Newsdesk Archive
New research suggests that low doses of MDMA can help to reduce the challenging effects associated with psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin, the active component in magic mushrooms. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, shed new light on the effects of “candy flipping” and “hippy flipping”...
Rare tree fossils preserved with their leaves have an architecture unlike any plant known today and represent the earliest evidence of smaller trees growing beneath the forest canopy. See the study, published in the journal Current Biology.
New evidence from the fossilised skulls of a 6-million-year-old ape called Lufengpithecus has revealed important clues about how our quadrupedal ancestors made the transition to walking on two legs. The analysis is published in the journal Innovation.
The autonomous plane will map areas of the continent that have been out of bounds to researchers.
Scientists are finding ever-earlier examples of artistic expression in the archaeological record that reshape what we know about the cognitive abilities of our archaic human relatives, such as Neanderthals.
MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to have positive effects on mental processes related to self-experience, such as emotional awareness and self-compassion, which are often linked to poor treatment outcomes in traditional therapies, according to new research published in PLOS One.
A surprise discovery of human remains in a German cave has “fundamentally changed” the story of our species’ migration into Europe. Their findings were published across three major research papers in the journal Nature.
Archaeologists have discovered a 1,700-year-old royal tomb in Guatemala that's overflowing with funeral offerings, including an intricately designed jade mask depicting a Maya deity.
A pair of historians at the University of Tübingen have found evidence that an ancient baton, thought to be a work of art created by early humans thousands of years ago, is actually a device to assist with making rope. The study is published in the journal Science Advances.
Studying ancient gravesites is a fascinating (if morbid) way of peering into the past, though some searches can raise more questions than answers. Take for instance these Early Neolithic skeletons found in a Swedish tomb, which are all missing their skulls. See the research here.
A study has found that playing a soundscape to a common, plant-promoting fungus found in soil caused it to grow more rapidly than fungi that weren’t exposed to sound. The novel ‘eco-acoustic’ approach has the potential to restore damaged ecosystems.
Image from: Plogeo (Wiki Commons)
Researchers happened upon the footprint site near the northern tip of North Africa in 2022 while studying boulders at a nearby pocket beach, according to a study published Jan. 23 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious group of giant elderly stars at the heart of the Milky Way that are emitting solar system-sized clouds of dust and gas. The findings are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Scientists have uncovered a never-before-seen class of virus-like entities hiding in the human gut and mouth, and these "viroids" may influence the gene activity within the human microbiome, Science reported.
An international team of researchers has uncovered the oldest case of a syphilis-like disease, and it seriously undermines the so-called Columbian hypothesis. The study was published in Nature.
Work to restore layer of granite that once covered ancient structure described as ‘absurdity’.
A detailed investigation of asteroid Ryugu samples has provided further evidence that the organic molecules which gave rise to life to our planet were brought here by ancient comets.
Published in a study this month, the findings provide new insights into how therapy combined with MDMA — the psychedelic drug commonly known as ecstasy — can help people who are suffering from trauma.
For ice age hunters in Europe some 30,000 years ago, styles of ornaments including amber pendants, ivory bangles, and fox tooth beads may have also signaled membership in a particular culture, researchers report in Nature Human Behaviour.
A team of Japanese scientists analysed coprolites (fossilised faeces) from the Early Jomon period, about 7,000-5,500 years ago. The researchers have published their findings in PLOS One.
The birds' brains and behavior could give clues to the evolution of intelligence.
An iron age workshop, where blacksmiths were forging metal about 2,700 years ago, has been discovered in Oxfordshire...This was no ordinary smithy but a highly skilled producer of large and high-end iron artefacts, including everything from swords to chariot wheels.
Were dinosaurs already on their way out when an asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous, the geologic period that started about 145 million years ago? It's a question that has vexed paleontologists like us for more than 40 years.
Underneath a temple in the ancient ruined city of Taposiris Magna on the Egyptian coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast, spectacular tunnel that experts are referring to as a "geometric miracle".
Recent research has unveiled the intricate patterns of human settlements on China's Ordos Plateau, stretching back to the Neolithic Age. This study analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution of these settlements, sheds new light on the dynamic interplay between humans and their environment through millennia.
This story begins with a funeral. On my 33rd birthday in June, I entered my coffin on five grams of mushrooms, had it “nailed” shut, and listened while sixteen friends delivered eulogies as the soundtrack to my trip.
