"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The length of time for which you can balance on one leg may be an important indicator of how well you’re ...

Unless you’re a budding yogi, it’s not often that you stand on one leg. After all, you’re not a flamingo. But this quick minute(ish) activity can actually reveal a lot about your physical health. It’s ...

It’s one of those classic sights that feels like a glitch in nature: a bright pink bird balanced on a […] ...

Standing on one leg requires the brain to integrate information from the eyes, the vestibular system in the inner ear, and the somatosensory system, which senses body position and ground contact.

Last Word is New Scientist’s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To ...

It’s a question visitors ask staff all the time at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Bird House. The answer may surprise you! Mike Bock A pair of short-billed dowitchers, foreground, adopt a one-legged ...