...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Ah! Here we are," he said, pulling out a small carved bone die and his magnifying glass. He set the die gen...

Newsletter Issue

When Caterpillars Chew, Bean Plants Whisper to Wasps for Help

When Caterpillars Chew, Bean Plants Whisper to Wasps for Help
The News: When caterpillars start munching on bean plant leaves, scientists report the plants do something remarkable — they release tiny chemicals into the ...

Professor Pip stood among tall climbing bean plants, his green lab coat brushing the leaves and his bushy tail swishing through the warm garden air. He patted his pockets and pulled out his magnifying glass. "Oh my wh...

Newsletter Issue

Venus and Jupiter Are About to Look Like They're Hugging

Venus and Jupiter Are About to Look Like They're Hugging
The News: On the night of June 9 , two of the brightest "stars" in the western sky won't be stars at all — they'll be the planets Venus and Jupiter , and the...

The sky was deep blue and the stars were just blinking on, one by one. Professor Pip stood at the top of a soft grassy hill, his fluffy ringed tail swishing in the warm summer air. He patted his pockets and pulled out...

Newsletter Issue

NASA just used Mars as a giant cosmic slingshot

NASA just used Mars as a giant cosmic slingshot
The News: A spacecraft called Psyche just whipped past Mars at about 12,000 miles per hour , coming within 2,900 miles of the Red Planet — closer to Mars tha...

Professor Pip stood on a grassy hilltop, the afternoon sun glowing golden behind him. From his green coat pocket, he pulled out a small rubber ball tied to a long string. "Today, my young scientists," he announced, hi...

Newsletter Issue

On lonely Scottish islands, tiny birds are growing into giants

On lonely Scottish islands, tiny birds are growing into giants
The News: Scientists studying tiny brown birds called wrens on four remote Scottish islands — Shetland, Fair Isle, the Outer Hebrides, and especially St Kild...

The wind whipped across the cliff, tugging at Professor Pip's lab coat. His ringed tail flapped behind him like a striped flag. He held out two small clay birds in his paws — one tiny, one quite a bit bigger. "Look at...

Newsletter Issue

A graveyard was hiding 5.5 million bees underneath it

A graveyard was hiding 5.5 million bees underneath it
The News: Scientists at Cornell University just announced that a quiet New York cemetery — East Lawn in Ithaca — has roughly 5.5 million ground-nesting bees ...

Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted the bulging pockets of his green lab coat. "Aha! Just what we need," he said, pulling out his big brass magnifying glass. He was kneeling in a sunny me...

Newsletter Issue

A 100-Million-Year-Old Bug With Crab-Like Pincers

A 100-Million-Year-Old Bug With Crab-Like Pincers
The News: Scientists studying ancient amber from Myanmar just discovered something nobody has ever seen before — a 100-million-year-old insect with claws lik...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Inside Professor Pip's cozy wood-paneled lab, the lamps glowed amber. He carefully unwrapped a small velvet pouch and placed something golden onto a soft cushion. Then he produced his very...

Newsletter Issue

Whales Filmed Lifting a Newborn for the First Time Ever

Whales Filmed Lifting a Newborn for the First Time Ever
The News: Scientists with Project CETI just released the world's first video of a sperm whale being born. The 34-minute footage was filmed off the coast of D...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP The seaside rock was warm from a long afternoon of sun. Professor Pip set down a wide glass bowl, filled it with seawater, and pulled a little balloon from his pocket along with his pocket...

Newsletter Issue

NASA Plans a Permanent Moon Base — With Hopping Drones!

NASA Plans a Permanent Moon Base — With Hopping Drones!
The News: NASA announced today that it is building a permanent base on the Moon. People will live there as early as 2032. The plan also includes brand-new ho...

📚 A STORY FROM PROFESSOR PIP Professor Pip adjusted his slightly crooked spectacles and patted his bulging green coat pockets. "Ah! Just what I need," he said, pulling out a small rubber ball and a coiled-up balloon. ...