Newsdesk Archive

Stonehenge Builders Used Pythagoras’ Theorem 2,000 Years Before He Was Born
2018-06-22
Authors have used the geometry of the blocks making up the henge to suggest their creators knew a thing or two about the relationship between a hypotenuse and its opposing sides.
This Magical Tree Produces 40 Different Types of Fruit
2018-06-22
It looks like a normal tree, but in spring the plant reveals a patchwork of blossoms, which turn into an array of plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries and almonds during the summer months.
Ancient Royal Tomb Yields Strange New Ape Species
2018-06-22
This discovery provides strong evidence of early human exploitation of creatures, helping scientists understand the extent of our influence on past primate extinctions.
Swedes have been brewing beer since the Iron Age, new evidence confirms
2018-06-20
Archaeologists have found carbonised germinated grains indicating a large-scale production of beer, possibly for feasting and trade.
Thousands of Swedes are inserting microchips into themselves – here’s why
2018-06-20
New microchips function as contactless credit cards, key cards and even rail cards. Once the chip is underneath your skin, you no longer need to worry about misplacing a card or carrying a wallet.
Computational method puts finer point on multispecies genomic comparisons
2018-06-20
A new computational tool will help geneticists to better understand what makes a human a human, or how to differentiate species in general.
Long-Lost Panda Relative Revealed by 22,000-Year-Old Fossil
2018-06-19
The weathered remains from a cave in China contain the world's oldest sample of panda DNA.
What is cannabis oil and how does it work?
2018-06-19
Your questions about the medical use of cannabis oil answered.
CERES HAS EVEN MORE ORGANIC MOLECULES ON IT THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT
2018-06-19
Last year, scientists with NASA’s Dawn mission made a startling discovery when they detected complex chains of carbon molecules – organic material essential for life – in patches on the surface of Ceres.
Out of their minds: wild ideas at the ‘Coachella of consciousness’
2018-06-19
An annual conference on consciousness in the Arizona desert takes an anything-goes approach to some seriously wacky theories.
This Supercomputer Can Calculate in 1 Second What Would Take You 6 Billion Years
2018-06-19
The supercomputer — which fills a server room the size of two tennis courts — can spit out answers to 200 quadrillion calculations per second, or 200 petaflops.
Americans have been lighting up for more than 3000 years, ancient pipe reveals
2018-06-17
Animal bones found alongside the pipe were dated to between 1685 and 1530 B.C.E., indicating the pipe is the earliest evidence yet of tobacco smoking in North America.
Native American Two-Spirits Look to Reclaim Lost Heritage
2018-06-17
Before colonization, Two-Spirits were the balance-keepers blessed to be able to see life through male and female eyes.
How Native American food is tied to important sacred stories
2018-06-17
The latest Supreme Court case coincides with a resurgence of interest among a new generation of scholars and activists who are learning about and reviving indigenous food systems.
‘This is my boy’s medicine’: a mother’s plea for UK to legalise cannabis oil
2018-06-15
Charlotte Caldwell says she and her epileptic son Billy are effectively in exile due to ‘horrendous’ drugs policy.
Astronomers see distant eruption as black hole destroys star
2018-06-15
For the first time, astronomers have directly imaged the formation and expansion of a jet of material ejected when the gravity of a supermassive black hole ripped apart a star that wandered too close.
Illegal trade in antiquities: a scourge that has gone on for millennia too long
2018-06-15
Looting of artefacts has always been a sign of military might or economic power. Over millennia, conquering generals would take away with them trophies to adorn their cities.
The neurons that rewrite traumatic memories
2018-06-15
Neuroscientists have located the cells that help reprogram long-lasting memories of traumatic experiences towards safety, a first in neuroscience.
US army to return remains of Native American children a century after their deaths
2018-06-15
The remains will be transferred to the children’s descendants in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, who requested the exhumations.
Ancient mammal ancestor found and identified in China
2018-06-15
The well-preserved (and nearly complete) skeleton was unearthed in Yixian County, has been dated to approximately 126 million years ago, and has been identified as eutherian.
