Astronomers believe that it takes around 7 billion years (about half the age of the universe) to end up with a galaxy such as ours. So you can imagine their surprise when they observed ceers-2112, a galaxy with the same shape as the Milky Way, being well-ordered, and quite massive, just 2 billion years after […]
Egypt’s Baboon Mummy Mystery Finally Unraveled After 118 Years Of Puzzlement
In 1905, the remains of mummified baboons were discovered in Egypt, sparking over a century of speculation as to how they came to be so far from home. Now, in a study that marries biology and history to answer questions surrounding the origin of these ancient interlopers, we finally have some idea of where they […]
Attenborough’s Long-Beaked Echidna Rediscovered After 60 Years – See The First Ever Footage
Lost species, or those only observed from a few encounters, are often presumed to have gone extinct or exist in extremely limited numbers. One of the reasons it’s hard to be sure is that most of these species live in remote, inaccessible areas and are elusive, coming out only at night or hiding away in […]
World’s First Eyeball And Partial-Face Transplant Is A Huge Success
The world’s first eyeball and partial-face transplant has been declared a success. Although doctors are still uncertain whether he will regain his vision, the patient believes the groundbreaking surgery has given him a “second chance at life”. Aaron James, a 46-year-old military veteran from Arkansas, suffered from a 7,200-volt electric shock while working as a […]
90 Years Ago, The First Photographic “Evidence” Of The Loch Ness Monster Was Revealed
On November 12, 1933, one man allegedly photographed something strange and mysterious lurking in Loch Ness, Scotland. It has now been 90 years since this famous photo appeared to the public, and the frenzy it generated is very much still alive. Creating a legend It was apparently a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Scottish Highlands […]
This Is How Long It Takes The Brain To Recover Following Alcohol Use Disorder Cessation
In a new study, people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have been observed to regain thickness in their cortex, the outermost layer of brain tissue that can become thinner in people with AUD, over an extended period of attempted abstinence from alcohol. The study participants, who had experienced AUD for years, had cortical thickness statistically […]
Boy King, Boy Racer? Tutankhamun May Have Been Africa’s First Traffic Fatality
The cause of Tutankhamun’s untimely death in his late teens remains one of the great archaeological mysteries, although there is evidence to suggest that the Boy King may have met his end after falling from his chariot. Speculating that the ancient Pharaoh could hold the distinction of being Africa’s first traffic fatality, the authors of […]
Electrons Trapped In A 3D Crystal For Very First Time
Researchers have been able to trap electrons in a three-dimensional crystal for the first time, a breakthrough that allowed them to start toying with the quantum effects that the electrons produce when in a state called an electronic “flat band” – and that includes superconductivity. An electron moving through a 3D material would interact with […]
Martian Polar Nights Will Glow Green For Future Astronauts
The Trace Gas Orbiter mission, a European Space Agency craft, has reported the first detection of visible light of nightglow on Mars. This effect, well known on Earth and photographed by many astronauts, was expected to also happen on Mars. But it had never been seen before in visible light. The nightglow looks similar but […]
Chimpanzees Seen Using Human Warfare Tactics For The First Time
In the forests of West Africa, chimpanzees are engaging in a never-before-seen behavior. To spy on rival gangs, chimps will tactically move to higher ground to get a better view and gather information. They will then use this “reconnaissance intel” to decide their next steps. This is an age-old tactic of human warfare, but a […]
Would You Accept A New Calendar With 13 Months?
How would you feel about a radically different calendar, one that organized the year into 13 months, each with exactly 28 days? Well, this nearly became a reality for the world following the First World War, but people were so unhappy about it that it never came about. Messing with time Fiddling with calendars is […]
Why Are There Three Different Twilights And How Long Do They Last?
On average, through the year, there are 12 hours when the Sun is above the horizon – but that doesn’t mean 12 hours of light. Although it might not seem like it for Northern Hemisphere residents heading into the depths of winter, we get some extra time when the sky stays light, something that was […]
Tumor With Teeth Found In Ancient Egyptian Woman Who Died 3,300 Years Ago
A tumor with teeth has been discovered in the pelvis of an ancient Egyptian woman who died over 3,300 years ago. The strange mass is an example of a teratoma, a rare type of tumor that can grow different types of tissue such as bone, teeth, muscle, and hair. The remains of the young woman, […]
Apollo 13: What Actually Happened On NASA’s Near-Disaster Moon Mission
On October 31, NASA announced that astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly, a key player in ground control efforts to bring the damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft safely back to Earth, had died aged 87. It seems a fitting time to explore what actually happened on the Apollo 13 Moon mission and how close it came to disaster. […]
New COVID Variant JN.1 – Here’s What You Need To Know
JN.1 is the latest COVID-19 variant to get attention, after being flagged in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report late last month. The new, highly mutated strain is a descendant of Omicron, specifically the BA.2.86 (Pirola) variant, and while it’s not believed to be widespread at present, it does appear to be emerging […]
Orcas Sink Yacht In Portugal After 45-Minute “Attack”
On October 31, 2023, an orca pod undertook a relentless attack on a Polish yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar. The incident lasted for 45 minutes and resulted in severe damage to the vessel, which eventually sank near the port of Tangier Med. Throughout the ordeal, the crew, port tugs, and the Moroccan Navy all […]
40 Percent Of People Willingly Choose Ignorance. The Psychological Reason Why
According to new research, 40 percent of people would prefer not to know the consequences of their actions – choosing ignorance – so that they have an excuse to act selfishly. “Examples of such willful ignorance abound in everyday life, such as when consumers ignore information about the problematic origins of the products they buy,” […]
Origins Of Last Pre-Human Primate To Inhabit North America Explained
The family tree of the last primate to inhabit North America before human arrival has been revealed, thanks to a comparison of teeth and jaws half a world apart. Humans have a lamentable history of leaving extinction behind when we reach new lands, North America included. However, at least in that case, we don’t have […]
How “Blue” And “Green” Entered An Amazonian Language Without Words For Them
It’s well-established that learning a second language can broaden your horizons, but it may also radically alter the way you perceive the world, even with seemingly simple concepts like color. In a new study, cognitive scientists and linguists looked at the way colors are perceived and expressed by Tsimané people, an Indigenous Amazonian group native […]
There’s A Dark Side To Keeping Your Lawn Lush And Green
When you wander through your local neighborhood or out in the suburbs, how much attention are you paying to the green spaces within? While neat front lawns might look aesthetically pleasing, new research suggests that there is a much more dangerous side to these perfectly preened green rectangles than meets the eye. Grass lawns cover […]
