Humans news stories

How many ice ages has the Earth had, and could humans live through one?
28th June 2022 theconversation.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

We know that the Earth has had at least five major ice ages. The first one happened about 2 billion years ago and lasted about 300 million years. The most recent one started about 2.6 million years ago, and in fact, we are still technically in it.

Machine-learning model can detect hidden Aussie rock art
28th June 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans, Tech

Researchers have developed a way to detect the presence of rock art in remote, hard-to-reach areas in Australia’s rugged landscapes using Machine Learning (ML) methods.

Early human fossils found in cave are a million years older than expected
28th June 2022 edition.cnn.com | Ancient, Humans

Fossils of early human ancestors from a South African cave are 3.4 million to 3.6 million years old — making them a million years older than previously suspected and shaking up the way researchers understand human origins and evolution.

The octopus’ brain and the human brain share the same “jumping genes”
27th June 2022 | eurekalert.org | Animal Life, Humans, Weird

A new study has identified an important molecular analogy that could explain the remarkable intelligence of these invertebrates

Secret passageways used by ancient Andean culture may have been used in rituals involving psychedelics
27th June 2022 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

Hidden passageways used by ancient Andean culture opened for the first time in 3,000 years.

Gold miner in Canada finds mummified 35,000-year-old woolly mammoth
27th June 2022 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

It was a young miner, digging through the northern Canadian permafrost in the seemingly aptly named Eureka Creek, who sounded the alarm when his front-end loader struck something unexpected in the Klondike gold fields

Archaeologist discovers 6,000 year-old island settlement off Croatian coast
27th June 2022 | reuters.com | Ancient, Humans

Archaeologist Mate Parica was examining satellite images of Croatia’s coastline when he spotted something unusual.

Inca-era tomb unearthed beneath home in Peru’s capital
24th June 2022 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Humans

Scientists have unearthed an Inca-era tomb under a home in the heart of Peru’s capital, Lima, a burial believed to hold remains wrapped in cloth alongside ceramics and fine ornaments.

AYAHUASCA AND THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
24th June 2022 | projectcbd.org | Humans, Misc.

Scientists probe the link between serotonin and cannabinoid signaling.

Image from: Apollo (Wiki Commons)

The significance of these very rare Aboriginal shelters has been revealed
24th June 2022 | sbs.com.au | Ancient, Humans

An unpublished report obtained has outlined the cultural and archaeological significance of Kokatha Aboriginal sites that were discovered in a military testing range in South Australia.

Image from: en.wikipedia (Wiki Commons)

This is the best time to spot a rare alignment of five planets. Here’s how to watch it.
23rd June 2022 | livescience.com | Humans, Space

This rare planetary alignment has been visible since early June. But the view should be particularly impressive this week, as Mercury is at its brightest and the waning moon joins the parade of planets.

Indigenous communities used the Caribbean Sea as an aquatic highway
23rd June 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

With some 7,000 islands and cays and a 7,000-year history of human habitation, the Caribbean Sea is practically synonymous with maritime travel.

Australia’s first marine Aboriginal archaeological site questioned
22nd June 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

“It remains untested how old the artifacts are—they could be 200 years old, 2,000 years old or 20,000 years old—it is completely unknown at this stage,”

Canterbury area was home to Neanderthal ancestors study suggests
22nd June 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

Kent was home to some of Britain’s earliest humans, according to the latest research. Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of Neanderthals, occupied the area around what is now Canterbury between 560,000 and 620,000 years ago.

 

Astronomers Discover a Bizarre Spiral Object Swirling Around The Milky Way’s Center
22nd June 2022 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Space, Weird

As if cracking open a cosmic Russian nesting doll, astronomers have peered into the center of the Milky Way and discovered what appears to be a miniature spiral galaxy, swirling daintily around a single large star.

DMT is Effective at Treating Depression, New Study Finds
22nd June 2022 psychedelicspotlight.com | Humans, Misc.

In the quest to discover the most effective psychedelic medicines for treating mental health conditions, some have pointed to DMT as a potential tool for treating depression. Now, a new study published in Nature lends credence to using DMT as a rapid-acting antidepressant.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.