Humans news stories

Here’s how poison dart frogs safely hoard toxins in their skin
9th January 2024 | sciencenews.org | Animal Life, Humans

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 provides an intriguing glimpse into how ketamine alters brain connectivity in depressed individuals
9th January 2024 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

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.

University of Reading finds ancient traps and footprints in the Severn Estuary
9th January 2024 | bbc.co.uk | Ancient, Humans

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.

23 million-year-old petrified mangrove forest discovered hiding in plain sight in Panama
9th January 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Humans

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.

New analysis unlocks the hidden meaning of 15,000-year-old rock art in Arnhem Land
9th January 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Humans, Tech

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.

Scientists Accuse BBC Of Manipulating Data On ‘Most Significant Fossils’ Ever Found
7th January 2024 dailycaller.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

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.

Potent psychedelic drug banishes PTSD, small study finds
7th January 2024 | nature.com | Humans, Misc.

Military veterans with cognitive and psychological problems saw drastic improvements after a dose of ibogaine. See the study here.

‘World’s Oldest Pyramid’ in Indonesia? A Study Draws Skepticism
5th January 2024 | nytimes.com | Ancient, Humans

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.

Is oxygen the cosmic key to alien technology?
5th January 2024 | eurekalert.org | Humans, Space, Tech, Weird

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.

Exploring the psychedelic mirror: How psilocybin alters self-perception
5th January 2024 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

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.

When Did Humans First Start Wearing Clothes?
3rd January 2024 | theatlantic.com | Ancient, Humans

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.

Look Up! The Quadrantid Meteor Shower Is About to Peak
3rd January 2024 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Space

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…

Multiple Presidential Candidates Push Psychedelics Reform on 2024 the Campaign Trail
3rd January 2024 doubleblindmag.com | Humans, Misc.

Presidential candidates from the Democrat, Republican, and Independent parties are using their platforms on the campaign trail to promote visions for psychedelics reform.

Nasa mission lines up to ‘touch the Sun’
3rd January 2024 | bbc.co.uk | Humans, Space, Tech

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”.

Earth’s core wobbles every 8.5 years, new study suggests
3rd January 2024 | livescience.com | Earth, Humans

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.

Musical synchronization emerges spontaneously and enhances social connectedness
27th December 2023 | psypost.org | Humans, Misc.

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.

News stories covering humans, psychology and health.