Humans news stories

3D Models of A Mysterious Medieval Nanomaterial Hints at a Lost Art
12th October 2022 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Humans

“Many people had assumed that technology in the Middle Ages was not particularly advanced…On the contrary: this was not the Dark Ages, but a period when metallurgy and gilding techniques were incredibly well developed.”

Orionid meteor shower 2022: How to see dust from Halley’s comet
12th October 2022 | sciencefocus.com | Humans, Space

Nature’s firework display is lighting up the night skies, here’s how you can maximise your chances of spotting an Orionid.

The Trippy Truth About Amanita muscaria, The World’s Most Famous Mushroom
11th October 2022 doubleblindmag.com | Humans, Misc.

The fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) is everywhere. Just this morning, I walked past a bug collection kit in Target fashioned in the image of the unforgettable red and white-speckled mushroom…Despite this ubiquity in representation, A. muscaria is very poorly understood.

6,000-year-old skull found in cave in Taiwan possibly confirms legend of Indigenous tribe
11th October 2022 phys.org | Ancient, Humans

A team of researchers with members from Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam found a 6,000-year-old skull and femur bones in a cave in a mountainous part of Taiwan that might prove the existence of an ancient Indigenous tribe. In their paper published in the journal World Archaeology, the group describes the skull, where it was found and what it might represent.

Sacred Easter Island statues suffer ‘irreparable damage’ after volcano fire
11th October 2022 edition.cnn.com | Ancient, Earth, Humans

Easter Island’s towering stone heads and other archaeological elements have been charred by a fire, according to local Indigenous and Chilean authorities.

Image from: kallerna (Wiki Commons)

76 child sacrifice victims with their hearts ripped out found in Peru
7th October 2022 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

Radiocarbon dating needs to be done on the 76 newly uncovered skeletons, but previously found victims at Pampa La Cruz dated to between A.D. 1100 and 1200.

Tiny reptile unearthed in Scotland was ‘closely related to pterosaurs’
7th October 2022 | theguardian.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Humans

After more than a century of debate, researchers have settled the mystery of a tiny, enigmatic reptile that left an impression on Scottish sandstone nearly a quarter of a billion years ago.

‘Bad’ Psychedelic Trips Don’t Have To Be Bad
5th October 2022 | vice.com | Humans, Misc.

The “bad trip” is one of the most common caveats against psychedelics. Sometimes it’s mentioned as a well-intentioned warning for first-timers and a reminder for seasoned users, while others use it as a fear-mongering tool meant to discourage any and all psychedelic experiences.

‘Humble’ worm saliva can break down tough plastic
5th October 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

One of the worst forms of plastic pollution may have met its match in the saliva of a humble worm. Spanish researchers say they’ve discovered chemicals in the wax worm’s drool that break down polyethylene, a tough and durable material.

Nootropic Mushrooms: The Fungi That Build Better Brains
4th October 2022 doubleblindmag.com | Earth, Humans, Misc.

Compounds in these medicinal fungi may be natural “smart drugs.”

Ancient footprints reveal ‘Irish Sea Serengeti’
4th October 2022 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

“It’s about 8,200 years old,” says Dr Alison Burns, pointing to a perfectly preserved human footprint pressed into ancient mud on Formby Beach. It is one of hundreds of newly discovered ancient footprints here. The first date back almost 9,000 years and the youngest of the prints are medieval – about 1,000 years old.

Nobel win for Swede who unlocked secrets of Neanderthal DNA (Update)
4th October 2022 medicalxpress.com | Ancient, Humans, Tech

Paabo spearheaded the development of new techniques that allowed researchers to compare the genome of modern humans and that of other hominins—the Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Mexico’s 1,500-year-old unknown pyramids
2nd October 2022 | bbc.com | Ancient, Humans

Built by indigenous masons, these 1,500-year-old pyramids are still standing strong, held together by sticky juice from the prickly pear cactus.

New research suggests psychedelic drugs can be almost as life altering as near-death experiences
30th September 2022 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

A recent new study compares the transformational effects of NDEs and psychedelics, conducted by researchers at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US.

Ruff day? Dogs can detect if people are stressed, research finds
30th September 2022 | theguardian.com | Animal Life, Humans

Whether it’s a tricky maths problem or an unexpected bill, daily life is full of stressful experiences. Now researchers have found that humans produce a different odour when under pressure – and dogs can sniff it out.

See the striking facial reconstruction of a Paleolithic woman who lived 31,000 years ago
28th September 2022 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

In 1881, archaeologists unearthed the skull of a human buried inside a cave in Mladeč, a village in what is now the Czech Republic. At the time, researchers dated the skull to about 31,000 years ago and classified the individual as male. But they were wrong about the Stone Age person’s sex, a new study finds.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.