When you look in the mirror, you instantly recognize the person gazing back at you as yourself. Scientists use this reflection recognition as a test of self-awareness. The idea is that our ability to ...

In the late 1960s, while the world preoccupied itself with rock-'n'-roll and flower power and moon landings, a small bird far out in the Indian Ocean came within a hair's breadth of vanishing forever.

Babies love mirrors. But not until about age 2 do toddlers make the connection between the baby in the mirror and themselves. Recognizing ourselves in a mirror is one of the traits that make humans, ...

Magpies are not attracted to shiny objects and don't routinely steal small trinkets such as jewelry, according to a new study. In European culture, it is widely accepted that magpies (Pica pica) are ...

Unlike Narcissus of Greek mythology—who upon seeing his reflection in water jumped in thinking it was another—magpies have proven they can recognize their own reflections. Until now, only a small ...