Why this biologist loves unpopular animals, and more…

We tend to think of animals like snakes, rats and even cockroaches as pests, but in her new book, biologist Marlene Zuk says there's a lot we can learn from these less than desirable creatures, if we just give them a chance.

PLUS:

• A case of mistaken identity: The truth about the world's 'oldest' octopus fossil
• From the archives: Carl Sagan on the worlds beyond our solar system
• The evolutionary cost of our relationship with fire
• We're not speaking as much as we used to — and scientists are concerned