Weird news stories

‘They are very well aware of their agency’: Elephant calf burial ritual discovered in India
6th March 2024 | livescience.com | Animal Life, Weird

Asian elephants bury their calves with their legs poking out of the ground, researchers have observed. The calves were 1 year old or less and were transported to premade burials of sorts — irrigation drains on tea estates in India — by herd members, before being placed in holes and covered in soil. See the study here.

‘Mathematically perfect’ star system being investigated for potential alien technology
29th February 2024 | livescience.com | Humans, Space, Weird

Late last year, astronomers discovered a fascinating star system only 100 light-years away from us. Its six sub-Neptune planets circle very close to their host star in mathematically perfect orbits, piquing the interest of scientists searching for alien technology or technosignatures, which they argue would offer compelling evidence of advanced life beyond Earth.

Bizarre ‘Russian doll stars’ predicted with Einstein’s general relativity equations
26th February 2024 | livescience.com | Space, Weird

A new solution to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity suggests hypothetical gravitational stars that look like black holes could be nested within one another.

Why is a mushroom growing on a frog? Scientists don’t know, but it sure looks weird
21st February 2024 | livescience.com | Animal Life, Weird

First ever documented evidence of a fungus, suspected to be a Mycena species, growing on the body of a seemingly healthy frog

Ancient Fossil That Baffled Scientists For Decades Finally Reveals Its True Identity
18th February 2024 | sciencealert.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth, Weird

It’s called Tridentinosaurus antiquus, excavated in 1931, and considered a truly remarkable find. Dating to 280 million years ago, before the dinosaurs, it was thought to represent one of the oldest lizard fossils ever found…Well, now we know why we’ve never found another fossil like it: that soft tissue, according to a new, painstaking analysis, is not soft tissue at all. It’s paint. The research has been published in Palaeontology.

Sound makes soil fungi bloom & could restore damaged ecosystems
31st January 2024 newatlas.com | Animal Life, Earth, Weird

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)

 

 

Mysterious virus-like ‘Obelisks’ found in the human gut and mouth
31st January 2024 | livescience.com | Humans, Weird

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.

Astronomers spotted something perplexing near the beginning of time
18th January 2024 | vox.com | Ancient, Space, Tech, Weird

Monsters lurk in the background of James Webb Space Telescope images. Scientists are scrambling to make sense of them.

Oldest Known Spiral Galaxy Seen With Pond-Like Ripples in Astronomical First
7th January 2024 | sciencealert.com | Space, Weird

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.

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.

New ‘Mind-Reading’ AI Translates Thoughts Directly From Brainwaves – Without Implants
26th December 2023 | sciencealert.com | Humans, Tech, Weird

A world-first, non-invasive AI system can turn silent thoughts into text while only requiring users to wear a snug-fitting cap.

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.

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.

Dolphins Reveal a Mysterious Hidden Sense: They Can Detect Electric Fields
1st December 2023 | sciencealert.com | Animal Life, Humans, Weird

One of the most well-studied marine mammals in the world has been secretly harboring a superpower sixth sense. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Planets of distant solar system orbit star in coordinated dance, say scientists
30th November 2023 | theguardian.com | Space, Weird

Six planets that orbit their star in a coordinated dance have been discovered by scientists, who say the finding could help shed light on why planets in our own solar system move to their own beat.

News stories the paranormal, supernatural, and bizarre, including cryptozoology, UFOs, and other unexplained phenomenon.