Scientists Have Discovered Huge Sabre-Tooth Anchovies From Prehistoric Times
Anchovies. You know ’em. Real piscine pipsqueaks. People put ’em on pizza. Before they were a polarising flavour bomb, though, anchovies used to be a terror of the seas. As…
Thousands of New Satellites Are Scheduled to Enter Orbit, And Astronomers Are Worried
Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, the lower orbit around the Earth has become an increasingly congested environment with more than 2,200 satellite launches to date. Those satellites…
The Builders of World’s Oldest Known Temple Had a Surprising Understanding of Geometry
A sprawling structure regarded as the world’s oldest known temple was designed with an understanding of geometric principles somewhat unusual for the hunter-gatherer cultures thought to have built it, researchers…
For The First Time, Astronomers Detect Regular Pulses Coming From Chaotic Stars
A class of stars that jangled out discordant frequencies across the galaxy have just been untangled. Using data collected by NASA’s TESS space telescope, astronomers have finally found a rhythm…
Our Behaviour in This Pandemic Has Seriously Confused AI Machine Learning Systems
The chaos and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic have claimed an unlikely victim: the machine learning systems that are programmed to make sense of our online behavior. The algorithms that…
There’s an Entire Catalog of Breathtaking Mars Landscapes You Can Lose Yourself In
The HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has given us a steady stream of images of the Martian surface. It’s been in orbit around…
Ancient Footprints in Africa Just Delivered Unique Insights Into Early Human Behaviour
Thousands of years ago, Ol Doinyo Lengai let forth. This unique Tanzanian volcano – ‘Mountain of God’, in the tongue of the local Masaii people – erupted on an unknown…
We Still Have No Idea How Male And Female Dinosaurs Differ, Study Shows
The idea that female Tyrannosaurus rex are chonkier than males may have no basis in reality. This assumption has prevailed when it comes to popular notions of these prehistoric beasties,…
An Expert Explains What We Really Need to Understand About Those ‘Murder Hornets’
According to recent press reports, two Asian giant hornets – a species not known to occur in North America – were found in northwest Washington state in late 2019, and…
The Mystery of a Strange X-Galaxy Powered by a Monster Black Hole Is Finally Solved
A team of US and South African researchers has published highly detailed images of the largest X-shaped “radio galaxy” ever discovered – PKS 2014-55. Notably, they’ve helped resolve ongoing confusion…
Earth Germs Probably Can’t Contaminate The Briny Waters on The Surface of Mars
When we found what seemed to be liquid water flowing across the surface of Mars in 2015, scientists around the world were itching to test it. There was just one…
Violent Impacts in The Moon’s Ancient Past May Have Melted Vast Tracts of Its Surface
What ancient secrets does the pock-marked, crater-covered surface of the Moon hide? A new study suggests giant meteorite smashes played a major role in the process of the Moon’s crust…
Astronomers Make Incredibly Rare Detection of Earth-Like Planet 25,000 Light-Years Away
There may be multitudes of Earth-like planets sprinkled throughout the Milky Way galaxy, but they are not so easy to find. To date, only around a third of the over…
Here Are Some Easy Tips So You Can Make All Those Zoom Calls Less Exhausting
Many new phrases have entered our vocabulary as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. “Zoom fatigue” refers to the mental exhaustion associated with online video conferencing. We can…
Not All Twins Are Identical, And We Might Finally Understand The Evolution Behind It
When a mother gives birth to twins, the offspring are not always identical or even the same gender. Known as fraternal twins, they represent a longstanding evolutionary puzzle. Identical twins…
Tar Pit Discovery Shows Ancient Giant Sloths May Have Died From Their Own Poop
Thousands of years ago, in what is now the Santa Elena peninsula in Ecuador, a whole bunch of giant sloths met their collective end. Bones, of course, are common in…