New book eyes Earth"s excavators, from microbes to elephants and dinosaurs
The ordinary person looks at Stone Mountain and sees a solid, unmovable monolith. Emory paleontologist Anthony Martin, who thinks in geologic time, sees something more akin to a giant sugar cube......»»
I’m so obsessed with this personalized holiday gift, I’m giving it to everyone I know this year
I know exactly what I'm gifting everyone for the holidays and I just had to share. My Life in a Book is the perfect personalized holiday gift. Here's why......»»
Gold bugs: New fossil arthropod preserved in fool"s gold
A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Luke Parry, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, have unveiled a spectacular new 450-million-year-old fossil arthropod (the group that contains spiders, centipedes, and insects). Besides.....»»
Engineered bacterial protein offers efficient rare earth metal separation
A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better. Rare earth elements are key components used in everything from modern tech.....»»
Tracking a disappearing mantle plume in ancient Samoa: Researchers shed light on a 30-million-year gap
When plumes of magma well up through Earth's lithosphere, they create volcanoes, islands, seamounts, and other features on the surface. Telltale hot spot tracks form as tectonic plates move over these plumes, marking plume locations and the movement.....»»
Dinosaurs thrived after ice, not fire, says a new study of ancient volcanism
201.6 million years ago, one of the Earth's five great mass extinctions took place, when three-quarters of all living species suddenly disappeared. The wipeout coincided with massive volcanic eruptions that split apart Pangaea, a giant continent then.....»»
Hera asteroid mission"s CubeSat passengers signal home
The two CubeSat passengers aboard ESA's Hera mission for planetary defense have exchanged their first signals with Earth, confirming their nominal status. The pair were switched on to check out all their systems, marking the first operation of ESA Cu.....»»
"Wonder Drug" Explores Thalidomide’s Secret History and Harms in the U.S.
In her book Wonder Drug, Jennifer Vanderbes explores the history of thalidomide’s secret history—and harms—in the U.S......»»
Whooping Cough Makes a Comeback, Microbes Evolve to Eat Cleaners, and Solar Maximum Is Confirmed
Kick off the week by catching up on the latest science news......»»
How Earth"s Early Life Thrived amid Catastrophic Asteroid Impacts
A gigantic space rock that slammed into Earth more than three billion years ago grievously wounded the biosphere—and then helped it heal.....»»
Climate Change Is Raising the Temperature on Global Conflict
In a new book, a long-time foreign correspondent examines the underappreciated links between climate change and violent conflict.....»»
Plans to Destroy the International Space Station Preview a Bigger Orbital Junk Problem
A special spacecraft will guide the space station through Earth’s atmosphere, but what about other large pieces of space debris?.....»»
Novel self-cleaning electrode developed for alkaline-earth metal peroxide synthesis
Metal peroxide (MO2, M=Ca, Sr, Ba) is an alternative to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). It has excellent oxidative properties, superior chemical stability, high purity, and is easy to store and transport. It has been widely used in wastewater treatment and.....»»
Mary, Queen of Scots and the clandestine tricks of the women who kept her secrets
Mary, Queen of Scots spent almost 20 years in captivity. She was held in various locations across Britain from 1568 until her execution on February 8, 1587. As I explain in my new book, Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots, du.....»»
Venom, Joker, and the year of supervillain cinema
The comic-book movies of 2024 have thrown a spotlight on villains and anti-heroes with mixed results. Does it signal a looming bust for the once-popular genre?.....»»
Study: DNA corroborates “Well-man” tale from Norse saga
The "Well-man" likely had blue eyes, blond or light-brown hair, and hailed from southern Norway. A 12th-century Norse saga tells of an invading army from the south razing a castl.....»»
Did some of Earth"s water come from the solar wind?
The source of Earth's water is an enduring mystery that extends to exoplanets and the notion of habitability. In broad terms, Earth's water was either part of the planet from the beginning of its formation in the solar nebula or delivered later, mayb.....»»
4 astronauts return to Earth after being delayed by Boeing"s capsule trouble and Hurricane Milton
Four astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after a nearly eight-month space station stay extended by Boeing's capsule trouble and Hurricane Milton......»»
Saturn"s moon Titan has insulating methane-rich crust up to six miles thick
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is the only place other than Earth known to have an atmosphere and liquids in the form of rivers, lakes and seas on its surface. Because of its extremely cold temperature, the liquids on Titan are made of hydrocarbons li.....»»
4 large asteroids, including a skyscraper-size "city killer," will zoom past Earth in a 12-hour span today (Oct. 24)
4 large asteroids, including a skyscraper-size "city killer," will zoom past Earth in a 12-hour span today (Oct. 24).....»»
Microbes feed on iron: New study reveals how they do it
Pipelines, sprinklers, and other infrastructure in oxygen-free environments are vulnerable to microbially induced corrosion (MIC)—a process where microorganisms degrade iron-based structures, potentially leading to costly damages or even collapses......»»