Trio wins $700K Vesuvius Challenge grand prize for deciphering ancient scroll
The 2024 Challenge has also been announced, with a $100,000 grand prize. Enlarge / Text from one of the Herculaneum scrolls has been deciphered. Roughly 95 percent of the scroll remains to be read. (credit: Vesuvius Challenge).....»»
Twisting and binding matter waves with photons in a cavity
Precisely measuring the energy states of individual atoms has been a historical challenge for physicists due to atomic recoil. When an atom interacts with a photon, the atom "recoils" in the opposite direction, making it difficult to measure the posi.....»»
Maya used hallucinogenic plants in “ensouling” rituals for their ball courts
eDNA analysis found traces of xtabentum, as well as lancewood, chili peppers, and jool. Enlarge / A decorative ring made from carved stone is embedded in the wall of a ballcourt in the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. (credit:.....»»
Chemists develop highly reflective black paint to make objects more visible to autonomous cars
Driving at night might be a scary challenge for a new driver, but with hours of practice it soon becomes second nature. For self-driving cars, however, practice may not be enough because the lidar sensors that often act as these vehicles' "eyes" have.....»»
Supreme Court decides not to block Texas law that age-gates porn websites
Court denies application for a stay but could still hear challenge to the law. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | PA Thompson) The US Supreme Court yesterday denied a request to block a Texas law that requires age-verificat.....»»
Study: Airway hillocks challenge our understanding of lung biology
Airway hillocks are mysterious, flat-topped structures that were only recently identified within regular lung tissue, and their role in airway biology and pathology has previously been unknown......»»
These are the best Swift Student Challenge apps this year
Ahead of WWDC 2024 kicking off in June, Apple has officially announced its Swift Student Challenge winners. 350 students from around the world have won with 50 selected as “Distinguished Winners” that will be heading to Apple Park for WWDC. Along.....»»
Apple profiles three distinguished Swift Student Challenge winners
Apple has profiled three of the "Distinguished Winners" of its 2024 Swift Student Challenge, with apps covering care, extreme sports, and breathing exercises.Three winners from the 2024 Swift Student ChallengeApple launched its 2024 Swift Student Cha.....»»
Scientists show that ancient village adapted to drought, rising seas
Around 6,200 BCE, the climate changed. Global temperatures dropped, sea levels rose and the southern Levant, including modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, southern Syria and the Sinai desert, entered a period of drought......»»
Low-intensity grazing is locally better for biodiversity but challenging for land users, study shows
A team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University (UL), and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has investigated the motivation and potential incentives for and challenge.....»»
Tibetan plateau had broader social dimensions than previously thought, suggests study
The Tibetan plateau—the world's highest and largest plateau—poses a challenge to the people who live there because of its extreme climate. In a new study, researchers have discovered stone artifacts that suggest that there were more cultural exch.....»»
Fragility crossover mediated by covalent-like electronic interactions in metallic liquids
In the field of glass and liquid sciences, the so-called fragility is a key concept that characterizes how rapidly the liquid dynamics showdown on lowering the temperature. However, a long-standing challenge is that the occurrence of crystallization.....»»
Isotopic evidence reveals surprising dietary practices of ancient hunter-gatherers
It has long been thought that meat played an important role in the diet of hunter-gatherers before the Neolithic transition. However, due to the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Paleolithic sites, little information exists about the diet.....»»
African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change
From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change......»»
The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean
Many animals can glow in the dark. Fireflies famously blink on summer evenings. But most animals that light up are found in the depths of the ocean......»»
Ancient Maya blessed their ballcourts: Researchers find evidence of ceremonial offerings in Mexico
For sports fans, places like Fenway Park, Wembley Stadium or Wimbledon's Centre Court are practically hallowed ground......»»
Did Vesuvius bury the home of the first Roman emperor?
A group of archaeologists, led by researchers from the University of Tokyo, announce the discovery of a part of a Roman villa built before the middle of the first century. This villa, near the town of Nola in southwestern Italy's Campania region, was.....»»
New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the "green Sahara" and climate catastrophe
The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new research has found rock art over 4,000 years old that depicts cattle......»»
More efficient molecular motor widens potential applications
Light-driven molecular motors were first developed nearly 25 years ago at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. This resulted in a shared Nobel Prize for Chemistry for Professor Ben Feringa in 2016. However, making these motors do actual work.....»»
Deciphered Herculaneum papyrus reveals precise burial place of Plato
Various imaging methods comprised a kind of "bionic eye" to examine charred scroll. Enlarge / Imaging setup for a charred ancient papyrus recovered from the ruins of Herculaneum; 30 percent of the text has now been deciphered. (c.....»»
Gender-nonconforming ancient Romans found refuge in community dedicated to goddess Cybele
A Vatican declaration, the "Infinite Dignity," has brought renewed attention to how religions define and interpret gender and gender roles......»»