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In 2009, researchers working in the Liang Bua cave on Flores Island came across a leg bone. The 190,000–120,000-year-old fossil was identified as a bird bone and set aside. Like many bird bones before it, it was overlooked and left to collect dust.
A nuclear explosion might save Earth from a deadly asteroid, but new research suggests that hitting the wrong side could make the difference between success and disaster. Scientists found that an asteroid's irregular shape can dramatically affect how it responds to an X-ray blast
Mysterious gas emissions and fresh volcanic fissures suggest that Mars may not be geologically dead after all, with hot magma potentially still active deep underground. The discovery could point to hidden pockets of warmth and chemical energy capable of supporting microbial life
To protect their future harvests, Western Canadian farmers need to manage soil acidity across their entire multiyear rotation rather than crop by crop, long-term research from the University of Alberta suggests.
Future warming events will outdo the extreme heat waves of the recent past, new study finds and more — today's engineering signal.
Scientists have uncovered evidence that Europe was dominated for more than 20 million years by open woodlands, colorful meadows, and large grazing animals, not the dense forests long considered its natural state. The surprising discovery challenges modern reforestation strategies
The extreme heat waves we have seen over the last few years may only serve as a preview of what is to come as a result of climate change. A new study led by researcher Philipp Aglas-Leitner from Freie Universität Berlin, published in Nature Communications, finds that future heat
Food spoilage causes chemical changes that are not always easy to detect by appearance alone. To provide a clearer indication of freshness and quality, researchers at Kyushu University have developed a smart packaging film that changes color and glows under ultraviolet (UV) light
Enzymes are biology's tiny chemists. They help build, break and rearrange molecules quickly and precisely. In the lab, scientists have long put enzymes to work making useful chemicals. But nature's enzymes cannot do every reaction a researcher might want. Sometimes scientists nee
Forty young sea turtles recently reached an important milestone at Florida Atlantic University: They were finally big enough to leave the university's marine science laboratory and return to the ocean. Their release was a reason to celebrate. But for FAU researchers who have spen
As grocery prices continue to rise, a study by researchers at Penn State found that in addition to increased spending, the price hikes are also associated with higher risk of food insufficiency and worse mental health conditions.
A literature review in the International Journal of Services and Standards has highlighted the potential of social media to improve humanitarian supply chain management. However, it also identifies a shortage of research into its role in the delivery of aid during emergencies.
A huge coral colony stretching more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) along the outer reef of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands has been identified by researchers, making it one of the largest known coral colonies ever recorded.
In 2009, researchers working in the Liang Bua cave on Flores Island came across a leg bone. The 190,000–120,000-year-old fossil was identified as a bird bone and set aside. Like many bird bones before it, it was overlooked and left to collect dust.
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is mostly concerned with where to look for technosignatures from another civilization. Between 2012 and 2015, SETI's Project Phoenix targeted about 1,000 sun-like stars for signs of intelligent life. But where to look might not
Primordial black holes are hypothetical objects that could have formed directly from dense clumps of matter in the very early universe. If they exist, their dramatic origins would set them apart from the black holes we see today, which form when massive stars collapse. Some theor
Want to fly to the moon and help build a permanent lunar base? NASA is accepting applications for a new astronaut class that will help grow the Artemis program.
A Florida chimpanzee sanctuary had to deliver food to one of its 200 apes by drone this week because the property was swamped by heavy rain. But the animals stayed safe, and the water finally was receding significantly on Saturday, the organization said.
A nuclear explosion might save Earth from a deadly asteroid, but new research suggests that hitting the wrong side could make the difference between success and disaster. Scientists found that an asteroid's irregular shape can dramatically affect how it responds to an X-ray blast
Scientists investigating a 2,800-year-old Siberian tomb discovered roughly 1,000 cannabis seeds and chemical evidence suggesting ancient Scythians used the plant for its intoxicating effects. The remarkable find, surrounded by evidence of elaborate burial rituals and animal sacri
Scientists have discovered that sleep disorders are associated with structural changes in brain regions that control attention, decision-making, and emotions, potentially explaining why disrupted sleep can affect everyday thinking and behavior. The findings, drawn from 57 brain i
Scientists have created record-breaking X-ray flashes lasting just 300 attoseconds, concentrating enormous power into an incredibly tiny spot. The breakthrough could unlock a new way to observe electrons in action and potentially control the ultrafast processes that drive chemica
A surprising new study suggests that a stronger flu shot could offer older adults significantly greater protection against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at UTHealth Houston analyzed nearly 200,000 adults ages 65 and older and found that those who received a high-dose influenza
Tropical ecosystems are famous for their teeming, exuberant diversity. In fact, the dramatic increase in biodiversity from the poles to the tropics—known as the latitudinal diversity gradient—is pervasive across branches of the tree of life, and fossil evidence suggests it has ex
