Polar bears are the world’s largest land carnivore, growing up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and weighing over 800 kilograms (1,700 pounds), but did you know that they begin life no bigger than a stick of butter? With a birthweight of around 500 grams (17 ounces), polar bear cubs pop out about 1/400th […]
The World’s First Cities May Have Been Free Of Social Inequality
The first human megasites may have been completely egalitarian, with social equality helping to attract thousands of people to these massive prehistoric settlements. According to a new analysis, the eventual demise of this parity and the emergence of a more stratified social order might have triggered the abandonment of these ancient metropoles. Located on the […]
The World’s Groundwater Is Disappearing Like Never Before, But There Is Good News
“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” So wrote Coleridge in 1834, unwittingly providing a pretty good description of the planet Earth: so inundated with water that our world looks blue from space, and yet only about 2.5 percent of it is actually drinkable – i.e. freshwater. Of that, almost all is groundwater […]
NASA’s Giant Balloon Makes Record Flight Over Antarctica At Space’s Edge
A gigantic balloon has spent a record-breaking 55 days, one hour, and 34 minutes in the air above Antarctica while scooping up scientific data to gain a deeper understanding of the cosmos. NASA’s GUSTO (Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory) scientific balloon mission was launched on December 31, 2023, near the US National Science Foundation’s McMurdo […]
Kangaroo Sociability Puts A Hop Into “Dance Your PhD” Contest
A performance celebrating diversity among social animals is the overall winner of the 2024 Dance Your PhD contest, which the author has compared to winning Eurovision. It could also be the perfect way to launch a career as a singer/songwriter/science communicator. Since its establishment 16 years ago, Dance Your PhD has become a way for […]
70 Coins Removed From Stomach Of Thibodaux The White Alligator
Anyone who’s ever had a puppy or a toddler will know how hard it is to keep them from eating things they shouldn’t. However, zookeepers and vets were quite surprised to find coins in the belly of a leucistic alligator called Thibodaux during a routine health check. Thibodaux lives at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and […]
Thawing Permafrost Could Unleash Cancer-Causing Gas In Arctic
With the planet getting warmer, so too is the frozen layer of ground underneath its coldest regions. According to a new study, the thawing of this permafrost could bring with it a significant health hazard to those living in sub-Arctic communities: increased exposure to the cancer-causing gas, radon. Permafrost – a layer of ground frozen […]
The Pentagon Is No Longer The World’s Biggest Office Building
The Pentagon, the US Department of Defense powerhouse in Virginia, was the world’s largest office building for over eight decades – but not anymore. That title has recently been yanked away by the Surat Diamond Bourse, a freshly opened diamond trading floor in western India. The Surat Diamond Bourse consists of nine towers, each with […]
Ancient 4,750-Year-Old Megalith Discovered On Peruvian Mountain
An ancient ceremonial megalith dated to 4,750 years ago has been discovered in the Peruvian Andes. The find is older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt and represents one of the oldest circular plazas in the region. Unearthed at an archaeological site called Callacpuma in northern Peru’s Cajamarca valley, the plaza measures around 18 meters […]
Young People Are Drinking Less Alcohol – But Do We Know Why?
Young people today don’t drink as much alcohol as their millennial, Gen X, and boomer predecessors. The question is: why not? A new editorial from scientists in Australia and Sweden says there are many potential factors in play, but as of now we simply don’t have enough research to know for sure. It used to […]
Psychedelic Drugs Linked To Better Sexual Function And Wellbeing
Tripping on psychedelics may give your sex life a boost, according to a new analysis of two recent studies. Involving both recreational users and those undergoing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for depression, the research indicates that a single dose of psilocybin, LSD, or other mind-altering compounds, can provide benefits in the bedroom that last for up to […]
Venomous Lizards: US Man Dies After Pet Gila Monster Bit Him
A man in Denver, Colorado has died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster, according to Lakewood City officials. Thirty-four-year-old Christopher Ward owned two Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum) named Winston and Potato despite the venomous lizards being illegal in the state of Colorado, according to a police report seen by AP. Advertisement On February […]
Before And After Satellite Images Show Indonesia’s New Capital City Emerge From Jungle
Indonesia’s current capital is in deep trouble. Drained of its vital groundwater reservoirs, Jakarta has become one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world. If left to nature, up to 25 percent of its land could be lost to the sea by 2050. The metropolis is also wracked with other common problems faced by emerging […]
Amy Schumer Has Cushing’s Syndrome – Here’s What To Know About The Condition
Standup comedian and actress Amy Schumer has shared that she has a rare hormonal condition known as Cushing’s syndrome. Schumer revealed her diagnosis in an interview with the News Not Noise newsletter and though she describes going through several tests and worries, the comedian explained, “I have the kind of Cushing that will just work […]
Small Balled Glass Frogs Make Better Fathers
Important information for anyone kissing frogs in search of a prince – if you’re hoping to start a family, measure the testicles first. The bigger the balls a glass frog is carrying, the less chance it will make a good father. The finding is consistent with evolutionary models, and for that matter, with evidence from […]
NASA Hit An Asteroid So Hard It Completely Changed Its Shape
In September 2022, NASA performed the first serious test of planetary protection in space. The DART mission was sent to smash into asteroid Dimorphos, the small moon of asteroid Didymos. It was the first time humanity moved a celestial body. DART stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test, and as tests go it did very well. […]
Scientists Take Smallest Measurement Of Gravity Ever In Quantum Quest
Scientists have broken the record for the smallest measurements of gravity using a technique they see as having the potential to go much smaller. So small in fact it may help us determine if gravity is quantized, and if so, how general relativity and quantum mechanics are reconciled. One of the great revelations of the […]
For The First Time Since The Apollo Missions, NASA Is Operating On The Moon
On Friday, Intuitive Machines made history, becoming the first private company to make a soft landing on the Moon. The Odysseus lander, also known as IM-1, safely landed in the South Pole region of the Moon. As well as touching down nearer the lunar pole than any previous lander, the mission marks the first time […]
SS Nemesis: Ship Lost Over A Century Ago Found On Edge Of Continental Shelf
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia has solved a century-old mystery, locating the wreckage of the steamship SS Nemesis. In July 1904, the SS Nemesis was transporting coal from Newcastle to Melbourne when it went missing in a violent storm somewhere off the New South Wales coast. Over the next few […]
It’s Alive! Japan’s Moon Lander Has Survived Its First Lunar Night
It’s been a few days of good news for lunar exploration. First, Intuitive Machine’s Odysseus became the first US lander in over 50 years, and the first private one, to land on the Moon – even if it did land a little wonky, as is the trend. Now, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) reports that […]
