JWST has studied the most recent supernova remnant in our galaxy again, using a different camera this time. In doing so it has addressed some of the questions created by its previous observations, while also revealing a giant cosmic mirror we hadn’t seen before. The last time humanity witnessed a supernova explosion in our galaxy […]
Mysterious Relics Found On Seafloor Could Lead To A Game-Changing Discovery
Ancient artifacts carved from volcanic glass have been found off the idyllic coast of Italy. It’s been speculated that these stunning relics fell to the seafloor amidst a shipwreck during the Stone Age, between 8,000 to 5,000 years ago, which makes the objects unbelievably old for their style and quality. The discovery was recently made […]
Why Do People Have Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars located at the very back of the mouth. They look just like the first and second molars, but can sometimes be a little smaller. They are commonly called wisdom teeth because they are the last of the 32 permanent teeth to appear, emerging between 17 and 25 […]
“Prison Bakery” Discovered In Pompeii Is A Grisly Reminder Of A Darker Aspect Of Ancient History
Ongoing excavations at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, Italy, has recently unearthed a darker feature of the city’s past. Archaeologists have found a structure where enslaved people and donkeys were confined and forced to grind grain to make bread, a painstaking process that could take hours. The bakery-prison, as it is being referred to […]
Psilocybin From Shrooms Could Be Effective Future Treatment For Depression, Meta-Analysis Argues
A scientific review and meta-analysis has examined the potential for psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms”, to treat major depression and depressive disorders. The evidence shows that psilocybin could be a safe and effective treatment that needs further study. Despite advances in treatments for depression and other mental health therapies, there are still many […]
What Are The “Shadows” Left Behind At Hiroshima?
Earlier this year, we were surprised to learn that people (falsely) believed that the stone bodies of Pompeii were real bodies, and ancient in origin. Of course, they are accurate representations of the bodies of people caught up in the eruption of 79 CE, but in reality they were created by pouring plaster of Paris […]
The Secretive X-37B Space Plane Is About To Blast Off On A Mysterious Mission
The secretive X-37B space plane is set to blast off today onboard a SpaceX rocket. Its mission? As ever, it’s not quite clear. For its seventh mission, the robotic plane will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, according to the US Space Force. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space […]
Rockets Could Reveal STEVE Is Not A Real Aurora
When amateur aurora photographers noticed a type of light in the sky no one had reported before most people assumed they had found a new sort of aurora. However, an alternative explanation attributes it to such different causes the scientists responsible see it as something separate, not a subtype of what we already know. Some […]
Chimps Seen Snatching An Eagle’s Food In A Very Rare Scavenging Encounter
Chimpanzees have been spotted engaging in some extremely rare scavenging behavior in the wild. In Tanzania, researchers watched on as an alpha chimp appeared to snatch the body of a young antelope away from an eagle, before eating its meat with other chimps, stripping the body down to just a skull. The unusual observation was […]
Seti: How We’re Searching For Alien Life At Previously Unexplored Frequencies
Is there life beyond Earth? The question has turned out to be one of the hardest to answer in science. Despite the seemingly boundless expanse of the universe, which implies there’s potential for abundant life, the vast distances between stars render the search akin to locating a needle in a cosmic haystack. The Search for […]
Our Homo Sapiens Ancestors Shared The World With Neanderthals, Denisovans And Other Types Of Humans Whose DNA Lives On In Our Genes
When the first modern humans arose in East Africa sometime between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, the world was very different compared to today. Perhaps the biggest difference was that we – meaning people of our species, Homo sapiens – were only one of several types of humans (or hominins) that simultaneously existed on Earth. […]
Exclusive: How To Snap The Shortest Moments In Time
A picture is worth a thousand words. And a film probably a thousand pictures. When it comes to the science of the very small and fast, for a long time what scientists got was just a snapshot of an interaction – if they could get that at all. And then over the last 36 years, […]
Look At This Super Cute, Super Rare White Alligator Just Hatched In Florida
Just in time for the holiday season, a super-rare snow-white alligator with ice-blue eyes has just been hatched at a Florida reptile park. Weighing in at a hefty 96 grams (3.4 ounces) and measuring 49 cm (19 inches) tip to tail, the baby gator is about as long as a newborn human, but only as […]
Exclusive: Quantum Dots, From Old Colorful Glass To The Technology Of Tomorrow
At our level, things remain the same color no matter the size. A gold ring is the same color as a gold crown. But at nanoscales, size matters when it comes to color. The idea of quantum effects in nanostructures was a well-established prediction even though, for decades, nobody could make those structures happen. But […]
Frozen Methane Under The Seabed Is Thawing As Oceans Warm – And Things Are Worse Than We Thought
Buried beneath the oceans surrounding continents is a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. Sometimes dubbed “fire-ice” as you can literally set light to it, marine methane hydrate can melt as the climate warms, uncontrollably releasing methane – a potent greenhouse gas – into the ocean and possibly the atmosphere. Colleagues and I […]
There Is Something You Should Know About Wasabi
For the sushi lovers of the world, there’s nothing quite like the burn that comes from a dab of wasabi on top of your sushi roll. Except, as it turns out, most of us can’t legitimately make that comparison – because most of us have never had real wasabi. “The extent to which we’re eating […]
How Are Large Parts Of The Great Wall Of China Held Together? By “Biocrusts”
The Great Wall of China might’ve been able to hold off ancient enemies, but time and weather eventually come for even the sturdiest of constructions. With up to 30 percent of the Ming-era wall disappearing over the last 500 years, some have put this down to the cyanobacteria, lichen, and moss residing within the wall. […]
Halley’s Comet Is About To Begin Its 38-Year-Long Journey Back To Earth
Quite possibly the most famous comet of them all, Halley’s Comet is about to begin its nearly 40-year-long journey back towards the Sun, passing by our planet on its way. The comet reaches its aphelion today (December 9), the point at which it’s furthest away from the Sun, taking it beyond the orbit of Neptune. […]
How Could The Big Bang Arise From Nothing?
READER QUESTION: My understanding is that nothing comes from nothing. For something to exist, there must be material or a component available, and for them to be available, there must be something else available. Now my question: Where did the material come from that created the Big Bang, and what happened in the first instance […]
UFOs: How Astronomers Are Searching The Sky For Alien Probes Near Earth
There has been increased interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs) ever since the Pentagon’s 2021 report revealed what appears to be anomalous objects in US airspace, dubbed unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Fast forward to 2023, and Nasa has already formed a panel to investigate the reports and appointed a director for UAP research. A newly […]