A new analysis of a skeleton buried under Hernán Cortés' palace in Mexico reveals that it doesn't belong to a monk, as was long thought.
Some 9,700 years ago, on an autumn day, a group of people were camping on the west coast of Scandinavia. They were hunter-gatherers that had been fishing, hunting and collecting resources in the area. Analysis of DNA left in the chewed resin has been published in Scientific Reports.
A new study offers preliminary evidence that small, regular doses of psilocybin could potentially offer therapeutic benefits, particularly in reducing stress-induced anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure) and compulsive behaviors.
Researchers have been able to prove, in the first archaeobotanical study of burnt food residues on the surface of ceramic vessels, how varied the meals prepared in Eastern Holstein 5,000 years ago were.
About 8,200 years ago, an underwater landslide known as the Storegga slide near Norway triggered a tsunami that engulfed parts of northern Europe. Around the same time, there was a massive dip in Britain's population. See the research here.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered that low doses of LSD may have potential antidepressant effects. The findings have been published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Evidence of at least four populations from different times in Brazil's history was found at the same archaeological site.
Windswept piles of dust, or layers of ice? ESA's Mars Express has revisited one of Mars's most mysterious features to clarify its composition. Its findings suggest layers of water ice stretching several kilometers below ground—the most water ever found in this part of the planet.
The random nature of genetic mutation implies evolution is largely unpredictable. But recent research suggests this may not be entirely so, with interactions between genes playing a bigger role than expected in determining how a genome changes.
Monsters lurk in the background of James Webb Space Telescope images. Scientists are scrambling to make sense of them.
Fragments of ancient rock and bone in Eastern Asia are changing our understanding of the history of human migration. They're artifacts found in the Shiyu site of northeastern China, and new analysis has revealed that they were created by Homo sapiens some 45,000 years ago. See the research here.
The tale of one female woolly mammoth, written in the layers of her tusk, has shown researchers how the extinct megafauna species moved across Alaska with humans right on their heels...Her life and its connection to human activity have been described in a recent paper published in Science Advances.
In a recent Scientific Reports study, researchers examined the brain’s reaction to Cannabis Sativa, the plant responsible for giving pot smokers the munchies after firing up a joint.
Amid the discovery of a lost city in the Amazon rainforest, scientists are uncovering a different kind of relic underground – one that's still being used today.
Crocodile-like skin belonging to an early species of reptile is the oldest fossilized skin ever discovered, dating back almost 290 million years — 130 million years older than the previous record holder.
As analytical methods get more sophisticated, existing scientific models are constantly reexamined. The latest to come under scrutiny is the way molecules are organized at the surface of a volume of salt water. See the research here.
Complex, multicellular life emerged on Earth 600-700 million years ago. For the first time, scientists have accurately dated some of the oldest examples of complex life. See the research here.
This research, which closely replicates findings in humans, offers new insights into how psilocybin could be used to treat psychiatric disorders such as alcohol use disorder. The findings have been published in Translational Psychiatry.
A new study suggests the disk was made to accurately represent the brightest stars at least 2,400 years ago, possibly as an aid for planting crops. But other experts are not convinced.
Four research articles published in Nature follow the genetic traces and geographical origins of human diseases far back in time. The analyses provide detailed pictures of prehistoric human diversity and migration while proposing an explanation for a rise in the genetic risk for multiple sclerosis. See the research here: Paper 1 , Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4
Scientists have discovered a huge ring-shaped structure in outer space – and it's so big that it challenges our current understanding of the universe.
A pilot study investigating a group of adults visiting an ayahuasca retreat in Peru found significant reductions in their levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity following their stay. These reductions occurred regardless of the duration of the retreat or the number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended. The paper was published in Drug Science.
In a study published Tuesday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the US, UK and Mexico analyzed the genomes of more than 50 mushrooms from the Psilocybegenus—the group whose members almost all contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin.
The North Arabian Desert oases were inhabited by sedentary populations in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. A fortification enclosing the Khaybar Oasis—one of the longest known going back to this period—has just been revealed by scientists. See the study here.
Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a 2,700-year-old temple that houses a horseshoe-shaped altar overflowing with offerings.
A huge ancient city has been found in the Amazon, hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation. The discovery changes what we know about the history of people living in the Amazon.
