Dogs and wolves don’t just rely on their super noses to sniff out hidden food, according to a new study. A research team discovered that canines are able to find secret treats by simply observing where a human hid them, Popular Science reported. Their experiments involved nine...
Read full story →
In the 1960s, archaeologists discovered a horde of intricate stone tools and nearly 600 small stone balls at the 1.4-million-year-old site of “Ubeidiya” in northern Israel. For decades, scholars have debated whether these plum-sized artifacts – known as spheroids – were intentionally made or the indirect...
Read full story →
Scientists recently made a series of discoveries about how Papua New Guinea’s toxic birds evolved a unique form of self-defense, Scientific American reported. Locally known as “spicy birds,” these avian species independently developed resistance to the potent batrachotoxins, a neurotoxin commonly found in South American poison...
Read full story →
Archaeologists recently discovered a nearly perfectly preserved 1,000-year-old mummy with long, brown hair in the Peruvian capital of Lima, Smithsonian Magazine reported. The mummy is believed to have belonged to the Ychsma culture, an ancient civilization that inhabited the central coast of what is now Peru,...
Read full story →
Wild boars in southern Germany are so radioactive that they can’t be consumed and scientists have finally figured out why, Science Magazine reported. Many scientists have suggested that the radioactivity could be blamed on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, which impacted many of Europe’s...
Read full story →
In the dense forests of northern Madagascar, a newly discovered leaf-tailed gecko species has amazed scientists with its remarkable camouflage abilities, the New York Times reported. The Uroplatus garamaso can blend into their surroundings perfectly – even better than chameleons, researchers wrote. During the day, these geckos...
Read full story →
Ancient Egypt’s funerary rituals were intricate but they could also be very lavish and expensive, Science News reported Scientists recently resurrected the ancient scent used for the mummification of a 3,500-year-old noblewoman. More than a century ago, archaeologists discovered the remains of the woman entombed in Egypt’s...
Read full story →
Scientists discovered what they believe to be the brightest supernova ever seen, even though it faded away very quickly, New Scientist reported. Astronomers spotted the celestial object called AT2022aedm – nicknamed Adam – lying near the edge of another galaxy known for housing relatively old stars. In...
Read full story →
Less than a million years ago, human ancestors nearly met the same fate as dinosaurs, CNN reported. A new study found evidence that our early ancestors were nearly wiped out at one point in history and took more than 100,000 years to recover. An international research team...
Read full story →
Males from a South American spider species woo female arachnids by offering them gifts to raise their chances for mating. Male Paratrechalea ornata spiders capture an unsuspecting insect, wrap it in a ball of silk then go in search of a female that would take their...
Read full story →
Scientists have been debating whether climate change or increased human activity led to the extinction of many large animal species more than 10,000 years ago. Now, a detailed analysis of animal remains and sediment cores in Southern California is suggesting that it was neither just climate...
Read full story →
There is some extensive radioactive history on the backs of turtles and tortoises, New Scientist reported. Nuclear weapon tests and accidental waste releases create radioactive isotopes – also known as radionuclides – that can spread widely and stay in the ecosystem for a very long time. In...
Read full story →
A newly discovered exoplanet called TOI-1853b has left astronomers scratching their heads, Science Alert reported. Scientists wrote in a new paper that the outer world is a bit smaller than Neptune but has an astonishingly high density, almost twice that of Earth. This suggests it’s packed...
Read full story →
A new genetic study on New Zealand’s iconic kākāpō birds provided some important insights for the conservation of the endangered parrots, Cosmos Magazine reported. In their paper, scientists analyzed the genomes of 169 individuals of the species of flightless parrots, along with information about their lives...
Read full story →
A new genetic study on Europe’s oldest mummy dispelled some previous assertions about the appearance and origins of the 5,300-year-old man famously known as “Ötzi the Iceman,” Nature Magazine reported. Italian hikers first discovered the prehistoric mummy in the Ötztal Alps bordering Austria and Italy in...
Read full story →
A new study found that used coffee grounds will be important for future engineers and address the issue of finite resources, New Atlas reported. Scientists discovered that replacing sand with spent coffee grounds (SCG) can make concrete up to 30 percent stronger. Globally, about 60 million tons...
Read full story →
Scientists have discovered that curious orangutans remain vigilant and cautious when coming across strange objects. A research team closely observed how the great ape species responded to novelty in the wild, the first such study to do so, the Washington Post reported. When in captivity, great apes...
Read full story →
Vlad Dracula, the 15th-century Wallachian leader who became the inspiration for the famous fictional vampire, has long been shrouded in legend and myth. Known also as Vlad Tepes or “Vlad the Impaler,” the historical figure is remembered for the myriad of brutal methods he used to...
Read full story →
Antarctica is currently experiencing its winter period that is marked by subzero temperatures and almost perpetual darkness. Still, these factors did not stop Russian scientists at the Vostok Station in Antarctica from successfully growing watermelons on the frozen continent, the Washington Post reported. Agricultural researchers planted the...
Read full story →
Scientists discovered that crocodiles are able to detect distress calls from the infants of other species, including humans and bonobo apes, the New York Times reported. In a new paper, the giant reptiles appeared to be attracted to the wailing cries of young animals, even though...
Read full story →