Diagnostic dilemma: Cause of 83-year-old man’s unusual syphilis is ‘uncertain’
Patient: 83-year-old male resident in Belgium Symptoms: A man was admitted to the hospital after the muscles on one side of his face suddenly weakened and drooped. This condition is called unilateral peripheral facial paralysis. He also had a fever recently, but it has since subsided. Tests performed by a neurologist revealed that the man […]
New DNA research reveals that 5,500 years ago, a teenage girl was buried with her father’s bones on her chest
A rare Stone Age cemetery on a Swedish island shows that some of Europe’s last hunter-gatherers were buried with people who were more distantly related than extremely closely related, new DNA analysis reveals. But some burials included close biological family members, including, in the case of a teenage girl, whose father’s untidy bones were placed […]
China’s Unitree Robotics presents eerily lifelike robot kung fu performance during Lunar New Year
A humanoid robot took part in the world’s first fully autonomous martial arts performance to celebrate the Lunar New Year. New footage from the 2026 Chinese New Year celebrations in Beijing shows Unitree Robotics’ G1 and H2 machines performing intricate acrobatics and brandishing weapons. Unitree representatives said in a statement that the machine performed several […]
Lack of sleep triggers a cascade of harmful signals from the brain to the gut
A night or two of sleep deprivation not only causes fatigue, but can also disrupt stem cells in the gut, making the organ more susceptible to inflammatory diseases, a study in mice has found. A new study has revealed that sleep deprivation can impair intestinal stem cell function and increase the risk of inflammatory bowel […]
Our noodle-like ancestors had four eyes, 500 million-year-old fossil reveals
Our earliest known vertebrate ancestors had four eyes for spotting predators. And lo and behold, they were cute. A rare fossil from China reveals that the oldest recorded spine-bearing creature, a 500-million-year-old jawless fish, had two sets of peeping organs. Researchers have published an adorable reconstruction of one such four-eyed noodle as part of a […]
Slippery clay hidden on the ocean floor may have worsened Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami in eastern Japan was made worse by a thick layer of slippery clay, a new study has found. The clay layer on the ocean floor was up to 30 meters thick, creating a vulnerable spot where the motion of a magnitude 9.1 earthquake could travel to […]
Tibet’s vanished lake may have awakened faults in the Earth’s crust, causing earthquakes
A disappearing lake in southern Tibet may have “awakened” long-dormant faults in the Earth’s crust, triggering earthquakes in the region, researchers say. The discovery adds to the evidence for an unexpectedly strong link between our planet’s climate and geological activity deep beneath our feet. About 115,000 years ago, southern Tibet was home to huge lakes, […]
Striking astronaut photos reveal the hidden beauty of Zimbabwe’s 2.5 billion-year-old ‘geological wonder’ — Earth as seen from space
simple facts Where is it? Great Zimbabwe Embankment in central Zimbabwe [-18.6018258, 30.3435861] What is in the photo? Huge ancient rock formations rich in precious metals Who took the photo? An unknown astronaut aboard the International Space Station When was the photo taken? September 30, 2010 This intriguing astronaut photo reveals the hidden beauty of […]
Many men lose their Y chromosome as they age. It can shorten their lifespan.
Men tend to lose the Y chromosome from their cells as they age. However, this loss was thought to have no health consequences because Y has few genes other than male determination. However, in recent years there has been growing evidence that when people with the Y chromosome lose it, its loss is associated with […]
Seated Elder Statue of Tumaco Tolita: This 2,000-year-old depiction of a wrinkled old man struck fear because of its hidden “powers”
simple facts Name: Seated Elder Tumaco Tolita What is it: ceramic figurines Origin: Near the border between Colombia and Ecuador Created: Between 200 BC and 300 AD About 2,000 years ago, Tumaco Tolita potters in present-day Colombia and Ecuador began creating surreal sculptures of revered elders. This figurine of an old man on display at […]