A study led by an international team of researchers is shedding new light on the mystery of Gigantopithecus blacki, a giant prehistoric primate that once lived in what is now southern China.
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a series of tombs dating from about 1,800 to 4,800 years ago, some of which contain colorful mummy masks and even the childlike statue of the god of silence.
It sounds too good to be true, but there’s serious science behind the hypothesis... For the past few years, Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Gul Dolen has been busy experimenting with psychedelics... And her groundbreaking research has found that all psychedelics have something special in common...
Scientists have determined the entire mitochondrial DNA sequences of these ancient Teotihuacans, revealing their genetic diversity. Additionally, this study demonstrates the dependence of Teotihuacans on maize as their primary food source. See the study here.
Gilded belt buckles discovered across Europe have revealed a previously unknown ancient fertility cult with ties across the continent, researchers believe. See the study here.
Toxins found in the skin of poison dart frogs may hitch a ride there via molecular taxicabs...But how these toxins, which help to fend off predators, make it from a frog’s intestines to its skin has been a mystery. See the study here.
New research published in Translational Psychiatry sheds light on how ketamine, a drug known for its rapid antidepressant effects, specifically alters brain activity in people with treatment-resistant depression.
The more than 7,000-year-old fishing traps are made from willow withies woven around wooden stakes to create a V-shaped fence in the bed of a former river channel. Experts from the university believe they were probably used to catch eels and other fish.
An ancient mangrove forest with trees that towered up to 130 feet high has been discovered over 20 million years after a volcanic mudflow smothered it in what is now Panama, a new study reveals.
Rock art is one of the most intriguing records of the human past—it directly represents how our ancestors viewed their world...New research published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences uses an innovative approach to understand rock art in Arnhem Land in a fundamentally different way.
The BBC came under fire in early January for appearing to try and manipulate data surrounding the discovery of a fossil discussed in a David Attenborough documentary.
Military veterans with cognitive and psychological problems saw drastic improvements after a dose of ibogaine. See the study here.
Astronomers have detected pond-like ripples across the gaseous disk of an ancient galaxy. What caused the ripples, and what do they tell us about the distant galaxy's formation and evolution? And whatever happened, how has it affected the galaxy and its main job: forming stars? See the research here.
Archaeologists say that the hill is a dormant volcano and that ceramics recovered there so far suggest that humans have been using the site for several hundred years or more. But some Indonesians, including an earthquake geologist and a president who left office in 2014, have suggested that the site may have been built far earlier by an as-yet-undiscovered ancient civilization.
In a new study published in Nature Astronomy, University of Rochester astrophysicist Adam Frank explores the links between atmospheric oxygen and detecting extraterrestrial technology on distant planets.
How does psilocybin, a psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms, affect perception of self? A recently published study in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies found a considerable diversity of experiences by examining online posts from Reddit users who shared their encounters of gazing into the mirror while under the influence of psilocybin.
Tiny fossils that have spent nearly 2 billion years locked up in chunks of ancient rock are giving us the earliest evidence yet for photosynthesis on Earth. The research has been published in Nature.
No one can know exactly, but archaeologists have found a few unexpected clues.No one can know exactly, but archaeologists have found a few unexpected clues.
The Quadrantids is due to peak at 12:53 UTC on 4 January 2024, with up to 110 to 120 meteors streaking through the atmosphere per hour. It's one of the most intense meteor showers to grace our skies per year...
Presidential candidates from the Democrat, Republican, and Independent parties are using their platforms on the campaign trail to promote visions for psychedelics reform.
A year from now, on 24 December, Nasa's Parker Solar Probe will race past the Sun at the astonishing speed of 195 km/s, or 435,000 mph. No human-made object will have moved so fast nor, indeed, got so close to our star - just 6.1 million km, or 3.8 million miles from the Sun's "surface".
Scientists in China recently made a discovery at the heart of our planet: Every 8.5 years, the Earth's inner core wobbles around its rotational axis. This shift is likely caused by a tiny misalignment between the inner core and the Earth's mantle—the layer below the Earth's crust, according to the researchers' new study.
Researchers have discovered a significant link between musical synchronization and social connectedness...the study found that individuals who synchronized their musical rhythms felt a stronger sense of connection with their peers, highlighting music’s unique role in fostering social cohesion.
