Ostrich eggs are huge. Big enough, in fact, for ancient humans to use them as primitive writing surfaces for showcasing their mathematical prowess, according to a new study. The paper, published recently in PLOS One, describes an investigation of 112 ostrich eggshell fragments dating back more than 60,000 years from three archaeological sites in southern
Scientists have captured a beautiful image in unprecedented detail of the vast Milky Way galaxy, of which our own solar system is a part. The stunning image is the largest ever obtained by the specialist telescope in Chile called the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma) radio telescope, according to the group behind the project. The
Faded white rings surrounding rusting barrels in the San Pedro Basin have been linked to leaks of caustic waste reacting with surrounding mud. The findings show that material discarded between the 1930s and early 1970s is still reshaping deep habitats today. Researchers have now traced those halos to highly alkaline material that continues to alter
Light does not “think” in any human sense. Still, under the right conditions, it can behave in a way that looks uncannily like a memory system. In a new international study, researchers report that identical photons moving through an optical circuit can spontaneously mimic a Hopfield Network, a classic mathematical model used to describe associative
Normally, the only reason most people get up at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday morning is if the neighbor’s dog is barking or the person next to them is snoring. But now there’s another, more exciting reason: A total lunar eclipse. Early Tuesday, at 3:05 a.m. Pacific time, the moon will turn dark red as
Scientists at the University of Oxford say they may have cracked the puzzle of the Moon’s magnetic field and settled a debate that has raged since the Apollo missions returned with rock samples. NASA astronauts brought back evidence suggesting the lunar magnetic field was strong for long periods of its history, at times even stronger
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A telescope in Chile has revealed in unprecedented detail the swirling splendor of star-forming gases at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy. The picture released Wednesday by the European Southern Observatory zeros in on a region of cold cosmic gases more than 650 light-years across. A light-year is nearly 6
Researchers aboard the exploration vessel Nautilus filmed a dried lakebed formation paved with fractured volcanic rock at a depth of 3,000 meters on the Liliʻuokalani Ridge, within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The 20-second video segment, shows remotely operated vehicle footage of what scientists immediately described as a “yellow brick road” during the live dive.
Tens of thousands of years ago, as modern humans migrated into northerly territories inhabited by our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, the two species met – and sometimes mated. Now, genetic evidence has revealed a striking imbalance in these prehistoric trysts, suggesting that interbreeding was mostly between male Neanderthals and female humans. This ancient mating pattern,
When you look up at the night sky, it appears unchanging. But if you look deep enough you will find that the sky is in fact constantly shifting. Satellites, asteroids and interstellar objects pass by. Stars not only shine brightly, they can suddenly burst with energy or explode in bright supernovae. There is a plethora