Droughts in the sixth century paved the way for Islam
Extreme dry conditions contributed to the decline of the ancient South Arabian kingdom of Himyar. Researchers from the University of Basel have reported these findings in the journal Science. Combined with political unrest and war, the droughts left.....»»
Five ways that climate change threatens human health
As the U.N.'s climate summit, COP29, gets underway in Azerbaijan this week, the effect of climate change on human health is high on the agenda. And rightly so, amid some alarming emerging statistics. By the end of this century, climate change could b.....»»
One or many? Exploring the population groups of the Antarctic blue whale using historical mark-recovery data
Hunted nearly to extinction during 20th century whaling, the Antarctic blue whale, the world's largest animal, went from a population size of roughly 200,000 to little more than 300. The most recent estimate in 2004 put Antarctic blue whales at less.....»»
Elon Musk teases sixth Starship flight test with video of spectacular catch
Ahead of the Starship's sixth test flight, SpaceX boss Elon Musk has shared a spectacular video showing the massive booster being caught on its return to Earth......»»
Water under Threat, Wooden Satellites and a Mud Bath for Baseballs
Droughts in 48 of 50 U.S. states, evidence of microplastics mucking up wastewater recycling and the science of a baseball mud bath in this week’s news roundup......»»
Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn"t
When I started my research on the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection, a librarian leaned over my laptop one day to share some lore. "Legend has it," she said, "John James Audubon really collected the skulls Morton claimed as his own." Her voice.....»»
See SpaceX’s mighty Starship on the launchpad ahead of sixth test flight
SpeceX is gearing up for another test flight of the Starship on Monday, November 18......»»
Ocean warming and acidification threaten key ocean plankton groups, study warns
According to a recent study published in Nature, many planktonic foraminifera species may face unprecedented environmental conditions by the end of this century, potentially surpassing their survival thresholds. Planktonic foraminifera are single-cel.....»»
Tesla is recalling 2,431 Cybertrucks, and this time there’s no software fix
Owners of the affected trucks will require replacement hardware. Tesla has issued yet another recall for the angular, unpainted Cybertruck. This is the sixth recall affecting the.....»»
How to watch SpaceX’s sixth test flight of Starship megarocket
Fans of spaceflight development won't want to miss SpaceX's sixth test flight of the Starship megarocket. Here's how to watch ........»»
Weather extremes influence illegal migration and return between the U.S. and Mexico, study finds
Extreme weather is contributing to undocumented migration and return between Mexico and the United States, suggesting that more migrants could risk their lives crossing the border as climate change fuels droughts, storms and other hardships, accordin.....»»
Space policy is about to get pretty wild, y’all
Saddle up, space cowboys. It may get bumpy for a while. The global space community awoke to a new reality on Wednesday morning. The founder of this century's most innovative space.....»»
What to expect from SpaceX’s sixth megarocket test flight
SpaceX is aiming to perform the next test flight of its Starship megarocket on November 18, and has laid out its plans for what to expect......»»
More wet, less dry: How climate change will affect the avalanche situation in Switzerland by the end of the century
Less snow does not mean fewer avalanches. This is the result of a study published in Snow/Seasonal Snow by SLF researcher Stephanie Mayer......»»
Earth 2 at 30: A look back at NBC’s big swing at sci-fi in the early ’90s
A long-forgotten sci-fi series premiered on NBC 30 years ago this month, but it paved the way for some of the shows that came after it......»»
The "27 Club" isn"t true, but it is real—a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality
There's a certain allure to the notion that some of the world's brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Jop.....»»
Human histones show promise in fighting bacterial infections
Antibiotics have saved millions of lives from infectious diseases and are considered one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. However, as the use (and abuse) of antibiotics has increased over the years, many bacteria have developed.....»»
It all started with a Big Bang: The quest to unravel the mystery behind the birth of the universe
How did everything begin? It's a question that humans have pondered for thousands of years. Over the last century or so, science has homed in on an answer: the Big Bang......»»
Moles, birthmarks, red hair: The anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century
Throughout accounts of 17th-century witch trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable proof of witchcraft. The belief was that the devil branded witches' bodies with symbolic, material marks—such as unusua.....»»
Machine-learning analysis tracks the evolution of 16th-century European astronomical thought
A team of computer scientists, astronomers and historians in Berlin has used machine-learning applications to learn more about the evolutionary history of European astronomical thought in the 15th and 16th centuries. In their study published in the j.....»»
Bones from shipwreck suggest right- or left-handedness could affect how clavicle chemistry changes with age
A new study of human skeletal remains from the wreck of the 16th century English warship "Mary Rose" suggests that whether a person is right- versus left-handed may influence how their clavicle bone chemistry changes as they age. Dr. Sheona Shankland.....»»