In 2017, astronomers at the Pan-STARRS1 observatory looking for near-Earth asteroids spotted an object as it hurtled past our Sun at 38.3 kilometers per second (23.8 miles per second). Soon, telescopes around the world pointed in the unusual object’s direction, trying to capture as much data as they could before it moved away from the […]
Exceptional Fossils Spill The Secrets Of “Enigmatic” 10-Meter Sharks Found In Mexico
Exquisitely preserved fossils belonging to an extinct group of giant sharks have been discovered in Mexico, and may help solve some centuries-old mysteries surrounding what these enigmas looked like, what they hunted, and how they fit into the shark evolutionary tree. Ptychodus is a genus of extinct sharks from the Albian–Campanian stage of the Cretaceous period […]
Plato’s Exact Burial Place Revealed By Charred Papyrus Near Pompeii
The carbonized remains of an ancient papyrus scroll from Herculaneum have yielded long-lost information concerning Plato, including his exact burial place as well as details about his demise into slavery. Located near the iconic site of Pompeii, Herculaneum was obliterated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, leaving the town – and its […]
Flash Of Gamma Rays In Nearby Galaxy Came From Stupendously Magnetic Dead Star
Last November, astronomers saw a quick gamma-ray explosion lasting one-tenth of a second. Then, 13 seconds later, they knew it came from galaxy M82, which is just 12 million light-years away. Basically next door, as galaxies go. This suggested they had witnessed something quite rare, a flare from a magnetar. A magnetar is a special […]
If The Sun Turned Into A Black Hole, Earth Would Continue Its Orbit
Our Sun is currently around the mid-point of its existence, constantly creating energy (and helium) by fusing hydrogen atoms within its core. As the supply of hydrogen in their cores are depleted, stars like our Sun begin their red giant phase. Advertisement “In about 5 billion years, the Sun will start to run out of […]
Bioluminescent Animals Have Been Glowing For At Least 540 Million Years
Evidence has been found for bioluminescence having existed among animals 540 million years ago, more than doubling the previous record. Besides altering how we picture the oceans of the world in the Ediacaran era and thereafter, the finding could shed light (sorry) on the reasons bioluminescence evolved and is so widely used today. The capacity […]
New Species Of Extinct Kangaroo Was Twice The Weight Of Today’s Big Boys
Aussie scientists have uncovered three new species of giant extinct kangaroo that once skipped around the outback of Australia as well as the forested mountains of Tasmania and New Guinea. The three new species are members of the extinct genus Protemnodon, which lived from around 5 million to 40,000 years ago. Advertisement The biggest of […]
Tiger Kills Crocodile And Is Filmed Feasting On It With Her Cubs
A Bengal tiger and her cubs were spotted by tourists as they feasted on a crocodile in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India. The 6-year-old tiger T-124, aka Riddhi, had been spotted pursuing these scaly targets previously. A video shared in February shows her approaching a crocodile from the water’s edge – although that particular […]
Four Regions Of The Sun Seen Exploding Simultaneously
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a rare phenomenon on Tuesday, April 23: four enormous regions of the Sun exploding simultaneously. Eruptions on the Sun are a common occurrence, especially as we are around the peak of the Sun’s activity cycle, known as the solar maximum. During this part of the Schwabe cycle, sunspots and […]
The Earth’s Magnetic Field Is At Least 3.7-Billion-Years Old, New Evidence Shows
The oldest clear evidence for the Earth’s magnetic field shows that it had formed well within the first billion years of the planet’s existence. The new finding takes us closer to answering the important question of whether the Earth’s magnetic field dates to its formation and if not, how soon afterward it appeared. The magnetic […]
Behold The Thermonator: World’s First Flame-Throwing Robot Dog Is For Sale
Finally – FINALLY! – the world’s first flame-throwing robot dog is available for the general public to purchase in the US. What could possibly go wrong? Ohio-based company Throwflame is selling the “Thermonator” on its website with a price tag of $9,420 (with free shipping in the US, by the way). Advertisement The remotely operated quadruped […]
Deepstaria: A Giant Deep Sea Jelly That Houses A Tiny Isopod Pal
Deepstaria looks like a cross between a ghost emoji and a floating plastic bag, but don’t be tempted to underestimate this shape-shifting jellyfish: it’s among the largest and strangest invertebrate predators of the deep sea. There are two recognized species of Deepstaria – D. enigmatica and D. reticulum – named after the US research sub Deepstar 4000 […]
Uranus May Be Filled With A Lot More Methane Than We Thought
Astronomers taking a closer look at Uranus believe it could be filled with a lot more methane than we previously thought. Uranus and Neptune are often referred to as ice giants, with scientists believing that they are mostly made up of “icy” materials such as water, methane, and ammonia, surrounding a hot, rocky core. One […]
Tesla Recalls Thousands Of Cybertrucks Due To “Unapproved” Introduction Of Lubricant
Tesla has recalled all Cybertrucks produced between November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024 due to a fault with the accelerator pedals, increasing the risk of a crash. The firm, of which Elon Musk is CEO, recalled all 3,878 Cybertrucks sold during this period, estimating that 100 percent of these trucks were affected by the […]
Zabargad Island: A Land Made Of Green Gemstones In The Red Sea
An island made of gemstones may sound like the daydream of a rum-addled pirate, but if you sail around the Red Sea you might be lucky enough to find Zabargad Island. The small island is formed of a barren surface brimming in peridotite, a rock that’s laced with beautiful peridot gemstones. Zabargad Island is located […]
What Would Be The Scariest Message Humanity Could Receive From Space?
If there are alien civilizations out there close enough to pick up our stray signals, there’s a non-zero chance that amongst the first transmissions, they could receive the opening of the 1936 Olympic Games, meaning our first contact with another species (in the unlikely event that they picked them up) could include a speech by […]
Drunk Driving Charge Dropped Against Man Who Brews Alcohol In His Stomach
A Belgian man charged with drink driving has had the case against him dismissed after proving that he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare condition that causes patients to brew alcohol inside their stomachs. In April 2022, the 40-year-old patient was charged after being breathalyzed by police, showing an alcohol level of 0.91 milligrams of […]
At What Age Do You Consider Somebody “Old”?
When would you say “old age” begins? It’s possible that the closer you think you are to that threshold, the later you’ll put it, but people’s general perceptions of old age have been changing over time. New research finds that nowadays, we think of old age starting later than we used to – but that […]
Watch The Sun Briefly Pull Off The Devil Comet’s Tail
NASA’s STEREO A spacecraft has spotted a powerful eruption on the Sun ripping the tail off comet Pons-Brooks, although it quickly regrew. This is far from the first time STEREO A has spotted the Sun toying with a dirty snowball like this, but the images are particularly dramatic. Comet tails are wispy things caused when […]
Black Swallower: A Deep-Sea Fish That Gulps Prey Bigger Than Itself
You never know when your next dinner is coming in the deep sea. To ensure it never misses a meal, the black swallower fish has evolved a formidable jaw and a balloon-like belly that allows it to swallow prey much larger than itself. The black swallower (Chiasmodon niger) measures just 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) […]
