Pluto may not be categorised as a planet any more, but it still holds plenty of fascination. For instance, how did the dwarf planet form, and why is it so different from the planets? By examining its chemical composition, researchers have come up with a new idea: Pluto is made of comets. According to
Until now, scientists have been unable to answer how certain cells in a developing embryo decide to become muscles or limbs, while others become bones and nerves. But now researchers led by Dr Ali Brivanlou, from Rockefeller University in New York, have achieved the unimaginable in a shock experiment. By grafting petri dish-grown human cells
At least 8 people are missing and hundreds were evacuated as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Mekunu” ravaged Yemen’s island of Socotra on Wednesday night, May 23, 2018. Mekunu is another unusual tropical cyclone to form in the Arabian Sea within 10 days. The storm is expected to make landfall over the Yemen – Oman border region,
A 130-million-year-old fossil has revealed that the ancient super-continent Pangaea may have broken apart more slowly than scientists previously thought. The fossilised skull, which was found in eastern Utah, has revealed an entirely new group of reptile-like mammals that existed in North America. “Based on the unlikely discovery of this near-complete fossil cranium, we
A video recently captured in Ontario, Canada shows a truly rare sight: two Canada lynx, yowling their furry little faces off at each other – seeming for all the world like they’re locked in an intense debate, but without any physical blows. The encounter was filmed by Edward Trist and his girlfriend Nicole Lewis on
The moderate-level eruption of lava continues from multiple points along the central and northeast end of the active fissure system. Volcanic gas emissions have tripled as a result of the voluminous eruptions from the erupting fissures so SO2 concentrations are likely elevated to higher levels throughout the area downwind of the vents. Residents in lower Puna
Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions threaten to make rice less nutritious, scientists said in a study released Wednesday, raising a worrying possibility about the staple food item for billions of humans. Rice, the scientists found, contains lower levels of key vitamins when grown amid high concentrations of carbon dioxide, the most common of the greenhouse
This video is terrifying! A huge crack related to the ongoing Kilauea volcanic eruption goes right through a family house. The building may be soon underground as the cracks in the ground are growing every day a bit more. Meanwhile, the Kilauea eruption is increasing in intensity with new volcanic fissures tearing up the ground,
New activity/unrest was observed at 4 volcanoes between May 16 and 22, 2018. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 12 volcanoes. New activity/unrest: Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands (USA) | Langila, New Britain (Papua New Guinea) | Merapi, Central Java (Indonesia) | Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island (France). Ongoing activity: Agung, Bali (Indonesia) | Aira, Kyushu (Japan) |
Hawaii is known for its volcanoes, but most volcanoes on Earth exist along tectonic plate lines. Hawaii does not! What causes Hawaii to form, and how is it related to the mystery of a magnetic bar code across the Pacific Ocean? Here’s agreat video explaining it to you: Mysterious Smiley Face Appears in Hawaiian Volcano
For humans on Earth, it is relatively easy to get in to space as the gravitational pull of our planet is not too strong. However, on super-Earths – planets which are similar to ours but much bigger – the gravitational pull would be much stronger, making it harder to escape. Planets around other stars with
GETTY STOCK IMAGE Radioactive glass: Scientists successfully trapped radioactive waste in glass form Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Washington may have uncovered a foolproof method of storing dangerous radioactive waste. The scientists carried out the world-first demonstration by combining waste from underground storage tanks in a
The space agency has noticed that a hole in the sun’s atmosphere, known as a coronal hole, has begun “crackling”. The hole is not facing towards Earth but as our planet and the sun rotate, the coronal hole could line up with us. A video from NASA shows solar flares are beginning to simmer. But
Earlier this month, Uber revealed plans to release flying taxis in as little as two years and the firm hopes they will be driverless within 10 years. The company previewed its Uber Air design models which are designed to taxi up to four people in the skies of major cities. Uber unveiled the model, which
After Cuba, now China? The State Department issued a health alert to U.S. citizens in China on Wednesday after an American government worker suffered a mild traumatic brain injury following mysterious “sensations of sound and pressure.” The warning follows the U.S. urging Americans not to visit Cuba following sonic incidents there that sickened 21 embassy
