Newsdesk Archive
Unique on the Polish scale clay figurine from the Neolithic period (fourth millennium BC) depicting a stylised woman figure has been found during the excavations in Racibórz."This find is a sensation in the archaeological world, because so far only a few and small fragments of human figurines from this period have been discovered" - told PAP Jacek Pierzak from the Silesian Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments.The object was discovered during the survey of the planned flood reservoir Dolna Odra...
Scientists have brought to light the spread of dairy farming in Europe and the development of milk tolerance in adult humans. It was after the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to that of a settled farming culture in the Neolithic period that dairy-related animal husbandry first evolved, and this practice spread from the Middle East to all of Europe.The processing of milk to make cheese and yogurt contributed significantly to the development of dairy farming, as this represented a way of reducing the lactose content of fresh milk to tolerable levels, making a valuable foodstuff available to the human population.
The oldest known globe to represent the New World has been discovered, researchers say.Dated to the early 1500s, the globe was likely crafted in Florence, Italy, from the lower halves of two ostrich eggs. It is engraved with then-new and vague details about the Americas garnered from European explorers like Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. It is also decorated with monsters, intertwining waves and even a shipwrecked sailor, according to the Washington Map Society, which published a study of the artifact in its journal The Portolan.
On one of the lifeless, uniform streets of America's capital, a bulky former crack cocaine dealer who goes by the nom de guerre of Tiny laments the passing of the old Washington DC."Back then they called it the murder capital of the world. These few blocks here were the murder capital of the murder capital of the world, and right here's where I did my business. Made a lot of money too," he says, hovering on a corner in the mostly black Trinidad neighbourhood a few blocks north of that largely white citadel, the Capitol.
Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug used worldwide, but addictions to popular painkillers like Vicodin, Oxycontin and codeine kill the most people, according to the first-ever global survey of illicit drug abuse.In addition to cannabis and opioid painkillers, scientists analyzed abuse of cocaine and amphetamines in 2010, largely based on previous studies. Ecstasy and hallucinogens weren
Everyone assumes that technology companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google don
For centuries, humans have dreamt of the day when we could grow new body parts to replace the ones we lost, just like salamanders that can sprout new limbs. Now researchers are actually finding ways to turn those dreams into reality.Sometime in the next few decades, humans may be able to regrow a finger here, a toe there
Japanese scientists have launched a sperm bank for endangered animals that uses freeze-drying technology they hope could one day help humans recreate animal populations on other planets.The team at Kyoto University's Institute of Laboratory Animals Graduate School of Medicine successfully preserved sperm taken from two endangered primates and a type of giraffe, says associate professor Takehito Kaneko.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
NASA says airborne science missions reveal the existence of a previously unknown canyon, longer than the Grand Canyon, hidden under a mile of Greenland ice.A study led by researchers at Britain's University of Bristol used radar data collected by NASA and researchers from the United Kingdom and Germany over several decades to piece together the landscape lying under the Greenland ice sheet, the space agency reported Wednesday.The radar data revealed the canyon, with characteristics of a winding river channel, at least 460 miles long and as deep as 2,600 feet in some places, putting in a on a scale with segments of the Grand Canyon.
Around the world, astronomers are buzzing with anticipation over the approach of Comet ISON. On Thanksgiving Day 2013, the icy visitor from the outer solar system will skim the Sun's outer atmosphere and, if it survives, could emerge as one of the brightest comets in years.First, though, it has to fly by Mars."Comet ISON is paying a visit to the Red Planet," says astronomer Carey Lisse of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. "On Oct 1st, the comet will pass within 0.07 AU from Mars...
This set of three images shows views three seconds apart as the larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, passed directly in front of the sun as seen by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. Curiosity photographed this annular, or ring, eclipse with the telephoto-lens camera of the rover's Mast Camera pair (right Mastcam) on Aug. 17, 2013, the 369th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars.Curiosity paused during its drive that sol for a set of observations that the camera team carefully calculated to record this celestial event.
LOS ANGELES
Using autonomous navigation, car-size robot chose safest path across a small dip unseen from Earth.For the first time since it landed a year ago, the Mars rover Curiosity has made up its own mind where it wanted to go, NASA says.Using autonomous navigation, the car-size, six-wheel laboratory negotiated a small dip Tuesday by analyzing photographs and determining the safest way to get from points A to B on its way to Mount Sharp, Curiosity's handlers said. The maneuver over previously hidden terrain covered about 33 feet of the day's 141-foot excursion.
