Oldest known alphabet unearthed in ancient Syrian city
What appears to be evidence of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history is etched onto finger-length, clay cylinders excavated from a tomb in Syria by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers......»»
Q&A: What fossils reveal about ancient Australian forests and fire
Australia's forest ecosystems, renowned for their extraordinary diversity of rare plants and animals, also play a vital role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing carbon. However, fossils from these ancient forests are reshaping the u.....»»
Are US "news deserts" hothouses of corruption? Researchers demonstrate impacts of losing local papers
The March 24, 2021 edition of neighborhood newspaper Northeast News, out of Kansas City, Missouri, contained a surprise for its 9,000 subscribers. Where the front-page news should have been, there was a big, blank white space. This was no printer's e.....»»
A survey of hundreds of vacationers confirms this ancient wisdom: The journey matters as much as the destination
Americans spent more than US$850 billion on domestic leisure travel in 2023, a sum that looks likely to rise in future years. Whether it's a weekend getaway to a Taylor Swift concert, a long-anticipated holiday visit with family, or a monthlong tour.....»»
The "donut effect" persists: Major US cities may never again look like they did before the pandemic
What is the shelf life of a freshly baked donut? Two days, tops. But when it comes to an entirely different kind of donut—one that Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom described early in the pandemic when he measured the exodus of people from city cen.....»»
Ancient Iberian slate plaques may be genealogical records
A study published in the European Journal of Archaeology by Prof. Katina Lillios and her colleagues has provided a statistical evaluation that may suggest Late Neolithic and Copper Age Iberian (3200–2200 BC) engraved slate plaques may have been one.....»»
Ancient maize samples in Brazilian caves suggest the crop"s domestication may have been completed in South America
Brazilian scientists have determined that ancient specimens of partially domesticated maize (Zea mays, also known as corn) originally from Peruaçu Valley in Minas Gerais state (Brazil) were the farthest from Mexico, the plant's historic center of or.....»»
Resurrecting an ancestral protein as a novel tool to study RNA biology
By deducing the possible ancient forms of a bacterial enzyme, OIST scientists have resurrected one of its ancestral versions, with a comparably higher ability to chemically modify RNA......»»
Getting to the bottom of Cenozoic deep-ocean temperatures
Understanding ancient ocean temperatures—particularly from the Cenozoic era (the past 66 million years), in which Earth experienced dramatic climate shifts—helps scientists reveal more about the planet's past climates......»»
From HR to work/life balance—How working life has (and hasn"t) changed since ancient Rome
While powerful figures tend to take up the most space in our history books, the vast majority of people in the ancient world were regular working class folks, and most people's lives revolved around the daily grind. A new book sheds light on working.....»»
Cheaper housing and better transport? Australia"s new National Urban Policy
Imagine a city where everyone can afford a safe home, reach work or school without long, stressful commutes, and enjoy green parks and clean air......»»
Civilian displacement key tactic of Syrian regime during civil war, study shows
Displacement of people, designed to cause depopulation, became a key part of the Syrian regime's attempts to re-establish control of suburban areas of Damascus during the civil war, a study says......»»
Lagos street hawkers are blamed for crimes in traffic—but gangs are the real problem
Traffic in Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city, is congested and chaotic. About 1.8 million vehicles used Lagos roads in 2022. The city has 226 vehicles per kilometer. The global average is 11 cars per km and the Nigerian national average is 16......»»
Code found online exploits LogoFAIL to install Bootkitty Linux backdoor
Unearthed sample likely works against Linux devices from Acer, HP, Fujitsu, and Lenovo. Researchers have discovered malicious code circulating in the wild that hijacks the earlie.....»»
Fishy fossil find points to possible polar bear ancestry for Scottish bears
New analysis of ancient bones and fossils found in a Highland cave has revealed them to be "fishier than the average bear" and could even suggest polar bears once roamed Scotland......»»
Archaeologists reveal musical instruments depicted in Zimbabwe"s ancient rock art
A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa by archaeologists Dr. Joshua Kumbani and Prof. Margarita Díaz-Andreu explores the intriguing relationship between Zimbabwean rock art and musical instruments......»»
3 new Xbox Game Pass games you should play this weekend
Xbox Game Pass subscribers can have a good time playing Little Kitty, Big City, Aliens: Dark Descent, or Nine Sols this weekend......»»
Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya
Long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America's Yucatan peninsula......»»
Seemingly simple climate adaptation strategy could backfire
A climate adaptation strategy that's meant to lower city temperatures could have the opposite effect for people living just outside the zone in which it's used, according to a new modeling study by Yu Cheng and Kaighin McColl published in Geophysical.....»»
Passport control for glycan maturation: Discovery of a molecular tag that enhances biopharmaceutical quality
A collaborative research group, including researchers from Nagoya City University, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, and RIKEN has uncovered a molecular tool, the "passport sequence," that significantly improves the production efficiency and q.....»»
Apple takes over more NYC office space from Macy"s
Apple has expanded its New York City offices and is now taking up ten floors of 11 Penn Plaza in a deal that sees it occupying space vacated by Macy's.Some 10 floors of 11 Penn Plaza in New York are now occupied by Apple — image credit: Vornado Rea.....»»