ANCIENT EGYPT: 3,500 YEAR OLD ROCK ART WITH EARLY FORM OF HIEROGLYPHS DISCOVERED IN DESERT
2018-06-15
According to Darnell, the inscriptions found on the rock slabs represent the earliest form of writing in Egypt, which was a precursor to the hieroglyphic script.
This Tech Expert Says NASA’s Asteroid Data Is Flawed—Now Scientists Are Backing Him Up
2018-06-15
Data from NeoWISE has come under fierce criticism from a former Microsoft chief technologist, who has accused NASA of using shoddy methods and even doctoring data.
Using Indus Valley expertise to tackle some Current Issues in South Asia
2018-06-14
Dave, author of the novel Trade Winds to Meluha concludes with a plea for education and a rekindled awareness of the positive lessons we can draw from ancient Indus practice.
The Milky Way Just Got Larger
2018-06-14
Using a large survey of stars instead of just models, astronomers have now determined the disk of our galaxy to be 200,000 light-years across — twice as large as was believed a decade ago.
Archaeologists excavate a prehistoric settlement in Northern Scotland
2018-06-14
The most exciting structural find was a perfectly preserved hearth constructed of orthostats, a base slab and packing stones.
Earliest Rainforest Frogs Preserved in Amber
2018-06-14
Researchers just found four frogs preserved in amber at nearly 100 million years old suggesting frogs have been hanging out in the rainforest much longer than previously shown.
Victory for Native Americans on salmon fishing
2018-06-14
The court tied 4-4 in a case pitting Washington state against the northwestern state’s 21 Native American tribes.
New research unveils true origin of ancient turquoise
2018-06-14
Geochemical analyses of ancient turquoise artifacts refute long-held claims that it was imported to Mexico from US.
Native Americans fear US-Mexico border wall will destroy ancient culture
2018-06-14
Tribal leaders fear a border wall as envisioned by Trump will sever access to the Rio Grande river's water, spoiling religious traditions and ruining ancient culture for the tribes.
Will we ever colonise an asteroid?
2018-06-14
The asteroid belt is rich with precious metals. There are already plans for asteroid mining but could we ever build a colony on one?
The lives of female scientists in India are being chronicled online
2018-06-13
More than 100 researchers describe their work and the struggles they face, including gender bias and achieving a positive work–life balance.
People who deeply grasp pain or happiness of others, process music differently in brain
2018-06-13
Higher empathy people appear to process music like a pleasurable proxy for a human encounter--in the brain regions for reward, social awareness and regulation of social emotions
One in five UK mammals at risk of extinction
2018-06-13
The red squirrel, the wildcat, and the grey long-eared bat are all facing severe threats to their survival, according to new research.
LSD and DMT Caused the Brain to Form New Connections in Flies and Rats
2018-06-13
The effects of psychedelic drugs on neurite density is a promising sign that they may be useful in treating depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
NASA Shuts Down Opportunity Rover Due To Mars Dust Storm Bigger Than North America
2018-06-13
Within days, the dust storm expanded to over 7 million square miles. It has covered Perseverance Valley, where Opportunity is currently located, and has blotted out the sunlight.
‘Shocking’ die-off of Africa’s oldest baobabs
2018-06-11
The trees, aged between 1,100 and 2,500 years and some as wide as a bus is long, may have fallen victim to climate change, the team speculated.
Secrets of the Y Chromosome
2018-06-11
It’s not just what makes males into males. The sex chromosome also influences health in hidden ways, some experts believe, and may even explain why men have shorter life spans.
Nanodiamonds responsible for mysterious source of microwaves across the Milky Way
2018-06-11
Evidence for nanodiamonds in protoplanetary disks has grown over the past several decades. This is, however, the first clear connection between nanodiamonds and AME in any setting.
South America’s Inca civilization was better at skull surgery than Civil War doctors
2018-06-10
A study of skulls from pre-Columbian Peru suggests the success rates of surgeons there was up to 80% during the Inca era, compared with just 50% during the American Civil War some 400 years later.
Paulette Jordan may become the first Native American governor in US history: Here’s her story
2018-06-10
Ms Jordan says the values passed down to her from centuries of tradition inform her, as she works to become the governor of Idaho.
The asteroid rush sending 21st-century prospectors into space
2018-06-10
A race is on to mine billions of dollars in resources from the solar system’s asteroids, fuelling our future among the stars.