How would you like a speaker system in your living room that was completely clear? Or, better yet, an active noise-canceling window that could mute the outside? The technology is already here, and a team of materials scientists at Harvard is showing us what
Normally, communication from Earth to space and back again is handled by radio frequency (RF) signals. However, as our exploration of space expands, there is an increasing need for communication that is faster, more reliable, and capable of handling more data. Enter NASA's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), which the agency anticipates will provide evidence that two-way communication between Earth and space is possible by using lasers.Not only does NASA hope to prove such communication is possible, but it also expects that this technology will be able to extend the range of communication, as well as allow for more data to travel at a faster rate.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
BERN, SWITZERLAND--Soil samples collected from forest islands in Bolivia
The Djingareyber Mosque is the largest of three mosques at the World Heritage site and shelters two of the 14 mausoleums destroyed by the groups of armed rebels that occupied the city earlier this year. No maintenance work could be carried out on the earthen structure during the occupation, heightening the risk of serious degradation.Along with the rendering work on the mosque, a series of architectural studies were started and costs estimated for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of other damaged cultural property in the city. These tasks are being undertaken by Malian architects and technicians employed by the Ministry of Culture...
NASA says airborne science missions reveal the existence of a previously unknown canyon, longer than the Grand Canyon, hidden under a mile of Greenland ice.A study led by researchers at Britain's University of Bristol used radar data collected by NASA and researchers from the United Kingdom and Germany over several decades to piece together the landscape lying under the Greenland ice sheet, the space agency reported Wednesday.The radar data revealed the canyon, with characteristics of a winding river channel, at least 460 miles long and as deep as 2,600 feet in some places, putting in a on a scale with segments of the Grand Canyon.
Around the world, astronomers are buzzing with anticipation over the approach of Comet ISON. On Thanksgiving Day 2013, the icy visitor from the outer solar system will skim the Sun's outer atmosphere and, if it survives, could emerge as one of the brightest comets in years.First, though, it has to fly by Mars."Comet ISON is paying a visit to the Red Planet," says astronomer Carey Lisse of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. "On Oct 1st, the comet will pass within 0.07 AU from Mars...
This set of three images shows views three seconds apart as the larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, passed directly in front of the sun as seen by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. Curiosity photographed this annular, or ring, eclipse with the telephoto-lens camera of the rover's Mast Camera pair (right Mastcam) on Aug. 17, 2013, the 369th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars.Curiosity paused during its drive that sol for a set of observations that the camera team carefully calculated to record this celestial event.
Using autonomous navigation, car-size robot chose safest path across a small dip unseen from Earth.For the first time since it landed a year ago, the Mars rover Curiosity has made up its own mind where it wanted to go, NASA says.Using autonomous navigation, the car-size, six-wheel laboratory negotiated a small dip Tuesday by analyzing photographs and determining the safest way to get from points A to B on its way to Mount Sharp, Curiosity's handlers said. The maneuver over previously hidden terrain covered about 33 feet of the day's 141-foot excursion.
Normally, communication from Earth to space and back again is handled by radio frequency (RF) signals. However, as our exploration of space expands, there is an increasing need for communication that is faster, more reliable, and capable of handling more data. Enter NASA's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), which the agency anticipates will provide evidence that two-way communication between Earth and space is possible by using lasers.Not only does NASA hope to prove such communication is possible, but it also expects that this technology will be able to extend the range of communication, as well as allow for more data to travel at a faster rate.
Unique on the Polish scale clay figurine from the Neolithic period (fourth millennium BC) depicting a stylised woman figure has been found during the excavations in Racibórz."This find is a sensation in the archaeological world, because so far only a few and small fragments of human figurines from this period have been discovered" - told PAP Jacek Pierzak from the Silesian Regional Office for the Protection of Monuments.The object was discovered during the survey of the planned flood reservoir Dolna Odra...
Scientists have brought to light the spread of dairy farming in Europe and the development of milk tolerance in adult humans. It was after the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to that of a settled farming culture in the Neolithic period that dairy-related animal husbandry first evolved, and this practice spread from the Middle East to all of Europe.The processing of milk to make cheese and yogurt contributed significantly to the development of dairy farming, as this represented a way of reducing the lactose content of fresh milk to tolerable levels, making a valuable foodstuff available to the human population.