Archaeologists in China have unearthed a mysterious set of rectangular wooden pieces linked to an ancient astronomical calendar. The artifacts were discovered inside an exceptionally well-preserved 2,000-year-old tomb in the southwest of the country.
Men and women might have had their fingers deliberately chopped off during religious rituals in prehistoric times, according to a new interpretation of palaeolithic cave art.
The sea off the north-west of Australia used to host islands and even a huge landmass, big enough to support half a million people, according to new archaeological research. A study published in Quaternary Science Review has mapped a world that appeared and disappeared with changing sea levels over the past 70,000 years.
Banisteriopsis caapi isn’t psychedelic, but for many, it’s a vital plant medicine with plenty to teach...This vine is best known as an ingredient in the psychedelic ceremonial drink ayahuasca, but the plant has many names and meanings throughout the Amazon. It’s Yagé in Colombia; Ayahuasca in Peru. Oxe takes the caapi plant by itself for its “antidepressant” effects.
In the study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the researchers examined 57 pot sherds with foodcrusts mainly attributed to the Songze cultural period (ca. 5800–5300 BP).
A world-first, non-invasive AI system can turn silent thoughts into text while only requiring users to wear a snug-fitting cap.
The research, published in the Planetary Science Journal, introduces a novel approach to simulating the energy deposition from a nuclear device on an asteroid's surface.
Scientists find ultra-rare collection of molecules in 2 ancient galaxies from the early universe. The findings were published on December 14th in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
A baleen whale fossil found on the banks of the Murray River in South Australia is challenging previous ideas about when baleen whales first evolved to be big. The research is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The application of modern methods of dating fossil human remains has catalysed major revisions in our understanding of human evolution. A new review... shows how the reanalysis of fossils discovered across the world brings into question our current ideas of human evolution, some of which may be incorrect.
Results from a phase II clinical trial indicate that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms of the genus Psiloybe, may benefit individuals with cancer and major depression. The findings are published by Wiley in two articles appearing online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Image by Matthew W. Johnson (Wiki Commons)
Now, a research team from the Center de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France has reported the first discovery of black carbon-based art in Dordogne's Font-de-Gaume cave...The team's findings...are published in Scientific Reports.
Ancient bricks inscribed with the names of Mesopotamian kings have yielded important insights into a mysterious anomaly in Earth's magnetic field 3,000 years ago, according to a new study involving University College London researchers.
In a recent study, scientists from UC Davis, the Alaska Whale Foundation, and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) teamed up. Their mission: Communicate with whales. And they did just that.
In research presented on Friday, 15 December at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting (AGU23) in San Franciso, paleoclimate reconstructions of the Pacific Northwest hint that sea ice may have been one way for people to move farther south.
The art is the first ancient pictorial art, which depicts images of nature with human-like and animal-like figures, to be found in Madagascar.
The Amnya archaeological sites were officially unearthed from 1987 onwards, but recent radiocarbon dating has found the main pit house at Amnya Site I and its fortifications date back 8,000 years or so. The study was published in Antiquity.
In a recently published study, scientists developed new compounds derived from psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms.” These compounds are designed to reduce the psychedelic effects associated with psilocybin while maintaining its therapeutic benefits.
Scientists find genes inherited from our prehistoric cousins increase tendency to rise early – useful in regions with short winter days.
In a study published Dec. 13 in Science Advances, an international team of researchers...report archaeologically and genetically confirmed evidence for domestic yak, dating back 2,500 years, by far the oldest record.
Although associated with psychedelic drugs, this state of mind can also be accessed in daily life. See the study here.
In a new study published in Scientific Reports, researchers have uncovered a phenomenon known as the “phantom touch illusion,” where individuals experience tactile sensations without actual physical contact in a virtual reality (VR) setting. This intriguing discovery raises questions about how the brain processes sensory information.
Researchers plugged a "brain organoid" into an artificial intelligence system, using the neural tissue to help complete computational tasks. The experiment could mark a step toward "biocomputers.” The study was published Monday (Dec. 11) in the journal Nature Electronics.
The difference in height between female and male individuals in northern Europe during the Early Neolithic (8,000–6,000 years before present, bp) may have been influenced by cultural factors, a paper published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests. The findings indicate that height differences during this period cannot be explained by genetic and dietary factors alone.
Exclusive: astronomers surprised at size of 13bn-year-old object, which raises new questions about where black holes came from.