Is talent innate? According to an analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s DNA, not so much. Scientists reviewed the famed German composer’s genetics and found a low predisposition for beat synchronization, Science Alert reported. Beat synchronization is the ability to recognize and keep up with rhythm, which previous...
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Shark skin has captivated both fishermen and scientists in how it enables the marine predators to achieve astonishing speeds underwater. Packed with small, anvil-shaped structures known as denticles, some species can swim at speeds topping 43 miles per hour – far outpacing Olympic swimmers who might...
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Scientists recently unveiled a global archive containing records and specimens of more than 4,400 preserved human brains, dating back several millennia, Newsweek reported. These brains, sourced from 213 unique locations across the world, range from approximately 12,000 years old to as recent as the 20th century. Led...
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Scientists recently employed artificial intelligence (AI) to refine the flavors of Belgian beers and enhance their quality, the Guardian reported, attempting to dissect the intricate relationships that motivate human aroma perception. In their paper, lead researcher Kevin Verstrepen and his team analyzed the chemical composition of...
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Entomologist James Tweed came across the hairy insect by accident while camping in the rainforests of Australia’s Queensland. He initially thought it was bird poo, Popular Science reported. The mysterious beetle puzzled Tweed and his colleagues because there was no scientific record of such a species. In...
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Research has shown that play is vital for the young chimpanzee’s physical and psychological development. Great apes, such as gorillas and bonobos, engage in some form of play, too, such as tickling, joking and chasing each other. But during periods of food scarcity, chimps usually tone...
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Too much meat isn’t good for the planet or for human health, researchers say, so the hunt is on for alternatives. Ostriches, alligators and insects have been sneaking their way onto menus. Now, a recent study has proposed that snake meat could be a sustainable replacement for...
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Many mammals feed their young with milk – amphibians and other creatures, not so much. Now, Brazilian biologists have discovered a species of amphibian feeding its offspring a milk-like secretion rich in nutrients, NPR reported. In their study, they explained that the worm-like amphibian is a caecilian,...
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Some individuals, to blow off steam, go for a run. Unfortunately, researchers now say that it is counter-productive in dealing with anger, New Atlas reported. In their study, they addressed a psychoanalytic theory popularized by Sigmund Freud called ‘catharsis,’ which calls for physical and verbal expressions to...
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It’s officially spring, which means it’s time to break out the mops and dusters in that annual modern ritual that fills many with dread: The spring clean. Turns out, ancient humans did this, too, according to National Geographic. One of the earliest known references to spring cleaning...
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Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is known for its tangerine-colored skies and nearly six million square miles of large, dark dunes that cover its surface. Some of them are as big as the massive dunes found on Earth, but how they formed has been a topic of...
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Modern life in cities has eroded the human gut’s ability to digest fibers from plant matter, Science Alert reported. In 2003, scientists discovered that the human gut could digest the fibers in plant matter via a bacterium capable of breaking down cellulose. This compound, the most...
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In a riveting dance of deception, poison dart frogs tap their toes faster than renowned tap dancers Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Scientists, however, aren’t sure why, the New York Times reported. A recent study by biologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign observed dyeing poison dart...
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In ancient Rome, the wine flowed freely. Now, new research has uncovered what it might have tasted like, Smithsonian Magazine reported. Researchers Dimitri Van Limbergen and Paulina Komar found that Roman wine boasted a spicy taste, with tones of toasted bread, apples, roasted walnuts, and even curry...
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Archaeologists recently discovered the oldest evidence of human ancestors in Europe at a site in western Ukraine dating back 1.4 million years, Cosmos Magazine reported. Hominins – a group that includes humans and their extinct relatives – are believed to have first arrived in Eurasia from...
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Sushi lovers are very familiar with the powerful kick they get from the accompanying wasabi. Now, a new study has found that the spicy green paste is not just a condiment, but can be used to preserve ancient papyrus scrolls, the Smithsonian Magazine reported. Thousands of years...
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Scientists recently announced the discovery of a colossal Martian volcano that had been “hiding in plain sight” for decades, Sky News reported. This 280-mile-wide geological behemoth is nestled near the equator in Mars' Tharsis volcanic province and remained elusive despite repeated observations by NASA’s orbiting spacecraft...
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A new study on an 11th-century star chart unveiled a unique instance of academic collaboration between Muslims, Jews and Christians in Europe, Artnet reported. While researching 17th-century Italian collector Ludovico Moscato, historian Federica Gigante incidentally came across an image of an astrolabe at the Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo...
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For thousands of years, people of all genders have painted their lips – but how early humans began to master the craft of producing lipstick long remained a mystery. That was until a team of scientists decided to analyze an intriguing tube-shaped stone container unearthed in...
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It took two decades, but paleontologists finally uncovered the complete fossilized remains of a prehistoric “Chinese dragon,” CNN reported. Named Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, the marine creature was a 16-foot-long reptile that swam around what is now China more than 240 million years ago. In their paper, the research...
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