Trace fossils, the most inconspicuous bite-sized window into ancient worlds
“One animal could have made thousands of traces during its lifetime, but only left one skeleton." Enlarge / It may not look like much, but you can actually learn a lot from a fossilized leaf that preserves insect damage. (credit: Donovan et. a.....»»
New archive of ancient human brains challenges misconceptions of soft tissue preservation
Soft tissue preservation in the geological record is relatively rare, and except where deliberate intervention halts the process of decay (like embalming or freezing), the survival of entire organs is particularly unusual. The spontaneous preservatio.....»»
Daily Telescope: A colorful star trail through the largest window in space
Expect more of this later in 2024 as a veteran astronaut heads back into orbit. Enlarge / Cities on Earth shine alongside distant stars. (credit: Don Pettit/reddit) Welcome to the Daily Telescope. There is a little to.....»»
Security Bite: Here’s what malware your Mac can remove
Ever wonder what malware can your Mac detect and remove without any third-party software? Recently, security researchers have correlated some bizarre macOS YARA rules used by the built-in XProtect suite with their public names. Here’s what malware.....»»
The mystery of consciousness shows there may be a limit to what science alone can achieve
The progress of science in the last 400 years is mind blowing. Who would have thought we'd be able to trace the history of our universe to its origins 14 billion years ago? Science has increased the length and the quality of our lives, and the techno.....»»
Apple Vision Pro App Store now viewable from web browsers
Apple launched a web-based version of the Apple Vision Pro App Store on Friday, giving non-owners a way to see what apps are available and newly added to the Vision Pro's nascent but growing library.For those who are "window shopping" for an Apple Vi.....»»
Are eco-friendly hotels inconvenient?
With the possible exception of those people who still seem to think it's OK to throw their McDonald's bag out the car window, most people like to be seen as environmentally conscious—or at least reasonably respectful of the planet......»»
Unlocking the climate secrets of North China with ancient tree rings
A study published in the Journal of Geographical Sciences reveals a novel method for reconstructing historical warm season temperatures in North China. Utilizing the blue intensity (BI) of tree rings of Picea meyeri, researchers have developed a 281-.....»»
Study reveals ancient ice may still exist in distant space objects
A paper recently published in Icarus presents findings about the Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth, shedding new light on the preservation of volatile substances like carbon monoxide (CO) in such distant celestial bodies......»»
SpaceX has a license to launch Starship—this time it might fly at dawn
The launch window opens before sunrise Thursday at SpaceX's launch site in Texas. Enlarge / SpaceX's third flight-ready Starship rocket underwent a countdown dress rehearsal earlier this month. (credit: SpaceX) The Feder.....»»
IceCube identifies seven astrophysical tau neutrino candidates
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic-kilometer-sized neutrino telescope at the South Pole, has observed a new kind of astrophysical messenger. In a new study recently accepted for publication as an Editors' Suggestion by the journal Physical Rev.....»»
2XKO: release date window, trailers, gameplay, and more
Are you ready to go from a MOBA to a fighter with 2XKO? This is a new genre for Riot Games, so let's see if it can pack a punch as we cover everything we know......»»
Why eukaryotes, not bacteria, evolved complex multicellularity
Prokaryotic single-celled organisms, the ancestors of modern-day bacteria and archaea, are the most ancient form of life on our planet, first appearing roughly 3.5 billion years ago. The first eukaryotic cells appeared around 1–1.5 billion years la.....»»
Webb finds ethanol and other icy ingredients for new worlds
An international team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a variety of molecules, ranging from relatively simple ones like methane to complex compounds like acetic acid and ethanol, in early-stage protosta.....»»
Ancient scrolls are being "read" by machine learning—with human knowledge to detect language and make sense of them
A groundbreaking announcement for the recovery of lost ancient literature was recently made. Using a non-invasive method that harnesses machine learning, an international trio of scholars retrieved 15 columns of ancient Greek text from within a carbo.....»»
AI for astrophysics: Algorithms help chart the origins of heavy elements
The origin of heavy elements in our universe is theorized to be the result of neutron star collisions, which produce conditions hot and dense enough for free neutrons to merge with atomic nuclei and form new elements in a split-second window of time......»»
Cheetahs" unrivaled speed explained by their "sweet spot" size, study finds
A new Imperial College London study has answered a long-held question about why medium-sized land animals like cheetahs tend to be fastest......»»
Seismological study shows ancient lower mantle flow field under Philippine sea plate
Researchers from China and Japan have discovered distinct characteristics of Earth's lower mantle flow field. They investigated seismic anisotropy in the upper part of the lower mantle beneath the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and found that the ancient.....»»
Nigeria"s ancient Ilorin city: Archaeologist uncovers more than 1,000 years of history
Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, is a Nigerian city with a long and rich history. However, much of its distant past is not well known. Archaeology is now uncovering more of this history and the relationships of Ilorin to other ancient parts of the.....»»
A trip to the coast, a dip in the pool, and a snow-chilled drink: How ancient Romans kept cool in summer
The dog days of summer are upon us. Or so the ancient Romans named the dies caniculares that followed the rise of the "dog star" Sirius which the ancients believed to signal the oncoming sweltering heat and drought of summer......»»
The first Europeans reached Ukraine 1.4 million years ago, new study finds
During warm periods in Earth's history, known as interglacials, glaciers the size of continents pulled back to reveal new landscapes. These were new worlds for early humans to explore and exploit, and 1.4 million years ago this was Europe: a Terra nu.....»»