In the history of medicine, there is one story that is a fantastic example of how observation and experimentation can lead to significant changes and discoveries. The same story, however, is also an extreme example of how some scientific ideas can nevertheless be dismissed in favor of tradition. During the 1840s, at the Vienna General […]
War Elephants Led To An Embarrassing Death For Pyrrhus, King Of Epirus
A Pyrrhic victory means winning at such a great cost, it almost amounts to a defeat. Highly relatable to anyone who’s ever tried to “win” at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and a lesson that Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, learned the hard way when he went to war with elephants. The first time Romans saw an elephant […]
Why Is The Greenwich Meridian Not Where It Should Be?
Greenwich is home to the Prime Meridian, but just visiting the world famous Royal Observatory won’t actually make you cross from one hemisphere to the other. That’s because the actual zero meridian is now a little bit off from where it was established: 102.5 meters (334 feet). You can blame improvements in technology and science […]
70-Million-Year-Old “Dinosaur Coliseum” Is A Vertical Lasagne Of Footprints
Alaska’s largest dinosaur track site has been discovered in Denali National Park, and researchers are calling it a “dinosaur coliseum”. If the epic nickname isn’t enough to convince you that this is a big deal, a new study has described how the coliseum contains a record number of species’ footprints across many generations in the […]
Can Domestic Dogs Breed With Wolves?
The pet dog lounging on your sofa and the feral wolf roaming the harsh wilderness share some clear differences – as well as some very significant similarities. Given their proximity in the family tree, it is possible for domestic dogs to breed with a number of wolf species, including gray wolves, eastern wolves, red wolves, […]
Does Power Corrupt, Or Are The Corrupted More Apt To Seek Power?
Whether power corrupts a person – or if a corrupt person is more apt to pursue a position of power – has long been a question amongst the scientific community. Take, for example, the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, an inherently flawed study that was halted after six days following the abuse doled out by one […]
Brain Activity Translated Into Snippets Of Classic Rock Song In Breakthrough Study
Music is such a central part of what it means to be human, yet there’s so much scientists don’t know about what goes on in our brains when we listen to our favorite tunes. Now, a study has broken new ground by showing that it is possible to reconstruct a song that someone was hearing […]
A New “Gold Rush” Is Brewing – And Potential Disaster Looms
The world is on the cusp of a new “gold rush” – and it has the potential to be disastrous for the marine environment. As demand for electronics and batteries continues to grow, eagle-eyed investors are looking to make a fortune by mining the deep sea for rare minerals. While an appetite for profits is […]
“Cosmic Gold Factory” Kilonova Forged 1,000 Earths Worth Of Heavy Metals
An exceptional explosion 1.3 billion light years from Earth produced enough heavy metals to outweigh all the planets, moons, and asteroids in the Solar System combined, just from the scarcest elements in the universe. Despite the rarity of the event, the production of precious metals and other rarities was so great that these events could […]
Why People Think We Are Living In The Matrix
In 1999, box office hit The Matrix introduced a wider audience to an age-old philosophical problem: how do you know what you’re experiencing is real? In the Wachowskis’ Matrix series, humans far in the future have been enslaved by sentient robots, to be used as one of the most inefficient batteries imaginable and somehow power […]
How Will Quantum Computers Change The World?
Quantum computers are the next step in computation. These devices can harness the peculiarities of quantum mechanics to dramatically boost the power of computers. Not even the most powerful supercomputer can compete with this approach. But to deliver on that incredible potential, the road ahead remains long. Still, in the last few years, big steps […]
What Is The Shortest Exercise That Grows Muscle?
Sick of lengthy gym sessions but still desperate for gains? We have just the study for you, as researchers demonstrate a simple exercise that could get results in just three seconds a day. When performed three days a week, the surprisingly efficient move was found to significantly improve both concentric (when the muscle shortens) and […]
Young Activists Win Landmark Climate Case Against State Of Montana
In a landmark trial, a Montana court has ruled in favor of a group of young activists who have accused the state of violating their right to a clean and healthy environment. Ending the trial a few days early, District Court Judge Kathy Seeley said a state law that allows fossil fuel projects to be […]
Ancient City Gate Is Oldest Found In Israel, Dating Back 5,500 Years
A short jump away from an industrial park filled with modern machinery and factories, a glimpse of the ancient past has emerged. Israeli archaeologists recently stumbled across what they believe to be the oldest city gate in the country. At around 5,500 years old, the researchers say this intriguing relic is helping to shed some […]
NASA Tests Rocket That Will Launch From The Surface Of An Alien Planet
NASA has conducted tests on the rockets that will become the first to launch from the surface of an alien planet. The rockets will be used as part of the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which will help return samples from the Red Planet to Earth. Mars Sample Return is set to launch in June 2028, […]
Chimpanzee Washoe Was The First Animal To Learn A Human Language
Fascination with language and communication between humans and apes is never more apparent than in the story of Washoe the chimpanzee and the primates that came after her. When teaching spoken language to primates proved unsuccessful, scientists switched to American Sign Language (ASL) and taught Washoe over 250 signs. It all started in West Africa […]
“Forgotten” Organ Thought To Be Futile In Adults May Actually Protect Against Cancer
The thymus gland, integral in childhood immunity, is generally thought to be non-functional in adults. However, recent research suggests this may not be the case, and that the organ might in fact be crucial to our health and cancer prevention as we age. Once considered a kind of “graveyard” for dying cells and deemed “an evolutionary accident […]
Man’s Legs Turn Purple In Rare Complication From Long COVID
Doctors have described the case of a man whose legs turned purple, believed to be a rare complication resulting from long COVID. The 33-year-old was referred to a specialist clinic after experiencing the unusual symptom for six months. Upon standing, his legs would begin to feel heavy, itchy, and tingly, while also turning an unusual […]
Brain Circuit For Male Libido Identified In Mice, And Humans Might Have One Too
The quest to locate the brain centers responsible for sex drive in males could be one step closer to its goal, as a new study has mapped a dedicated brain circuit that gets all fired up when a male mouse is in the presence of a potential lady friend. “We’ve singled out a circuit in […]
8,000-Year-Old Stilt Village Guarded By Spikes Found Beneath Ancient Albanian Lake
The oldest lakeside settlement ever found in Europe has been discovered beneath the waters of a million-year-old lake in Albania. Dated to around 8,000 years old, the ancient village was built on stilts and once sat above the surface of the lake, while a fortress of wooden spikes surrounded the settlement to protect it from […]
