Humans have been scooping copper out of the Morenci Mine in Arizona for over 150 years, leaving behind a city-sized terrain of vast pits. But the story of Morenci isn’t just about lifeless geology – this land has also been shaped by powerful human struggles, from fiery labor disputes to the growing green revolution. The […]
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The Standard Model Saved Once More Thanks To The Most Precise Muon Measurement
The most exciting possible avenue for physics beyond the standard model of particle physics has been, for years, the discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. After refinement in the theory and high-precision experiments, scientists have finally announced that the standard model of particle physics continues to be correct. The experimental results are […]
New Study Rules Out Popular Version Of The Simulation Hypothesis
A surprising number of people, if Internet forums are anything to go by, are of the belief that we are living inside a simulation. The idea, made popular by films like The Matrix, is pretty simple to explain. Instead of being in “base reality”, we are simulated beings living in a simulated world created by […]
What Is Trump’s “Gold Standard Science” Actually About?
President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that has the stated goal of restoring trust in science – but critics are claiming the order will allow the administration to dictate what science can be done and shared, limiting freedom of research across the United States. In section 7 of the executive order, the […]
Suspect Accused Of Fowl Play In Scrubbed Australian Rocket Launch Is Innocent
On May 15, Gilmour Space Technology was supposed to launch its Eris rocket into space, which would have been the first launch of an Australian-made rocket from Queensland. A fault with electrical wiring was to blame; the source had to be investigated, and the first suspect turned out to be a red herring. Well, actually, […]
Two Yangtze Finless Porpoises Have Been Returned To The Wild For First Time In China
Two Yangtze finless porpoises have been returned to the wild for the very first time, offering fresh hope for this deeply troubled species. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is the world’s only freshwater porpoise, known for its cute “smiley” face and marvelous melon-shaped head. Native to the Yangtze River system in China, the […]
Sun Filtered By Dust In Florida As Haboob The Size Of 48 States Approaches The US
A giant haboob from the Sahara desert is about to reach the southeastern USA, predicted to hit Texas and Florida on Wednesday. Haboobs are a regular occurrence in the Sahara desert between May and October, particularly in June, as thunderstorms kick dust up high into the atmosphere. “Haboobs result from a microburst – an intense […]
What Is The Alaska Triangle?
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“Egyptian Blue” Was A Color Lost To History. Finally, We Can Make It Again
Sometimes, when you see dusty artifacts in a museum or crumbling ruins in the streets, it’s easy to forget that these things were once new. Ancient Greek statues were complete and gaudily-painted; Pompeii was a bustling (and other activities) metropolis. In Egypt, the Pyramid at Giza shone and sparkled in the Sun – and murals, […]
Satellite Image Shows A Human Head Peering Out Of The Landscape In Canada
When satellite images revealed what a part of Canada looked like from the skies, people noticed a striking rock formation resembling a human face in side profile. Remarkably, it’s possible to clearly make out distinct features, including an eye, nose, mouth, chin, neck, cheekbones, the jawline, and even what appears to be a feathered headdress […]
Video Shows Physicists Achieve “Impossible” Feat Of Rolling A Ball Vertically
A team of physicists from the University of Waterloo have succeeded in making a ball roll vertically down a wall without applying any external force, a feat once thought impossible. “On perfectly vertical surfaces, rolling is conventionally deemed impossible without external torque. While various species like geckos and spiders exhibit vertical locomotion, they cannot achieve […]
Octopus Survives Suspected Predator Attack And Regrows Limbs – But Ends Up With 9, Not 8
As well as being super clever, breaking our hearts in that Netflix show and even riding sharks, octopuses are pretty famous for having eight limbs. What is even more remarkable is that they can regrow lost limbs and even have arms that split during the regrowth process. What scientists are trying to work out is […]
These Are All The NASA Missions That Trump Wants To Cancel
The Trump administration has released its final budget proposal and in response, many have expressed concern that it will stifle American science and halt NASA’s and other agencies’ work for decades to come. For NASA in particular, the planned cuts are set to eliminate several important upcoming missions, as well as end missions that are already […]
Cells Outside The Brain Show Signs Of Memory And “Learning” For The First Time
Think learning and memory are all the job of the brain? You might want to think again, if the results of a recent study are to be believed. In a first, scientists at New York University (NYU) uncovered evidence of a type of learning called the massed-space effect in cells from outside the brain, suggesting […]
50,000-Year-Old Collagen Could Lead Us To Hippo-Sized Wombats In The Fossil Record
From around 50,000 to 10,000 years ago, Earth was home to terrestrial giants: mammoths, moa, and mega-marsupials, including something that “would have looked like a wombat the size of a hippo”. We really had it all, until we didn’t. The disappearance of Earth’s megafauna remains something of a mystery, not least because we don’t have […]
World’s Smallest Otter Species Rediscovered In Nepal After 185 Years
It would be fair to assume that the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), the world’s smallest otter species, had gone extinct in Nepal. After all, the last time it was officially spotted in the country was 1839 – but now, that’s all changed. Nepal has historically been home to three otter species: the smooth-coated otter […]
2-Million-Year-Old Teeth Reveal Sex Of Prehistoric Human-Like Ape For The First Time
For the first time ever, scientists have managed to determine the biological sex of an ancient human ancestor that lived in Africa around two million years ago. By analyzing proteins in the prehistoric creature’s teeth, the study authors were also able to shed new light on genetic diversity within the Paranthropus genus, suggesting that a […]
In 2023, A Megatsunami Shook The World Every 90 Seconds For 9 Days. Now, We Can See Why
In 2023, a massive landslide in Greenland triggered megatsunamis in the Dickson fjord. Although no one was harmed, the event generated mysterious seismic signals that puzzled scientists globally because they didn’t know where this strangely rhythmic rumbling was coming from. What had shaken the world? The key to understanding the phenomenon rested on data recorded […]
NASA Astronauts Share Spectacular Images Of Lightning Over The US
NASA astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have shared spectacular images they took of lightning below them on Earth. Orbiting the Earth on the ISS, astronauts get an unusual view of just about any large-scale phenomenon occurring below, from red sprites to “space angels” and the aurora borealis. In the latest slew of […]
Over 10 Percent Of US Electricity Could Be Supplied By Geothermal Energy, Says USGS
The US is sitting on a largely untapped energy source that could significantly boost its electricity supply, according to a new report from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The study examines the potential of geothermal energy – the natural heat simmering beneath the Earth’s surface – as a major power source. While the US already […]