The world is undoubtedly filled with all kinds of amazing flowering plant species, from those that only appear once in a blue moon, to those fossilized by time, and the more common well-loved species. Now scientists have described a new species that does something extremely peculiar in the plant world: it flowers underground. On the […]
A 1972 Report About Global Collapse Is Proving To Be Surprisingly Accurate
When researchers revisited a damning report from the early 1970s that predicted global collapse within the coming century, they reached a worrying conclusion: their decades-old data was proving to be surprisingly accurate. Worse still, the planet was still heading down the same path with little sign of change on the horizon. In 1972, a team […]
Brain Tumors Are Cognitive Parasites – How Brain Cancer Hijacks Neural Circuits And Causes Cognitive Decline
Researchers have long known that brain tumors, specifically a type of tumor called a glioma, can affect a person’s cognitive and physical function. Patients with glioblastoma, the most fatal type of brain tumor in adults, experience an especially drastic decline in quality of life. Glioblastomas are thought to impair normal brain functions by compressing and […]
Myth Of The Male Hunter Buried As Study Shows Females Weren’t Just Gatherers
Sex has often defined the roles we assign to ancient humans when we look back in history, but a new study is challenging the idea that males were hunters while females were gatherers. Using data from a wide body of literature that investigated peoples and cultures of the past, it found that evidence from the […]
Long-Lost Remnants Of Ancient Continents Still Lurk Beneath Antarctica
Lurking deep beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica, gravity-detecting satellites have rooted out the remnants of long-lost continents. Nope, it’s not quite Atlantis, but the discovery is shedding some much-needed light on the mysterious history of Antarctica. Researchers from Germany’s Kiel University and the British Antarctic Survey discovered the ancient continents in 2018 using gravity-mapping […]
Hurricanes Push Heat Deeper Into The Ocean Than Scientists Realized, Boosting Long-Term Ocean Warming, New Research Shows
When a hurricane hits land, the destruction can be visible for years or even decades. Less obvious, but also powerful, is the effect hurricanes have on the oceans. In a new study, we show through real-time measurements that hurricanes don’t just churn water at the surface. They can also push heat deep into the ocean […]
Proving Fermat’s Last Theorem: 2 Mathematicians Explain How Building Bridges Within The Discipline Helped Solve A Centuries-Old Mystery
On June 23, 1993, the mathematician Andrew Wiles gave the last of three lectures detailing his solution to Fermat’s last theorem, a problem that had remained unsolved for three and a half centuries. Wiles’ announcement caused a sensation, both within the mathematical community and in the media. Beyond providing a satisfying resolution to a long-standing […]
No, There’s No Evidence Auras Exist Or That They Say Anything About You
There is a persistent belief among the supernaturally inclined that humans, along with other living beings and even some inanimate objects, give off colorful energy fields called auras. According to psychics and other esoteric advocates, these subtle emanations communicate all sorts of information about a person’s personality, emotional state (and sometimes history), as well as […]
Even Standing By The World’s Most Radioactive Lake Could Kill You
Lake Karachay is the most radioactive lake on planet Earth. Its waters are so extremely irradiated, an hour of sunbathing on its shores would be enough to kill a human. The radiation-ridden lake is found in the southern Ural mountains of central Russia. Its name, Karachay, means “black water” or “black creek” in the local […]
How The Vagus Nerve And A Glass Of Water Can Influence Your Mood
Stress can have a catastrophic effect on the body and it can be hard to find ways to regain control when you’re in the midst of it, but what if something as simple as a cold glass of water could change that? Icy, even. It might sound absurd, but it all ties into the vagus […]
Cytoelectric Coupling: How Brain Waves Sculpt The Structure Of The Mind
An intriguing new hypothesis suggests that electric fields generated by neurons in the brain could, in turn, be influencing its molecular infrastructure, allowing our brains to functionally adapt to the world around us. Bringing together evidence from their own and other labs, the authors present their theory as an explanation of how high-level thought processes […]
Smoke From Canada’s Wildfires Has Reached Europe
A plume of smoke and soot emanating from the ongoing wildfires in Canada has crossed the Atlantic and is now hovering over Western Europe. Images captured by NASA’s Terra satellite on Monday, June 26 show the enormous cloud of black carbon extending across more than 3,220 kilometers (2,000 miles) of ocean and invading the skies […]
Check Out These Breathtaking Entries In The Astronomy Photographer Of The Year Competition 2023
In just a few months, the Royal Observatory Greenwich will crown the winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year. To tease the momentous occasion, they have shared the shortlist selection from over 4,000 entries by amateurs and professional photographers hailing from 64 countries around the world. The competition is organized by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, […]
1.45-Million-Year-Old Bone May Be Earliest Evidence Of Ancient Humans Getting Cannibalized
Researchers believe they have found the earliest evidence of human ancestors butchering and possibly eating each other, dating back around 1.45 million years. The bone of an ancient human species displayed chop marks that were incredibly similar to those created by stone tools, suggesting ancient populations were even more brutal than previously thought. “The information […]
Unlock Adventures Abroad By Learning The Local Language
Ah, summertime! The occasion when many people want to lounge in the sun on Copacabana Beach, walk through the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, or perhaps explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Before rushing to buy your plane tickets, travel insurance, or your teeny tiny 100 milliliter (3.4 ounce) airport safe bottles, have you also […]
Malaria Strikes The US As CDC Investigates First Local Cases In 20 Years
A Health Advisory has been launched by the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) following reports of locally acquired malaria cases in two US states within the last two months. So far, four cases within close geographic proximity have been identified in Florida, triggering increased surveillance for signs of further transmission. It marks the […]
In 2001, A Couple Got Married On The Deck Of The Titanic
Over the past few weeks, people have been surprised to learn that visiting the Titanic is something other (very wealthy) people do. Many shipwrecks, such as military ships that have sunk in US waters, are off-limits to explorers, tourists, and people looking to salvage booty. The Titanic, lying in international waters, is protected by the […]
Wolverine Spotted In California Is Only Second Seen In 101 Years
Quell all thoughts of Hugh Jackman, we’re talking about the small furry animals. While these creatures were once common throughout their native California, now only the second sighting of one in 101 years has been recorded. Since the 1920s, it is thought that fur trapping and hunting has driven the species to near extinction within […]
Perfectly Preserved Testicle Found In 50-Million-Year-Old Katydid Fossil
Researchers have uncovered a unique 50-million-year-old specimen of an extinct katydid species with its muscles, digestive tract, glands, and even one testicle still intact. Marking a likely first-of-its-kind find, the detailed fossil has provided vital new information into the evolutionary history of katydids. Belonging to the genus Arethaea, also known as thread-legged katydids in reference […]
Megalodon Was Warm-Blooded, A Trait That May Have Led To Its Extinction
Any fan of modern monster movies will be familiar with megalodon, the megatooth shark, which once lurked among the waves. It was the largest marine predator that ever lived and the apex hunter of its day. Now, new research has shown that this prehistoric leviathan was also warm-blooded, which may help explain why it went […]