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 […]
Where Is The World’s Biggest Wind Turbine?
China has proved to be one of the planet’s strongest trailblazers in the field of wind energy (while simultaneously doubling down on its massive reliance on coal, the most polluting of all fossil fuels). The East Asian giant host the world’s largest wind turbine, as well as the world’s largest wind farm complex, but it’s […]
People Are Just Now Learning How Vinyl Records Work
People are once again discussing the mystery of vinyl records, and how they are probably really created by magic. But without invoking wizards, how do vinyl records contain music which can then be played back? The first ever sound recording was made in 1860 by French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. His device, which he […]
100-Year-Long Storms And Effects Of Planet-Sized Hurricanes Seen On Saturn
Saturn’s atmosphere might not be as featureful as Jupiter’s but it is not as quiet as first impressions might suggest. There is, of course, the unique color-changing hexagonal polar vortex, but deep beneath the clouds of methane, water, and ammonia lies a turbulent environment where incredible megastorms can form, change, and alter the planet for […]
Can Breathing Exercises Make You Physically And Mentally Healthier?
Breathing occurs so automatically that we rarely think about it, yet given the obvious impact it has on our health (just try not breathing if you need a demonstration), it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether it might be a useful tool to improve our overall wellbeing. With that in mind, a range of techniques collectively […]
The Driest Place On Earth Probably Isn’t Where You Expect
If you picture the driest place on Earth, your mind – trained by decades of cartoons – likely goes to a desert expanse in some hot region, like the Sahara. This isn’t a bad guess. One of the driest places on Earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile, with some areas receiving only 1 to […]
Did A Comet Really Wipe Out A Native American Culture 1,500 Years Ago?
None of the claims purporting to provide evidence for an astronomical end to North America’s Hopewell Culture stack up, according to experts from many relevant fields. Whatever caused the decline of the remarkable trade networks centered on the Ohio Valley 1,500 years ago, the authors of a response study are quite sure it wasn’t an […]
What Are The Claims of “New” Physics From The Muon g-2 Experiment All About?
On Thursday, August 10, the Muon g-2 experiment reported follow-up results to its 2021 measurements. There is something wrong with the muon, the heavier sibling of the electron. This fundamental particle is not behaving in the way it is predicted to by our best theory of the fundamental universe: the Standard Model of Particle Physics. […]
Watch A Humpback Whale “Tail Sailing” In Incredible Video
Imagine gliding smoothly across the surface of the ocean in a beautiful transparent kayak when you come across the tail of a humpback whale perfectly poised above the surface of the water. That is exactly what happened to Brodie Moss when he came across a phenomenon known as “tail sailing”. Whales have all kinds of […]
We May Not Be Ruling Out Finding Life Around TRAPPIST-1 After All
The frequently changing tale of the quest for life in the most studied planetary system beyond our own has had another twist, this one in an encouraging direction. Taking into account previously neglected factors, new research rejects the theory planets like TRAPPIST-1 e were once so hot their crusts turned into magma oceans and vented […]