A severe storm swept over French capital Paris on May 22, 2018, flooding streets and Metro stations. Just a few days ago, intense hailstorm further south in Vaucluse destroyed almost a year’s worth of Luberon cherry tree crops. The capital’s streets looked more like rivers and stairwells like waterfalls, The Connexion reports. Areas in the
The startling discovery was presented this week in the science journal Nature Climate Change by scientists from the University of Toronto (UT) and Boston Children’s Hospital. Disease experts looked at the distributions of bacteria and viruses across the United States, where thermometers spike at different levels. The researchers found common pathogens tend to develop an
For centuries, untold riches of gold, silver, and jewels buried with the world’s most valuable shipwreck were dreamt of by generations of sailors, squires, and treasure hunters alike. But when eyes were finally laid on the so-called ‘holy grail of shipwrecks’ – the Spanish galleon San José, which went down off the coast of
Look at these pictures captured Monday evening, around 8:45pm near Marble Beach Marine in Spirit Lake, Iowa. These 3 living tornadoes are actually swarms of bugs that are currently starting to invade Iowa. Very impressive! Giant swarm of insects looking like devastating tornadoes engulfs Marble Beach Marina Driveway in Iowa. by Dave Petrick via Okobojian
Picture a flea on Pluto’s surface as seen through a telescope. This gives you some idea of the feat pulled off by astronomers, who managed to distinguish between spots of light on a 20-kilometre (about 12.5 mile) wide pulsar 6,500 light years away. The result is mind-blowing on its own, but the physical processes
The speeding space rock is expected to approach Earth at around midday when the two stellar bodies will almost cross paths. The barrelling asteroid dubbed KW1 2018 will come within 0.39 lunar distances to the Earth, which is just over a third of the distance to the moon. The average distance from the Earth to
Reporters spotted a sinkhole on the North Lawn of the White House that is believed to be still growing, since it first formed over the weekend after days of heavy rainfall. The great White House sinkhole of 2018. via Twitter The growing sinkhole opened up on the White House North Lawn, just outside the press
It only lasted for a savage, fleeting instant, but for 8 intense seconds last week an eagle, a fox, and a rabbit flew across the sky as one. In an incredibly rare scene, photographers have captured the moment a bald eagle swooped down upon a young red fox clutching a rabbit, and in its whirlwind
In 1987, the music video Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson stunned audiences around the world with a gravity-defying move – leaning forward to a staggering 45 degree angle. There was some footwear magic happening there, for sure – but a group of neuroscientists have looked at the spine biomechanics behind the technique he performed in concerts
There is something special and awe-inspiring about watching new land form. This is what is now happening in Hawai’i as its Kīlauea volcano erupts. Lava is reaching the ocean and building land while producing spectacular plumes of steam. These eruptions are hugely important for the creation of new land. But they are also dangerous.
When Jean-Lou Justine received the first photograph of a giant worm with a head like a shovel, the biologist was astounded. Hammerhead flatworms, which grow to a foot or more in length, do not belong in European vegetable gardens. “We do not have that in France,” said Justine, a professor at the National Museum
The White House North Lawn has developed a sinkhole, which is now blocked off by two traffic cones and yellow tape. On Tuesday, Steve Herman, a reporter from Voice of America, and Breitbart’s Charlie Spiering tweeted images of the sunken turf. Located outside the entrance to the press briefing room, the hole is “growing
The supernova is thought to have occurred between 163 and 326 light-years away (50–100 parsecs) from Earth. Harmful ionising radiation can sterilise nearby inhabited planets and one researcher wanted to discover if it was the cause for mass extinction on Earth based on geologic evidence of nearby supernovae. Astrophysicist at Washburn University in Kansas Brian
Calling all citizen scientists! A project looking for those dying, exploding stars called supernovae out in deep space is also searching for volunteers to help in the work, and you can get real science credit for it along the way – even if you’ve never done a second of star-gazing before. Astronomers from the Australian
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2018 KW1 will flyby Earth at a distance of 0.39 LD or 0.00100 AU (~ 149 597 km / 92 955 miles) on May 23, 2018. This is the second known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since May 15 and 33rd this year. KW1 belongs to the
That is insane! Today, hurricane force winds engulfed Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, toppling down a giant crane. Hail also badly hit the region. Another weather anomaly… Apocalyptic! As of 2:30 p.m., 13 residents with non-serious injuries have now received emergency treatment. Damages after violent winds wreak havoc in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 22, 2018.