Russian Skeletons Show the Bubonic Plague Has Killed People for 4,000 Years
2018-06-10
The discovery, published Friday in Nature Communications, pushes back the proposed age of the bubonic plague by 1,000 years.
Building Blocks of Life Found on Mars
2018-06-08
Two landmark discoveries reveal organic carbon on the red planet, shaping the future hunt for life on Mars.
Giant kelp switches diet when key nutrient becomes scarce
2018-06-08
Growth spurts of kelp are fueled by a diet of dissolved nitrogen. One of the main forms of nitrogen is nitrate, and although nitrate is scarce in the summer and fall, giant kelp continues to grow.
There’s a Surprising Similarity Between How Animals And Humans Talk to Each Other
2018-06-08
According to a comprehensive new study, many species take turns in their conversations, just like we do.
Cannabis shops set to open in Canada by autumn after Senate approves legalisation
2018-06-08
The Cannabis Act will now go back to the House of Commons, which passed the bill in November 2017 but needs to sign off on changes made by the Senate.
Secrets of Orkney’s ancient tombs revealed – in 3D
2018-06-08
Orkney’s famous chambered cairns have been reconstructed in 3D with viewers able to explore and move around the tombs like never before.
Deadly behavior-modifying weapon identified in insect-world chemical arms race
2018-06-07
New research joins the dots between zombie ants, an insect-world arms race and the search for new antibiotics.
Ancient paintings found in Krabi cave
2018-06-07
More than 60 ancient paintings, thought to be around 3,000-5,000 years old, have been found at the Khao Pru Tee Mae cliff in Mount Chong Lom, Ao Luek, Krabi.
New Mexico Moves Closer to Electing the First Native American Congresswoman
2018-06-07
Deb Haaland’s victory Tuesday in a Democratic primary for an open congressional seat had Native Americans celebrating the possibility of a landmark in U.S. political history.
Big data little help in megafauna mysteries
2018-06-07
Too many meta-analyses of extinctions of giant kangaroos or huge sloths use data that are poor or poorly understood, warn Gilbert J. Price and colleagues.
DNA study reveals fate of Irish women taken by Vikings as slaves to Iceland
2018-06-07
Researchers have found that contemporary Icelanders draw about 70 per cent of their genes from Norse ancestry.
Astronomers find a galaxy unchanged since the early universe
2018-06-07
Researchers confirm the first detection of a relic galaxy with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Sour tastes make people push the boundaries
2018-06-07
Experiencing a sour taste in the mouth is strongly linked to risk-taking behaviour, a new study shows.
Essential oils to fight bacterial infections
2018-06-07
Scientists have discovered a technique to apply natural plant extracts such as Tea Tree Oil as a coating for medical devices, a process which could prevent millions of infections every year.
In male dolphin alliances, ‘everybody knows your name’
2018-06-07
Male dolphins often form long-lasting alliances with other males, sometimes for decades. Now it seems that they retain individual vocal labels rather than sharing a common call with their cooperative partners.
A Crucial Archaeological Dating Tool Is Wrong, And It Could Change History as We Know It
2018-06-06
This may not seem like a huge deal, but in situations where a decade or two of discrepancy counts, radiocarbon dating could be misrepresenting important details.
Dozens of Mysterious ‘Reserve Heads’ Were Sealed in Ancient Egyptian Tombs
2018-06-06
Sculpted during the Old Kingdom (2613-2181 B.C.), the heads are often made of limestone, with the bottom of the neck working as a sort of base to allow the object to stand.
Late Pleistocene human mandibles from the Niah Caves may hint at ancient diets
2018-06-06
The researchers estimate that one of the mandibles is 28-30,000 years old, while the other two are at least 11,000 and 10,000 years old, respectively.
Researchers report the earliest fossil footprints
2018-06-06
Fossil footprints for animal appendages in the Ediacaran Period (about 635-541 million years ago) have been discovered in China. This is considered the earliest animal fossil footprint record.
Traditional Aboriginal healers should work alongside doctors to help close the gap
2018-06-05
Aboriginal healing practices involve mindfulness and attention to relationships with all living things, as well as seeking the advice and treatments of traditional healers.