The oldest known globe to represent the New World has been discovered, researchers say.Dated to the early 1500s, the globe was likely crafted in Florence, Italy, from the lower halves of two ostrich eggs. It is engraved with then-new and vague details about the Americas garnered from European explorers like Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. It is also decorated with monsters, intertwining waves and even a shipwrecked sailor, according to the Washington Map Society, which published a study of the artifact in its journal The Portolan.
On one of the lifeless, uniform streets of America's capital, a bulky former crack cocaine dealer who goes by the nom de guerre of Tiny laments the passing of the old Washington DC."Back then they called it the murder capital of the world. These few blocks here were the murder capital of the murder capital of the world, and right here's where I did my business. Made a lot of money too," he says, hovering on a corner in the mostly black Trinidad neighbourhood a few blocks north of that largely white citadel, the Capitol.
Japanese scientists have launched a sperm bank for endangered animals that uses freeze-drying technology they hope could one day help humans recreate animal populations on other planets.The team at Kyoto University's Institute of Laboratory Animals Graduate School of Medicine successfully preserved sperm taken from two endangered primates and a type of giraffe, says associate professor Takehito Kaneko.
Miniature "human brains" have been grown in a lab in a feat scientists hope will transform the understanding of neurological disorders.The pea-sized structures reached the same level of development as in a nine-week-old foetus, but are incapable of thought.The study, published in the journal Nature, has already been used to gain insight into rare diseases.
British children who spend most time in front of televisions and computer screens have lower self-esteem and greater emotional problems, according to a study published today by Public Health England.The report found that excessive
Close talkers, crowded buses: everybody needs a certain amount of personal space. A new study announced Monday reveals exactly how much most of us need, and finds that anxious people need a bit more.University College London researchers say that generally most people need a boundary from around 20 to 40 centimeters in front of their face before becoming tense.
A new study sheds light on how money affects human behaviour.Exchanging goods for currency is an age old trusted system for trade. In large groups it fosters co-operation as each party has a measurable payoff.But within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity.
Teachers who practice "mindfulness" are better able to reduce their own levels of stress and prevent burnout, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center.The results of the study, led by Assistant Scientist Lisa Flook, were recently published in the journal Mind, Brain and Education.
Scientists have presented new evidence for the existence of an unconfirmed element with atomic number 115.The element is highly radioactive and exists for less than a second before decaying into lighter atoms.First proposed by Russian scientists in 2004, the super-heavy element has yet to be verified by the governing body of chemistry and physics.
U.S. animal advocates have become somewhat accustomed to being embarrassingly surpassed by the animal protection policies across the pond in the European Union (EU). Now it seems we'd better prepare ourselves to be eclipsed by India -- at least when it comes to cosmetics testing on animals.
Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict.Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island, confined to small areas in the south. Three-quarters of Greenland, the world's most sparsely populated country, is covered by a barren ice sheet.But by the year 2100 swaths of verdant forest could be covering much of its land surface, according to experts.
Cooling waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean appear to be a major factor in dampening global warming in recent years, scientists said on Wednesday.Their work is a big step forward in helping to solve the greatest puzzle of current climate change research
This much we know: the forces of darkness are as malevolent as they are banal. From China encased in unbreathable toxic smog, chemical warfare in Syria, the downwardly spiraling civil war fomenting in Egypt, over to the draconian NSA spitting on the US Constitution, the unstoppable hate of Vladimir Putin, the NRA
At first glance, Saturn's large moon Titan is an Earth-like world, with atmosphere, weather and even lakes, though these contain liquid ethane and methane, not water.But appearances can be deceiving. New results from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show Titan has an icy shell far more rigid and thicker than previously believed.
A diverse range of life forms exists deep below Earth's surface, scientists have concluded, but they survive at an incredibly slow pace.Long-lived bacteria, reproducing only once every 10,000 years, have been found in rocks 2.5km (1.5 miles) below the ocean floor that are as much as 100 million years old.
Scientists have pinpointed the lowest temperature at which simple life can live and grow.The study, published in PLoS One, reveals that below -20°C, single-celled organisms dehydrate, sending them into a vitrified
The ancient closest relatives of mammals
Sometimes it's kind of fun to look at a friend's older relatives, to guess how he'll age. In a new study, astronomers have done something like that by examining an 8.2 billion-year-old star for clues as to what our own 4.6 billion-year-old sun will be like in the future.The astronomers also examined the 2.9 billion-year-old, sun-like star 18 Scorpii to gather insight into what our own sun might've looked like at that age.
