News Desk

DNA from dirt can offer new view of ancient life
13th July 2021 | sciencemag.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

For almost 2 decades, genomes isolated from fossils have galvanized the study of human evolution. Yet despite vast improvements in retrieving and analyzing that DNA, researchers have deciphered whole genomes from just 23 archaic humans, 18 of them Neanderthals. This week, however…

DMT, active component in ayahuasca, aids in the growth of new neurons
13th July 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

In addition to being found naturally in animal tissues, including the human brain, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is the primary hallucinogenic compound found in the psychedelic brew known as ayahuasca.

Changes in Earth’s orbit enabled the emergence of complex life
12th July 2021 | eurekalert.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered that changes in Earth’s orbit may have allowed complex life to emerge and thrive during the most hostile climate episode the planet has ever experienced.

A ‘wobble’ in the moon’s orbit could result in record flooding in the 2030s, new study finds
12th July 2021 | livescience.com | Earth, Humans, Space

Climate change has already increased the frequency and severity of hurricanes and other extreme weather events around the world. — But there’s a smaller, less splashy threat on the horizon that could wreak havoc on America’s coasts.

Collective narcissism can warp your moral judgments, according to new psychology research
12th July 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A large body of research indicates that egocentrism shapes moral judgments. Now, new research indicates that people not only prefer moral decisions that benefit them, some people — particularly those with high collective narcissism — also display a bias towards moral decisions that benefit their group.

Winchcombe meteorite gets official classification
12th July 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Earth, Humans, Space

Early work by UK scientists indicates the Winchcombe object dates back to the very beginning of the Solar System, some 4.6 billion years ago.

Do We Live in a Multiverse?
12th July 2021 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Space

As far as we currently know, there is a single expanding blob of spacetime speckled with trillions of galaxies – that’s our Universe. If there are others, we have no compelling evidence for their existence.

The Next Step for Legal Mushrooms—Losing the Trip
8th July 2021 | vice.com | Humans, Misc.

The latest push in the burgeoning psychedelic industry is to lose the whole pesky “psychedelic” element, and it has a surprise backer in the late Bob Marley.

Study suggests psychedelic users reframe “bad trips” into positive experiences through detailed narratives
7th July 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy asked psychedelic drug users to share their experiences with drug use, and particularly, their experiences with “bad trips.”

Were Neanderthals making ‘art’ in Europe’s fabled Unicorn Cave?
6th July 2021 | nationalgeographic.com | Ancient, Humans

A chess-sized piece of bone crafted before modern humans are believed to have arrived in the area sparks questions about artistic expression beyond Homo sapiens.

Image from: Fährtenleser (Wiki Commons)

Stonehenge: Did ancient ‘machine’ move stones from Wales?
5th July 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans, Tech

It is a mystery that has confounded experts for centuries – how were huge stones transported 180 miles (290km) from the Preseli Hills to Stonehenge?

 

Study challenges claim early human hunters killed off prehistoric elephants
3rd July 2021 | ctvnews.ca | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

A new study suggests that prehistoric elephants like the mastodon and woolly mammoth were wiped out by waves of extreme global environmental change, rather than being hunted to extinction by early humans.

The dinosaurs were likely doomed before the asteroid struck
3rd July 2021 | livescience.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

Dinosaurs were facing a crisis even before the asteroid hit, with extinctions outpacing the emergence of new species — a situation that made them “particularly prone to extinction,” a new study suggests.

Siberian cave reveals secrets of human evolutionary history
3rd July 2021 | abc.net.au | Ancient, Humans

Denisova Cave in southern Siberia is a site where conditions allowed for the preservation of ancient human fossils and DNA in fragments of bone, hair and faeces, some going back 300,000 years. Richard Roberts and colleagues from Germany and Russia have analysed DNA from sediments and shown which ancient humans were there at what times.

Image from Nerika (Wiki commons)

Ayahuasca use associated with greatly improved anxiety and depression symptoms in large international study
3rd July 2021 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

Despite their illegality and a tendency among the media and politicians to demonize their use, psychedelics have been shown to have transformative effects on individuals suffering from mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.

5,000-year-old man was ‘oldest plague victim’
3rd July 2021 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

Scientists have identified a new contender for “patient zero” in the plague that caused the Black Death.

Daily alternative news articles at the GrahamHancock News Desk. Featuring science, alternative history, archaeology, Ancient Egypt, paranormal and much more. Check in daily for updates!