The art of healing: five medicinal plants used by Aboriginal Australians
2018-06-05
People have lived in Australia for at least 65,000 years. In all those generations the land provided original Australians with everything they needed for a healthy life.
This 4,000-Year-Old Jar Contains Italy’s Oldest Olive Oil
2018-06-05
Traces of oleic and linoleic acid found on a central Italy jar pushes the timeline of the substance in the region back an estimated 700 years.
The Art of Creating Replicas of Ice Age Cave Paintings
2018-06-05
The idea that art is an expression valued for originality is put to the test with the study and replication of caves painted during the Pleistocene.
The social robot that could help save indigenous languages
2018-06-04
Researchers are in a race against time to preserve or revive indigenous languages, only 140 of which out of more than 300 are still spoken today.
Old Maori village discovered by Otago archaeologists
2018-06-04
Among the findings in the 2.5 metre-deep excavation were moa bones and other food items, fish hooks manufactured of moa bone and stone tools made of obsidian and chert.
Small asteroid zipped through Earth’s atmosphere Saturday
2018-06-04
The IAU has confirmed that the asteroid originally designated ZLAF9B2 – now called 2018 LA – disintegrated at a height of 30 miles (50 km) over South Africa on Saturday.
Hats on for Easter Island statues
2018-06-04
How do you put a 13-ton hat on a giant statue? That's what researchers are trying to figure out with their study of Easter Island statues and the red hats that sit atop some of them.
A New Study Could Explain Away Some Evidence for Planet Nine
2018-06-04
A new model provides an explanation for the bizarre orbits of distant objects in the solar system that doesn't require influences from a massive ninth planet.
The days are getting longer – but very, very slowly
2018-06-04
As the moon pulls away from the Earth, our planet’s rotation is slowing, making our days 1/75,000 second longer each year.
Ancient poo reveals extinct dogs crunched big bones
2018-06-03
Fossil poo shows that dogs with a ferocious bite roamed North America 5 million years ago, crushing the skeletons of their prey in massive, muscular jaws.
How Native Civilizations Innovated to Conquer the Wilderness
2018-06-03
A new activity center at the American Indian Museum in NYC sheds light on the original know-how of the Americas.
Naked-Eye Asteroid and More Can’t-Miss Sky Events in June
2018-06-03
Planetary pairings, a super-bright asteroid, and the astronomical start of a new season offer plenty of reasons to look up this month.
And two became one: ancient American lineages reunited to head south
2018-06-01
Analyses of 91 ancient genomes recovered from human remains at sites in California and Canada provide evidence that the first peoples separated into two populations between 18,000 and 15,000 years ago.
The making of a human population uncovered through ancient Icelandic genomes
2018-06-01
Contemporary Icelanders have diverged from their ancestors in Scandinavia and the British and Irish Isles, while the Viking age settlers are effectively indistinguishable from modern representatives of these source populations.  
This ‘Hawk Mummy’ Was Actually Human
2018-06-01
The 2,100-year-old mummified remains actually belong to a stillborn boy who suffered from anencephaly, a rare condition in which part of the brain and skull fails to develop.
New map of Alaska’s ancient coast supports theory that America’s first people arrived by boat
2018-05-31
The coast of southeastern Alaska was largely ice-free and full of plant and animal life 17,000 years ago—a welcoming environment for people venturing south.
At the edge of the Arctic Circle, oil drilling threatens the indigenous Gwich’in
2018-05-31
There are some 6,000 Gwich’in hunting and raising their children at the edge of the Arctic Circle. They’ve been there for thousands of years, following the caribou, which provide a majority of their diet.
Life recovered rapidly at impact site of dino-killing asteroid
2018-05-31
New research suggests that the crater was home to sea life less than a decade after impact, and it contained a thriving ecosystem within 30,000 years.  
Could scientists bring dinosaurs back to life?
2018-05-31
Is it possible to bring these long gone reptiles back from the dead and, if we could, would we really want to?
Canada to buy controversial Trans Mountain pipeline
2018-05-30
Environmentalists vow to continue fighting after Trudeau government approves the purchase of the 1,000km project.