NASA-funded lunar research has yielded evidence of water locked in mineral grains on the surface of the moon from an unknown source deep beneath the surface.Using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists remotely detected magmatic water, or water that originates from deep within the moon's interior, on the surface of the moon.
Life may have started on Mars before arriving on Earth, a major scientific conference has heard.New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was.The evidence is based on how the first molecules necessary for life were assembled.
Miniature "human brains" have been grown in a lab in a feat scientists hope will transform the understanding of neurological disorders.The pea-sized structures reached the same level of development as in a nine-week-old foetus, but are incapable of thought.The study, published in the journal Nature, has already been used to gain insight into rare diseases.
British children who spend most time in front of televisions and computer screens have lower self-esteem and greater emotional problems, according to a study published today by Public Health England.The report found that excessive
Close talkers, crowded buses: everybody needs a certain amount of personal space. A new study announced Monday reveals exactly how much most of us need, and finds that anxious people need a bit more.University College London researchers say that generally most people need a boundary from around 20 to 40 centimeters in front of their face before becoming tense.
A new study sheds light on how money affects human behaviour.Exchanging goods for currency is an age old trusted system for trade. In large groups it fosters co-operation as each party has a measurable payoff.But within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity.
Teachers who practice "mindfulness" are better able to reduce their own levels of stress and prevent burnout, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center.The results of the study, led by Assistant Scientist Lisa Flook, were recently published in the journal Mind, Brain and Education.
Scientists have presented new evidence for the existence of an unconfirmed element with atomic number 115.The element is highly radioactive and exists for less than a second before decaying into lighter atoms.First proposed by Russian scientists in 2004, the super-heavy element has yet to be verified by the governing body of chemistry and physics.
U.S. animal advocates have become somewhat accustomed to being embarrassingly surpassed by the animal protection policies across the pond in the European Union (EU). Now it seems we'd better prepare ourselves to be eclipsed by India -- at least when it comes to cosmetics testing on animals.
Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict.Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island, confined to small areas in the south. Three-quarters of Greenland, the world's most sparsely populated country, is covered by a barren ice sheet.But by the year 2100 swaths of verdant forest could be covering much of its land surface, according to experts.
Cooling waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean appear to be a major factor in dampening global warming in recent years, scientists said on Wednesday.Their work is a big step forward in helping to solve the greatest puzzle of current climate change research
This much we know: the forces of darkness are as malevolent as they are banal. From China encased in unbreathable toxic smog, chemical warfare in Syria, the downwardly spiraling civil war fomenting in Egypt, over to the draconian NSA spitting on the US Constitution, the unstoppable hate of Vladimir Putin, the NRA
At first glance, Saturn's large moon Titan is an Earth-like world, with atmosphere, weather and even lakes, though these contain liquid ethane and methane, not water.But appearances can be deceiving. New results from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show Titan has an icy shell far more rigid and thicker than previously believed.
A diverse range of life forms exists deep below Earth's surface, scientists have concluded, but they survive at an incredibly slow pace.Long-lived bacteria, reproducing only once every 10,000 years, have been found in rocks 2.5km (1.5 miles) below the ocean floor that are as much as 100 million years old.
Scientists have pinpointed the lowest temperature at which simple life can live and grow.The study, published in PLoS One, reveals that below -20°C, single-celled organisms dehydrate, sending them into a vitrified
The ancient closest relatives of mammals
Sometimes it's kind of fun to look at a friend's older relatives, to guess how he'll age. In a new study, astronomers have done something like that by examining an 8.2 billion-year-old star for clues as to what our own 4.6 billion-year-old sun will be like in the future.The astronomers also examined the 2.9 billion-year-old, sun-like star 18 Scorpii to gather insight into what our own sun might've looked like at that age.
NASA-funded lunar research has yielded evidence of water locked in mineral grains on the surface of the moon from an unknown source deep beneath the surface.Using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists remotely detected magmatic water, or water that originates from deep within the moon's interior, on the surface of the moon.
Life may have started on Mars before arriving on Earth, a major scientific conference has heard.New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was.The evidence is based on how the first molecules necessary for life were assembled.
