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Animals

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An orangutan named Rocky has become the first to mimic human speech, and is shedding exciting new light on the origins of how we talk. Orangutans are great apes, a branch of primates that also includes chimps, bonobos and gorillas. Great apes are important to scientists because they’re closer to humans than any other animals. When they do things that humans can, we gain insights into how we may have evolved.

The orangutan who speaks like a human

- All

Evolution

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What does it mean to be human? It’s a question we have been asking for thousands of years. Priests and poets, philosophers and politicians, scientists and artists have all sought to answer this ultimate puzzle, but all fell short, never able to fully capture the vastness of the human experience.

What does it mean to be human?

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One of the fastest birds of prey in the ultimate test of speed


Falcon vs car

This sea-diving lizard only has 30 minutes to search for food before his muscles seize up.

The marine iguana

Reptiles & amphibians

Oceans

Amazing animals

Rare animals

Unusual animals

The solar winds scatter electrically charged particles that would hit and ravage the Earth were it not for its magnetic field. This is what the Northern Lights reveal and one of the reasons why life is able to exist on our planet.

The northern lights reveal why there's life on Earth

The Planets

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