For The First Time, The Lifetime of a Neutron Has Been Measured in Space
For the first time, scientists have measured the lifespan of a neutron in the void of space. The margin of error means we can’t narrow it down yet, but once…
Hummingbirds Can See Colours We Can’t Even Imagine, Experiment Reveals
Hummingbirds can perceive colours that the human eye cannot, thanks to the addition of an extra cone in the hummingbird’s eye that we don’t possess, new research reveals. The findings,…
Half of Earth’s Land Can Still Be Saved From Human Damage, Study Reveals
There’s simply no denying the fact that humans have drastically altered, developed, and ransacked much of the natural world for our own ends. But how much of the planet’s surface…
That ‘Human Bone’ Found in a NASA Mars Photo Isn’t Even New. Here’s The Real Story
A 2014 Mars photo that has strangely resurfaced in tabloids this month does not show a femur amidst the rubble of the Red Planet. Like all such photos to date,…
New Horizons Is So Far From Earth, It Shows Us How Stars Look Different Out There
In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft made history when it became the first robotic explorer to conduct a flyby of Pluto. This was followed by another first, when the…
Unprecedented Discovery Shows The Resilience of Aboriginal Culture in Australia
Trees marked by Aboriginal cultural practices are a distinctive part of the Australian landscape. A recent discovery on Wiradjuri country in New South Wales shows some of these “culturally modified…
Butterfly Wings Conceal Hidden Structures That Destroy ‘Deadly’ Raindrops
For humans, getting whacked in the face by heavy raindrops is a mere annoyance. But for tiny and delicate organisms – like butterflies – drops of rainwater are the equivalent…
For 170 Years, No One’s Known How General Anaesthesia Works. We’re Finally Getting Close
For well over 100 years hospitals have been putting people under with general anaesthesia to perform routine operations and surgeries. These days, it’s used all over the world, thousands of…
Ancient Roman Board Game Reveals What Games Night Looked Like 1,700 Years Ago
Let us introduce you to one of the board games played by the ancient Romans some 1,700 years ago: it’s called ludus latrunculorum, and it looks like a version of…
Human Eggs Seem to Exhibit Preferences For Particular People’s Sperm, Study Shows
Don’t you just hate it when you discover bits of yourself that seem to have a mind of their own? Like when you decide you really don’t want to like…
For The First Time, Astronomers Watch a Neutron Star Power Up Before an X-Ray Blast
For the first time, astronomers were able to watch the entire process of a neutron star absorbing material and eventually unleashing a powerful blast of X-rays. Scientists have long wondered…
Scientists Detect Surprise Structures Wrapped Around Earth’s Core
Blobs of hot, dense material that curl around Earth’s core are much more widespread than previous research suggests. A new method of analysing earthquake data has found even more of…
Oldest Arrowheads Outside of Africa Have Been Found in The Rainforests of Sri Lanka
Archaeological excavations deep within the rainforests of Sri Lanka have unearthed the earliest evidence for hunting with bows and arrows outside Africa. At Fa-Hien Lena, a cave in the heart…
Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out How to Get Usable Energy From Plants
Israeli scientists say they have produced hydrogen from plants in a development that they hope could eventually lead to using vegetation to produce electricity. The discovery was made by using…