Miniature "human brains" have been grown in a lab in a feat scientists hope will transform the understanding of neurological disorders.The pea-sized structures reached the same level of development as in a nine-week-old foetus, but are incapable of thought.The study, published in the journal Nature, has already been used to gain insight into rare diseases.
British children who spend most time in front of televisions and computer screens have lower self-esteem and greater emotional problems, according to a study published today by Public Health England.The report found that excessive
Close talkers, crowded buses: everybody needs a certain amount of personal space. A new study announced Monday reveals exactly how much most of us need, and finds that anxious people need a bit more.University College London researchers say that generally most people need a boundary from around 20 to 40 centimeters in front of their face before becoming tense.
A new study sheds light on how money affects human behaviour.Exchanging goods for currency is an age old trusted system for trade. In large groups it fosters co-operation as each party has a measurable payoff.But within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity.
Teachers who practice "mindfulness" are better able to reduce their own levels of stress and prevent burnout, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center.The results of the study, led by Assistant Scientist Lisa Flook, were recently published in the journal Mind, Brain and Education.
Scientists have presented new evidence for the existence of an unconfirmed element with atomic number 115.The element is highly radioactive and exists for less than a second before decaying into lighter atoms.First proposed by Russian scientists in 2004, the super-heavy element has yet to be verified by the governing body of chemistry and physics.
U.S. animal advocates have become somewhat accustomed to being embarrassingly surpassed by the animal protection policies across the pond in the European Union (EU). Now it seems we'd better prepare ourselves to be eclipsed by India -- at least when it comes to cosmetics testing on animals.
Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict.Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island, confined to small areas in the south. Three-quarters of Greenland, the world's most sparsely populated country, is covered by a barren ice sheet.But by the year 2100 swaths of verdant forest could be covering much of its land surface, according to experts.
Cooling waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean appear to be a major factor in dampening global warming in recent years, scientists said on Wednesday.Their work is a big step forward in helping to solve the greatest puzzle of current climate change research
This much we know: the forces of darkness are as malevolent as they are banal. From China encased in unbreathable toxic smog, chemical warfare in Syria, the downwardly spiraling civil war fomenting in Egypt, over to the draconian NSA spitting on the US Constitution, the unstoppable hate of Vladimir Putin, the NRA
At first glance, Saturn's large moon Titan is an Earth-like world, with atmosphere, weather and even lakes, though these contain liquid ethane and methane, not water.But appearances can be deceiving. New results from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show Titan has an icy shell far more rigid and thicker than previously believed.
A diverse range of life forms exists deep below Earth's surface, scientists have concluded, but they survive at an incredibly slow pace.Long-lived bacteria, reproducing only once every 10,000 years, have been found in rocks 2.5km (1.5 miles) below the ocean floor that are as much as 100 million years old.
Scientists have pinpointed the lowest temperature at which simple life can live and grow.The study, published in PLoS One, reveals that below -20°C, single-celled organisms dehydrate, sending them into a vitrified
The ancient closest relatives of mammals
Sometimes it's kind of fun to look at a friend's older relatives, to guess how he'll age. In a new study, astronomers have done something like that by examining an 8.2 billion-year-old star for clues as to what our own 4.6 billion-year-old sun will be like in the future.The astronomers also examined the 2.9 billion-year-old, sun-like star 18 Scorpii to gather insight into what our own sun might've looked like at that age.
NASA-funded lunar research has yielded evidence of water locked in mineral grains on the surface of the moon from an unknown source deep beneath the surface.Using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists remotely detected magmatic water, or water that originates from deep within the moon's interior, on the surface of the moon.
Life may have started on Mars before arriving on Earth, a major scientific conference has heard.New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was.The evidence is based on how the first molecules necessary for life were assembled.
Miniature "human brains" have been grown in a lab in a feat scientists hope will transform the understanding of neurological disorders.The pea-sized structures reached the same level of development as in a nine-week-old foetus, but are incapable of thought.The study, published in the journal Nature, has already been used to gain insight into rare diseases.
Close talkers, crowded buses: everybody needs a certain amount of personal space. A new study announced Monday reveals exactly how much most of us need, and finds that anxious people need a bit more.University College London researchers say that generally most people need a boundary from around 20 to 40 centimeters in front of their face before becoming tense.
