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Four snakes found buried together are shedding new light on our understanding of snake evolution. The specimens – which represent a brand new species – lived in North America around 38 million years ago and could help explain how boas and pythons evolved.  Advertisement The new species has been named Hibernophis breithaupti and the four individual […]

In the late 1940s, Indiana residents were gripped by rumors of a “500-pound turtle” allegedly spotted by two men as they were fishing in a lake. Curiously, it wasn’t the first time the giant turtle had been seen, with a previous sighting having been reported at the same lake. So, what on Earth were all […]

Archaeologists investigating the “Tomb of Cerberus” in Giugliano, Naples, have unsealed a 2,000-year-old sarcophagus. But while this may sound like the introduction to a Hammer horror story, the researchers actually found a remarkably well-preserved body wrapped in a shroud.   The archaeologists had been examining the tomb with microcameras before they found a passage that […]

As an undergraduate at the University of New South Wales, Dr Erica Barlow picked up a rock that would change her life, and quite possibly how we see the history of life on Earth. It took a long time to work out what she had, however, and even today no one can be sure the […]

Officials in Pierce County, Washington State, have announced that a woman who initially refused to be treated for tuberculosis (TB), even spending three months evading the police in order to do, has successfully been cured of the disease. Advertisement Staff from the local health department had been attempting to persuade the Tacoma resident, known only […]

The National Park Service (NPS) has released more details following the surprise hydrothermal explosion in Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin earlier this week, providing further insight into how events unfolded and their aftermath. Advertisement “[A]t about 10:19 a.m., a localized hydrothermal explosion occurred near Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, located just north of Old Faithful,” said the […]

Looking for your next summer getaway? There are plenty of beach destinations where you can get your fix of sun and the sand between your toes in safety, but if you fancy a walk on the wild side, the world’s most dangerous beach might be the place for you. Advertisement Danger is a difficult thing […]

A beautiful marble floor has been discovered on the seabed where the sunken city of Baiae now rests. This ancient settlement was once a luxurious holiday spot for the elite, now known as the “Las Vegas” of Rome, but over time it was eventually lost to the sea. Baiae was located in the Gulf of […]

A team of experimental archaeologists has set sail in a replica of a Bronze Age boat, built using instructions, materials, and techniques from 4,000 years ago. During two days of sea trials, the 18-meter-long (60-foot) vessel traveled 50 nautical miles (92.6 kilometers; 57.5 miles) in the Arabian Gulf, reaching speeds of 5.6 knots (10.4 kilometers […]

Two groups of microbes have been found living in hot water in Yellowstone National Park. The existence of the groups was known previously, because their DNA had been detected and it was clearly unlike anything we knew, but this is the first time the organisms themselves have been seen and described. Advertisement Cows are said […]

Physics is a complicated topic. There’s no shame in not completely understanding the black hole information paradox, for example, or the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Physicists don’t fully understand these topics either. Advertisement But sometimes the misunderstandings of non-scientists can be painful to scientists, as demonstrated in a recent Reddit thread that […]

The Carter Center has reported zero cases of Guinea Worm in the first three months of 2024, giving hope to the idea that this dangerous disease is close to being eradicated. If this is indeed the case, a disease that was once endemic in 21 countries will become the second-ever human disease to be eradicated […]

Chester Zoo recently announced the arrival of tuataras – a group of reptiles they describe as one of nature’s “greatest marvels” having lived on the planet for around 200 million years, since before dinosaurs existed – which have “three eyes”. It’s a lot of information to take in, but if that “third eye” fact is […]

At some point in your life, you may have wondered why manhole covers are round, and what the markings all over them mean. Advertisement Why are manhole covers round? This question has been used as an interview question by Microsoft. While it doesn’t have a definitive answer, there are a number of reasons why round […]

Regardless of where you stand on the spider fear scale, there’s no denying that these arachnids exhibit a remarkable array of really cool behaviors. From building their own trapdoors to mimicking flowers, spiders exploit their niches with incredible adaptations. While you might think of these niches as under garden pots and the corners of your […]

Each year, the average number of people injured from lightning strikes in the US is around 243, with roughly 27 people dying as a result. With a peak temperature of 27,760°C (50,000°F) – that’s nearly five times hotter than the surface of the Sun – it is, unfortunately, unsurprising that lightning can be so deadly, […]

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On July 28 and 29, not one but two meteor showers are expected to peak in the sky. This is a rare treat. Meteor showers constantly overlap but the peak of these two showers is completely serendipitous. The showers in question are the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids. Advertisement Neither of the two […]

Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps may be among the greatest modern Olympians, but their exploits in the pool would not have found much appreciation in Ancient Greece. In fact, at no point in the history of the original Olympic Games did swimming feature as an event, despite the fact that most Greeks knew how to […]

Five hundred million years ago, the Earth was a whole lot of sea. Underwater, the Cambrian Explosion was bringing a flurry of differentiation that laid the foundations for modern animal phyla. The new creatures were not just multicellular blobs, but had many of the distinguishing features of animals today: eyes, legs, shells, and mandibles. One […]