Wars and clan structure may explain a strange biological event 7,000 years ago
2018-05-30
Starting about 7,000 years ago, the genetic diversity of men - specifically, the diversity of their Y chromosomes – collapsed, as if there was only one man left to mate for every 17 women.
Lost City of Irisagrig Comes to Life in Ancient Stolen Tablets
2018-05-30
Hundreds of ancient stolen tablets, seized from the company Hobby Lobby and returned to Iraq, provide clues about what a lost 4,000-year-old city called Irisagrig was like.
Ants provide clues to why biodiversity is higher in the tropics
2018-05-30
The paper suggests that tropical areas have had a much longer time to accumulate the diversity we see today. Given enough time, we could expect to see the same happen in other parts of the world.
Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS) is rich in carbon monoxide and depleted in hydrogen cyanide, study finds
2018-05-30
C/2016 R2 is described by Wierzchos and Womack as a CO-rich comet in which carbon monoxide emission is assumed to be the primary driver of activity.
Ötzi the Iceman Was a Heart Attack Waiting to Happen
2018-05-30
A full-body CT scan showed that Ötzi had three calcifications in his heart region, putting him at increased risk for a heart attack.
Aboriginal People Held a Kangaroo Feast Around a Campfire 20,000 Years Ago
2018-05-30
The cave contained ancient tools, kangaroo bone and the remnants of the campfire, which has nearly 8 inches of fine, white ash and pieces of charcoal in it that researchers plan to radiocarbon-date.
First direct dating of Homo antecessor
2018-05-30
A time range of between 772,000 and 949,000 years was found for this species of the Lower Pleistocene, confirming earlier indirect datings.
Ancient Egyptian Treasures Discovered In Ruins Of Greco-Roman Bath
2018-05-30
Inside the ancient remains of a vast red-bricked building, they discovered a huge collection of gold coins, bronze tools, pottery vessels, hieroglyphic-engraved stones, and a terracotta statue of a ram.
Astronomers scrutinized last year’s eclipse. Here’s what they’ve learned
2018-05-29
New research is providing hints about what’s going on in the sun’s atmosphere.
A southern-hemisphere Stonehenge is found in Chile
2018-05-29
At least some of northern Chile’s saywas had the “astronomical function” of prefiguring the sun’s appearance. They are a southern-hemisphere Stonehenge.
Explore Historic Mount Everest Expeditions Through National Geographic Maps
2018-05-29
On this day, 65 years ago, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
Prehistoric Teeth Reveal Details On Ancient Africa’s Climate
2018-05-29
New research out of South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave shows that the climate of the interior of southern Africa almost two million years ago was like no modern African environment – it was much wetter.
Trump Says Settlers ‘Tamed a Continent.’ Now for Indigenous People’s Side.
2018-05-29
Trump’s latest slight to indigenous peoples points plainly to where the U.S. is as a nation: far too many still in denial of the past, stuck at the intersection of truth and reconciliation. This same denial of facts holds humanity back.
Astronomer Names Minor Planet After Vancouver First Nation: the Tsawout Asteroid
2018-05-29
Harvey Underwood is the proud Tsawout First Nation Chief who now gets to look up at the sky, knowing that the name of their community has a place among the stars.
New Stonehenge Theory Says Humans Didn’t Move Stones After All
2018-05-28
Rather than being transported by humans as is commonly thought, this theory instead argues that the stones were carried by a glacier.
Sweeping gene survey reveals new facets of evolution
2018-05-28
Was there some catastrophic event 200,000 years ago that nearly wiped the slate clean?
Pluto May Actually Be A ‘Giant Comet,’ New Study Suggests
2018-05-28
Based on its chemical makeup, Pluto could simply be a “giant comet,” or as Glein said, the result of a billion comets coming together.
White men’s voices still dominate public science. Here’s how to change this
2018-05-28
Scientists can be powerful influencers and role models. So there's reason for concern when the same names and faces dominate coverage and visibility.
We Just Found The Best Target For Finding Fossils From Ancient Life on Mars
2018-05-28
Iron-rich rocks located near the sites of ancient lakes should be the priority for upcoming visits to the Martian surface, because they are acting like mineral sanctuaries that could preserve signs of life from billions of years ago.
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