Nora White, 6, dumps a cup of water on her sister Kennedy White, 3, at Barnett Field Splash Pad in Edmond, Okla., on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.(Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)

Monkeys climb onto tourists during the annual Monkey Festival, after officials start capturing monkeys, in Lopburi province, Thailand, on November 24, 2024. (Photo by Patipat Janthong/Reuters)

Fishermen fill crates with sardines netted during the annual sardine run in Warner Beach, South Africa on June 3, 2025. (Photo by Rogan Ward/Reuters)

Mott Sreymom, 34, a rat handler with the humanitarian demining organization APOPO, carries an African giant pouched rat back from a landmine field in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Photo by Anton L. Delgado/AP Photo)

This undated image provided by World View shows World View capsule and balloon spacecraft that will rise to 100,000 feet above Earth for passengers to see the curvature of the planet and the blackness of space. Space tourism companies are employing designs including winged vehicles, vertical rockets with capsules and high-altitude balloons. While developers envision ultimately taking people to orbiting habitats, the moon or beyond, the immediate future involves short flights into or near the lowest reaches of space without going into orbit. (Photo by World View via AP Photo)

Once upon a time a myth was born that insects, unlike animals, are just a machines that not capable of learning and survive only based on their instincts. That myth has become the widespread opinion. Of course, this opinion is indeed erroneous, like many other widespread opinions. Let us try to find out which part is a myth and which part is true.

Finding just the right spot above the clouds at Camp 1 on Ama Dablam, Danuru Sherpa uses his iPhone to catch up with friends and family. Even at 18,500 feet (5,654 meters), climbers here can check their email and other dispatches from the world below. (Photo by Aaron Huey/National Geographic)

The Royal Observatory just announced its Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 winners. Australian photographer Mark Gee was chosen among a thousand amateur and professional photographers around the globe to win the top title. His work is part of an exhibition of the winning photographers, which opened on Sept. 19 at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The Royal Observatory shared with us the winners and notable mentions of the competition. Their descriptions of the prizewinners can be found below the images.