How did ancient civilizations make sense of the cosmos, and what did they get right?
In the spring of 1900, a group of Greek sponge divers, blown off course by a storm in the Aegean, stumbled upon the wreck of an ancient Roman ship loaded with treasure that had sunk more than 2,000 years earlier off the remote Greek island of Antikyt.....»»
Silencing in action: How cells "repress" genomic remnants of ancient viruses
Researchers have identified key cellular control sites that regulate gene expression and prevent the activation of "cryptic" genomic regions, including ancient viral sequences......»»
Caterpillars Sense Hungry Wasps’ Electrical Field
Predators’ electricity gives caterpillars an early warning.....»»
Unraveling an ancient European extinction mystery: Disappearance of dwarf megafauna on paleolithic Cyprus
Scientists have unraveled a mystery about the disappearance of dwarf hippos and elephants that once roamed the picturesque landscape on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before paleolithic humans arrived......»»
Do bacteria age?
Any organism that lives, grows and reproduces must also age. People often think of aging in the physical sense—gray hair, slowed movements and wrinkles—but aging fundamentally occurs on a molecular level, inside of cells......»»
Archaeological excavation in ancient Fregellae reveals the end of a cultural landscape
From 22 July to 19 August 2024, a team of researchers from the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) and the University of Trier investigated the remains of the late Republican city of Fregellae in present-day Italy to better understand the socia.....»»
How Olmec elite helped legitimize their political power through art
In an article recently published in Latin American Antiquity, Dr. Jill Mollenhauer argues that the Gulf Lowland Olmec, one of Mesoamerica's earliest major civilizations, sometimes incorporated aesthetic and ritual practices associated with their rock.....»»
The stone-eaters that threaten Iran"s ancient Persepolis
Conservationists at Persepolis, Iran's most iconic ancient site, are waging a delicate battle against an unlikely adversary: tiny but persistent lichens eroding the millennia-old monuments......»»
"Ecocide" on Easter Island never took place, studies suggest
Two recent studies have cast doubt on a popular theory that the ancient residents of Easter Island suffered a societal collapse because they overexploited their natural resources, an event often labeled one of history's first "ecocides"......»»
Evidence of “snowball Earth” found in ancient rocks
An outcrop in Scotland has material from when the Earth went into a deep freeze. Enlarge / Artist's conception of the state of the Earth during its global glaciations. (credit: NASA) Earth has gone through many geologic.....»»
Remembering where your meals came from key for a small bird’s survival
For small birds, remembering where the food is beats forgetting when it's gone. Enlarge (credit: BirdImages) It seems like common sense that being smart should increase the chances of survival in wild animals. Yet for a.....»»
Making sense of the strikingly different ways consumers and economists view markets
When it comes to the very basics of economics—production, trade and labor—average consumers and economists are on vastly different pages......»»
Ancient DNA from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) refutes best-selling population collapse theory
Rapa Nui or Te Pito o Te Henua (the navel of the world), also known as Easter Island, is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Located in the Pacific, it lies over 1,900 km east of the closest inhabited Polynesian island and 3,700 k.....»»
Archaeologists discover an ancient Neanderthal lineage that remained isolated for over 50,000 years
A fossilized Neanderthal discovered in a cave system in the Rhône Valley, France, represents an ancient and previously undescribed lineage that diverged from other currently known Neanderthals around 100,000 years ago and remained genetically isolat.....»»
25 years ago, this underrated supernatural thriller was overshadowed by The Sixth Sense
Twenty-five years ago, this acclaimed supernatural thriller was overshadowed at the box office by The Sixth Sense. Does it still hold up after all this time?.....»»
Private astronauts on daring trek ahead of historic spacewalk
A private crew set out on an audacious orbital expedition Tuesday, journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in half a century as they prepare for the first ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts......»»
Q&A: Looting of the Sudan National Museum—more is at stake than priceless ancient treasures
Reports continue to emerge of the alleged looting of tens of thousands of artifacts from the Sudan National Museum in Khartoum......»»
References to ancient Britain linked to hostility online
Political posts on social media that most frequently referenced ancient history tended to be more extreme, hostile and overwhelmingly negative in tone than average, finds a new study by researchers from UCL and the University of Edinburgh......»»
Surf therapy connects people to water—ocean health depends on this "blue attunement"
As a lifelong surfer, born to pioneering surfing parents and named after a wave, the ocean has shaped my identity and sense of belonging. The movement and touch of ocean waves ignites a whole cascade of changes in emotions in me and affects how I sen.....»»
How did volcanism trigger climate change before the eruptions started?
New dating of a major ancient warming shows warming started before major eruptions. Enlarge / Loads of lava: Kasbohm with a few solidified lava flows of the Columbia River Basalts. (credit: Joshua Murray) As our climate.....»»
A mural honoring scientists hung in Pfizer"s NYC lobby for 60 years. Now it"s up for grabs
A mural honoring ancient and modern figures in medicine that has hung in the lobby of Pfizer's original New York City headquarters for more than 60 years could soon end up in pieces if conservationists can't find a new home for it in the next few wee.....»»