A new study sheds light on how money affects human behaviour.Exchanging goods for currency is an age old trusted system for trade. In large groups it fosters co-operation as each party has a measurable payoff.But within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity.
Teachers who practice "mindfulness" are better able to reduce their own levels of stress and prevent burnout, according to a new study conducted by the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center.The results of the study, led by Assistant Scientist Lisa Flook, were recently published in the journal Mind, Brain and Education.
Scientists have presented new evidence for the existence of an unconfirmed element with atomic number 115.The element is highly radioactive and exists for less than a second before decaying into lighter atoms.First proposed by Russian scientists in 2004, the super-heavy element has yet to be verified by the governing body of chemistry and physics.
U.S. animal advocates have become somewhat accustomed to being embarrassingly surpassed by the animal protection policies across the pond in the European Union (EU). Now it seems we'd better prepare ourselves to be eclipsed by India -- at least when it comes to cosmetics testing on animals.
Climate change could bring about the greening of Greenland by the end of the century, scientists predict.Today only four indigenous tree species grow on the island, confined to small areas in the south. Three-quarters of Greenland, the world's most sparsely populated country, is covered by a barren ice sheet.But by the year 2100 swaths of verdant forest could be covering much of its land surface, according to experts.
At first glance, Saturn's large moon Titan is an Earth-like world, with atmosphere, weather and even lakes, though these contain liquid ethane and methane, not water.But appearances can be deceiving. New results from NASA's Cassini spacecraft show Titan has an icy shell far more rigid and thicker than previously believed.
A diverse range of life forms exists deep below Earth's surface, scientists have concluded, but they survive at an incredibly slow pace.Long-lived bacteria, reproducing only once every 10,000 years, have been found in rocks 2.5km (1.5 miles) below the ocean floor that are as much as 100 million years old.
Sometimes it's kind of fun to look at a friend's older relatives, to guess how he'll age. In a new study, astronomers have done something like that by examining an 8.2 billion-year-old star for clues as to what our own 4.6 billion-year-old sun will be like in the future.The astronomers also examined the 2.9 billion-year-old, sun-like star 18 Scorpii to gather insight into what our own sun might've looked like at that age.
NASA-funded lunar research has yielded evidence of water locked in mineral grains on the surface of the moon from an unknown source deep beneath the surface.Using data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists remotely detected magmatic water, or water that originates from deep within the moon's interior, on the surface of the moon.
Life may have started on Mars before arriving on Earth, a major scientific conference has heard.New research supports an idea that the Red Planet was a better place to kick-start biology billions of years ago than the early Earth was.The evidence is based on how the first molecules necessary for life were assembled.
AN INDIAN geologist believes he may have evidence of gods from the sky landing on earth.Nitish Priyadarshi says that ancient foot prints and an engraved image of a mysterious flying object in a village in Central India could signify the presence of gods.
European hunter-gatherers acquired domesticated pigs from nearby farmers as early as 4600BC, according to new evidence.The international team of scientists, including researchers at Durham and Aberdeen universities, showed there was interaction between the hunter-gatherer and farming communities and a 'sharing' of animals and knowledge. The interaction between the two groups eventually led to the hunter-gatherers incorporating farming and breeding of livestock into their culture, say the scientists.
The 5000 year old gold mine of Sakdrissi in Georgia lies 50 km southwest of the capital Tbilisi and was placed under state heritage law protection in 2006 as a site of international importance. However, this status was removed on the 5th July 2013 to pave the way for an opencast mine to begin work by the end of September 2013.
Tel Hazor in northern Israel has long been a treasure trove for archeologists, but a recent discovery of part of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian sphinx has been a most unexpected find.Inexplicably buried far from Egypt, the paws of a sphinx statue, resting on its base, have been unearthed with an inscription in hieroglyphs naming King Mycerinus. The pharaoh ruled in 2500 BC and oversaw the construction of one of the three Giza pyramids, where he was enshrined.
Supervolcanoes, such as the one sitting dormant under Yellowstone National Park, are capable of producing eruptions thousands of times more powerful than normal volcanic eruptions. While they only happen every several thousand years, these eruptions have the potential to kill millions of people and animals due to the massive amount of heat and ash they release into the atmosphere. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have shown that the ash produced by supervolcanoes can be so hot that it has the ability to turn back into lava once it hits the ground tens of miles away from the original eruption.