News Desk

The World’s Oldest Settlements Were Built by a Culture Nobody Expected
18th December 2023 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

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.

New compounds derived from magic mushrooms could transform psychiatric medication
15th December 2023 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

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.

Neanderthal DNA may explain why some of us are morning people
15th December 2023 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Scientists find genes inherited from our prehistoric cousins increase tendency to rise early – useful in regions with short winter days.

Earliest evidence for domestic yak found using both archaeology and ancient DNA
15th December 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

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.

Closing the I: Research takes a closer look at the experience of ego dissolution
13th December 2023 | binghamton.edu | Humans, Misc.

Although associated with psychedelic drugs, this state of mind can also be accessed in daily life. See the study here.

Phantom touch: Virtual reality can induce a mysterious tactile illusion, scientists find
13th December 2023 | psypost.org | Humans, Tech, Weird

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.

In a 1st, scientists combine AI with a ‘minibrain’ to make hybrid computer
13th December 2023 | livescience.com | Humans, Tech, Weird

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.

Environmental stress rather than genetics influenced height differences in early Neolithic people: Study
13th December 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

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.

Revealed: the oldest black hole ever observed, dating to dawn of universe
11th December 2023 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Space, Weird

Exclusive: astronomers surprised at size of 13bn-year-old object, which raises new questions about where black holes came from.

Were Neanderthals soulful inventors or strange cannibals?
11th December 2023 | nature.com | Ancient, Humans

To understand the true otherness of Neanderthals, researchers must rethink the meaning they give to their archaeological finds, argues a new book —The Naked Neanderthal

Study suggests climate played a crucial role in human migration from Africa
10th December 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Earth, Humans

About 2.1 million years ago, the first humans—Homo erectus—migrated from Africa…For a long time, researchers have speculated on how Homo erectus could cross the dry and merciless desert, where there was neither food, water, nor shade. New research from Aarhus University now suggests that Homo erectus may not have walked through the desert when they left Africa…

Pliosaur discovery: Huge sea monster emerges from Dorset cliffs
10th December 2023 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

The skull of a colossal sea monster has been extracted from the cliffs of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. It belongs to a pliosaur, a ferocious marine reptile that terrorised the oceans about 150 million years ago.

Spanish horses joined Indigenous South Americans’ societies long before Europeans came to stay
10th December 2023 | sciencenews.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Hunter-gatherers in southernmost South America integrated horses with Spanish pedigrees into their societies around 400 years ago, long before Europeans occupied that region, a new study suggests.

Repeated Ketamine Use Fundamentally Changes The Brain’s Dopamine System in Mice
10th December 2023 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Misc.

In some parts of the brain, the team saw a reduction in dopamine neurons in the brains of the mice; in other regions, there was an increase in these neurons. If we’re to continue to use ketamine as a treatment, these effects need to be better understood. The research has been published in Cell Reports.

How early farmers in Scandinavia overcame climate change
10th December 2023 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A new study published… in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews presents an unprecedentedly extensive set of archaeological and environmental data revealing connectivities between climate changes, population dynamics and cultural changes in present-day Northern Germany and Scandinavia during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.

3,500-year-old axes potentially used for ‘cult practice’ discovered in Polish forest
9th December 2023 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

Five axes found in Poland date to 3,500 years ago, and may have been used as either tools to chop wood or for sacrificial purposes.

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!