Tropical Storm 02A, internationally known as Mekunu, formed May 22, 2018 over the Southwest Arabian Sea as the second named storm of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The cyclone is strengthening on its way toward the southwestern coast of Oman and eastern Yemen. Heavy rain, strong winds, and a storm surge may affect several areas of Socotra
Wow! That is extremely rare! What is this strange glowing X floating in the sky over the Gardermoen Oslo Airport in Norway? Is that a portal to another dimension? This strange atmospheric phenomenon is called an Antisolar Arc… And it is kind of out-of-this-world. Look by yourself: Strange optical phenomenon forms over Norway. The antisolar
A group of scientists from New Zealand plan to head to Scotland next month to perform environmental DNA sampling of the waters in Loch Ness to see if there is any evidence of life that is not already known to live, or has lived, there. Researchers from the University of Otago will then compare the
The fire happened in the accommodation building in the monastery of Saint Elijah in the village of Kacapun, in the southern Serbian Municipality of Vladicin Han. Firemen were called out to extinguish the fire and discovered various burnt religious icons in the attic. What worshippers found amazing however is that despite the tragedy in losing
New research has found supernovae in deep space could be responsible for the depletion of the atmosphere on Earth, which can lead to mass extinctions. By studying the phenomenon over millions of years, scientists have found if a star dies and undergoes a supernova within a close enough proximity to Earth, it can deplete the
Experts from the University of Washington School of Medicine have created a machine which can produce mini-organs of humans from stem cells. The ability to produce “organoids” will help scientists to fight disease and create new drugs to cater to certain ailments. Benjamin Freedman, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Nephrology, at the UW School
When Hurricane Patricia shredded into the west coast of Mexico in October 2015, it was the strongest Pacific hurricane on record – but something else inside the swirling maelstrom also helped the violent storm make history. From inside the most intense tropical cyclone recorded in the Western Hemisphere, for the first time ever scientists
Nobody has ever put a lander on the far side of the Moon before, but China is well on its way to being the first. Over the weekend, the country launched a craft called Queqiao – a satellite that will orbit the Moon to relay messages from the yet-to-be-launched lander, Chang’e-4. the Moon is
The United States National Weather Service defines a hurricane as “an intense tropical weather system with well-defined circulation and sustained winds of 74mph (64knots) or higher”. Hurricane intensities are ranked on a scale of one to five and major hurricanes are categorised from three and upwards. Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season produced a staggering number
When you’re out late at night, realising that you’re being followed can be pretty scary. But one man in Ohio wasn’t so much terrified of his stalker as baffled by it, and ended up calling the police at 5:26 am last Saturday. “Uh, hi, I’m walking from the Elyria train station to my house
When NASA achieved the incredible feat of sending the first man to the surface of the moon onboard the Apollo 11 space mission, conspiracists around the globe raised an eyebrow in bemusement. The historic live broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping out of the US lunar module has since been questioned with many claiming it was
Following four new explosions at Indonesia’s Merapi volcano on May 20 and 21, 2018, authorities have raised the alert level for the volcano from Alert Level 1 to 2 at 23:00 UTC on May 21, 2018. All residents living within 3 km (2 miles) are ordered to evacuate. The eruptions took place after a major eruption
Flat Earthism and the idea that human activity is not responsible for climate change are two of the most prevalent conspiracy theories today. Both have been increasing in popularity since the late 20th century. Currently, 16 percent of the US population say they doubt the scientifically established shape of the Earth, while 40 percent
Humankind is pathetically lightweight in comparison to the mass of almost all other living things on Earth, but while our bodies (and thinking) may be tiny, our crushing footprint is not. The most comprehensive study ever of the weight of all living biomass on the planet has discovered humans account for only about 0.01
Archaeologists in Denmark have made a rare and extremely valuable find. Preserved in wetlands peat sediment, the remains of a fierce battle that raged in the first century CE, leaving nearly 2,100 bones to tell the tale millennia later – challenging what we know about barbarian warfare. The Germanic tribes were ferocious warriors, instrumental
The two mountain bikers, authorities say, did what they were supposed to do. They made loud noises to drive the cougar away. One of them even struck the animal with his bicycle. But none of it worked. The big cat that had been following the two friends as they were mountain biking in rural
Some claim it’s a prehistoric relic. Others believe it’s a giant sturgeon. Many think it’s just a figment of our imagination. The legend of the Loch Ness monster has been around since the Dark Ages, but despite a few disputed photographs and sonar readings, evidence for the mythical creature has remained purely anecdotal. For
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