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Humans share a surprisingly strange ancestor with all other vertebrates. New research suggests that far back in evolutionary history, one of our earliest relatives had a single eye, much like a tiny cyclops, positioned on top of its head. Scientists from Lund University and the University of Sussex report that…
Regularly engaging in a variety of physical activities could be one of the most effective ways to extend lifespan, according to research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine. The findings suggest the relationship is not simply about doing more exercise. Instead, benefits appear to level off after a…
Each year during Central America’s dry season (generally between December and April), strong northern trade winds help drive an important ocean process in the Gulf of Panama. These winds push surface waters in a way that allows colder, nutrient-rich water from deep below to rise toward the surface. This process,…
At the bottom of some mezcal bottles sits one of the most recognizable curiosities in the world of spirits: a pale, curled “worm” preserved in alcohol. It has helped give mezcal an air of mystery for decades, but scientists have now shown that this famous bottle stowaway is not a…
Despite decades of effort, scientists have never recovered dinosaur DNA. Most paleontology research today still focuses on searching for traces of original organic material in fossils, but DNA has not survived the passage of time. Much of what we understand about dinosaurs comes from fossilized bones and teeth. These durable…
A sweeping genetic analysis is challenging one of the simplest versions of the human origin story: the idea that all modern humans arose from a single ancestral population in Africa. Instead, the research points to a more intricate beginning, with early human groups spread across Africa, mixing for long stretches…
A new study from the Medical University of South Carolina is raising fresh concerns about fish oil supplements, especially for people who experience repeated mild traumatic brain injuries. Writing in the journal Cell Reports, researchers report that these widely used supplements, often promoted as protective for the brain, could actually…
Hygiene is essential for everyday items that come into close contact with the body, including clothing, masks, and toothbrushes. Scientists have now uncovered how graphene can selectively eliminate bacteria while leaving human cells unharmed. This discovery points to a new class of antibacterial materials that could be both safe for…
Rising temperatures in a Southcentral Alaska river are driving a noticeable change in the behavior of invasive northern pike. As the water warms, these predators are eating more, raising concerns about the future of native fish such as salmon. Researchers led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks examined the stomach…
For millions of years, a vibrant mix of colors persisted within a single lizard species. Now, much of that diversity has vanished in a remarkably short time. Researchers point to an unexpected cause: a bold green, highly aggressive, and dominant wall lizard that has rapidly eliminated several color forms within…
Eastern Africa’s Turkana Rift is known both for its rich record of early human fossils and for intense volcanic activity driven by shifting tectonic plates. Now, scientists report that the crust beneath this region has thinned far more than previously understood, pointing to the long term breakup of the African…
Scientists have increasingly recognized that the gut microbiome plays an important role in overall health, including the brain. However, researchers are still working to identify which specific bacteria are involved in disease and exactly how they influence the body. One bacterium in particular, Morganella morganii, has been linked in several…
Can light spin like a whirlwind? Researchers have now shown that it can. Scientists from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw, the Military University of Technology, and the Institut Pascal CNRS at Université Clermont Auvergne have created swirling “optical tornadoes” inside an extremely small structure. The advance…
Everything around us has mass, but its origin is still one of physics’ biggest unanswered questions. According to modern theories, mass does not simply come from matter itself. Instead, it is tied to the nature of the vacuum, which is not empty space but a dynamic environment with a complex…
Gravitational waves may have played a key role in creating dark matter during the universe’s earliest moments, according to a new study by Professor Joachim Kopp of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence, working with Dr. Azadeh Maleknejad from Swansea University. Published in Physical Review…
Modern octopuses are known for their intelligence and flexibility, slipping through tight spaces, hiding in reefs, or drifting through the deep ocean. However, new research suggests their distant ancestors lived very differently. Scientists now believe that the earliest octopuses were not quiet, elusive creatures but massive predators that hunted at…
Three hundred million years ago, Earth looked nothing like it does today. The continents were joined together in a massive supercontinent called Pangaea. Near the equator, vast coal-swamp forests stretched across the landscape. Oxygen levels in the atmosphere were much higher than today, and wildfires were frequent. Life was abundant…
Plants spend most of their lives using photosynthesis to make energy. However, in the earliest phase after a seed begins to grow, they cannot yet capture light. During this short but critical window, they depend on stored fatty acids instead. To break down these fatty acids, plant cells use a…
Science advances by proposing ideas and then trying to prove them wrong. This process becomes especially challenging when dealing with the Universe on its largest scales. Dark energy and dark matter are among the most difficult concepts to test. Observations across vast regions of space clearly suggest that something is…
When very massive stars reach the ends of their lives, they explode as supernovae, scattering elements like carbon and iron across space. Another, rarer type of explosion happens when two neutron stars, the dense remnants of dead stars, collide. This event, known as a kilonova, produces even heavier elements such…
With its bright yellow, cushion-like caps, the golden oyster mushroom has become a favorite among home growers and food lovers. It is widely available in grow-your-own kits and sold in grocery stores, farmers markets, and specialty shops. However, a University of Florida researcher warns that this appealing mushroom is quietly…
The atmosphere plays a major role in spreading microplastics across the planet, carrying these tiny particles to even the most remote regions. People and animals can inhale them, raising concerns about potential health effects. Once airborne, microplastics can also fall back to Earth, adding to pollution in oceans and soils…
Scientists studying ancient Antarctic ice are uncovering new details about how Earth’s climate has changed over the past 3 million years. By analyzing both the ice and the tiny pockets of air trapped inside it, researchers are building a longer and more complete record of past climate conditions. Two new…
Southern Africa is famous for its rich record of prehistoric life, including dinosaurs. But around 182 million years ago, massive volcanic eruptions spread lava across much of the inland Karoo Basin, where many dinosaurs once lived. After this event, the fossil record in the region becomes surprisingly quiet during the…
A remarkably preserved fossil from Argentina is helping scientists sharpen the picture of how snakes evolved. The specimen belongs to Najash rionegrina, an ancient rear-limbed snake that lived nearly 100 million years ago. Its skull shows that these early snakes still had a cheekbone, also called the jugal bone, a…
Researchers from Cairo University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), working within the ScanPyramids research project, have uncovered two concealed air-filled anomalies inside the third-largest pyramid at Giza. For years, scientists have suspected there might be an undiscovered entrance along the eastern side of the Menkaure pyramid. New investigations…
“A plague is upon us” may have been a familiar cry in ancient Jordan, where a mysterious disease killed large numbers of people and left a lasting mark on society and history. Today, researchers are uncovering new details about that crisis. An interdisciplinary team from the University of South Florida…
Physicists have used a machine learning approach to reveal unexpected details about how particles interact in complex systems. Their work focuses on non-reciprocal forces, where one particle influences another differently than it is influenced in return. The findings, published in PNAS, come from a collaboration between experimental and theoretical physicists…
For more than 25 years, researchers at Northwestern Medicine have been studying people age 80 and older known as “SuperAgers” to understand how some individuals maintain exceptional mental sharpness late in life. These individuals consistently perform on memory tests at levels similar to people at least 30 years younger, challenging…
Researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute have discovered that two distinct types of brain cells function differently in people with depression. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, offer important clues that could lead to new treatments designed to target these specific cells. They also provide a clearer understanding…
