"A history of contact": Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans
Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent dis.....»»
"Getting high" in Paleolithic hunting: Elevated positions enhance javelin accuracy but reduce atlatl efficiency
A recent experimental study led by Kent State University and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History suggests that hunting from elevated positions significantly increases the performance of thrown javelins while potentially decreasing the effectivene.....»»
DNA confirms these 19th century lions ate humans
“Tsavo Man-Eaters” killed dozens of people in late 1890s, including Kenya-Uganda Railway workers. For several months in 1898, a pair of male lions turned the Tsavo region of K.....»»
Human Origins Look Ever More Tangled with Gene and Fossil Discoveries
Fossil and gene discoveries paint an ever-more-intertwined history of humans combining with vanished species like Neandertals.....»»
The Mpox Response Has Learned from HIV/AIDS History
Tools and networks that have helped control HIV/AIDS are now working against mpox.....»»
Book Review: How Our Love for Citrus Shaped the Modern World
A history of citrus fruits, from the Han Dynasty to the modern orange juice industry.....»»
November 2024: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago
Computer chess champ; dental chloroform killer.....»»
SpaceX Catches a Falling Starship—a First in Spaceflight History
SpaceX’s fifth Starship flight test concluded with mechanical arms snatching the descending rocket booster out of the air.....»»
Fossil pollen reveals history of Southern Hemisphere Westerlies
In Bergen, Maaike Zwier analyzed pollen in sediment cores from lakes on Kerguelen Islands and South Georgia. In this way, she can say something about the local climate going back almost 12,000 years. The study is published in the journal Quaternary S.....»»
Reports: Tesla’s prototype Optimus robots were controlled by humans
But the prototypes used "artificial intelligence" to control their walking. After Elon Musk provided his "long-term" vision for autonomous, humanoid robots at last week's "We, Rob.....»»
Unlocking the genetic mysteries of modern roses: Research provides insights into origin and breeding
Roses are one of the world's most beloved and widely cultivated ornamental plants, captivating hearts and adorning gardens for centuries. Despite their popularity, the genetic origins and breeding history of modern roses have remained mostly unknown......»»
How profits from big pharma"s use of genetic information could revolutionize nature conservation
The blue blood of threatened horseshoe crabs contains a chemical essential for testing the safety of vaccines. So these ancient creatures are highly sought after by pharmaceutical companies worldwide, contributing to declines in their populations......»»
Is the physics of red blood cells in bats a key to "artificial hibernation" for humans?
The mechanical properties of red blood cells (erythrocytes) at various temperatures could play an important role in mammals' ability to hibernate. This is the outcome of a study that compared the thermomechanical properties of erythrocytes in two spe.....»»
Scientists apply ancient construction methods to help fabricate modern microparticles
Inspired by the ancient East Asian method of constructing wooden structures using a "tongue and groove" technique, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have developed a new approach to fabricating advanced ceramic mi.....»»
Did child labor fuel the ancient pottery industry?
Archaeologists from Tel Aviv University and the National Museum in Copenhagen have analyzed 450 pottery vessels made in Tel Hama, a town at the edge of the Ebla Kingdom, one of the most important Syrian kingdoms in the Early Bronze Age (about 4,500 y.....»»
How "vaccinating" plants could reduce pesticide use and secure global food supplies
In a growing and changing world, we need to find ways of putting food on everyone's table. Pesticides have enabled mass cultivation on an incredible scale, but they can have harmful secondary effects on humans and wildlife, and pests are rapidly evol.....»»
Ancient hominins had humanlike hands, indicating earlier tool use, study reveals
An analysis by Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, on the manual capabilities of early hominins reveals that some Australopithecus species exhibited hand use similar to modern humans......»»
Traces of ancient immigration patterns to Japan found in 2,000-year-old genome
A joint research group led by Jonghyun Kim and Jun Ohashi of the University of Tokyo has demonstrated that the majority of immigration to the Japanese Archipelago in the Yayoi and Kofun periods (between 3000 BCE and 538 CE) came from the Korean Penin.....»»
Invisible text that AI chatbots understand and humans can’t? Yep, it’s a thing.
A quirk in the Unicode standard harbors an ideal steganographic code channel. What if there was a way to sneak malicious instructions into Claude, Copilot, or other top-name AI ch.....»»
Archaeologists discover Armenia"s oldest church
Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the University of Münster have discovered the remains of a previously unknown early Christian church in the ancient city of Artaxata. The find consists of an octagonal building with.....»»
New salicylic acid-based strategy could balance disease resistance with plant growth
Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants......»»