Small bumps in 7-million-year-old fossil suggest ancient apes walked upright and may even be human ancestors
A new study has found never-before-seen ridges on the foot bones of a 7-million-year-old fossil ape, indicating that they walked upright on two legs while on the ground. This lump, called the femoral tubercle, is only found in members of the human lineage. This species, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, is the oldest known hominid, according to a […]
Baobab tree line: Madagascar’s natural monument with dozens of “mother of the forest” trees
simple facts Name: Baobab Street or Baobab Alley Location: Menabe, Madagascar Coordinates: -20.2504, 44.4196 Why we don’t believe it: Baobabs are remnants of the dense forests that once covered Madagascar. As its name suggests, Baobab Street is a road lined with towering baobab trees in Madagascar. These trees are the remnants of the tropical forests […]
1,100-year-old mummy found in Chile dies of severe injuries caused by turquoise mine collapse, CT scan reveals
The 1,100-year-old mummified remains of a man have revealed that he likely died in an ancient turquoise mining accident in Chile. Extensive evidence of blunt force trauma found on the man’s skeleton suggests he died from a falling rock or mine collapse, according to a new study. The naturally mummified remains, along with grave goods […]
Jupiter in Opposition: See the ‘King of Planets’ outshining all the stars in the sky this weekend
This weekend is your chance to see the solar system’s largest planet, which shines brightest all year. After dominating the night sky for more than a month, Jupiter will reach opposition this Saturday (January 10). This marks the point in time when Earth will be directly between Jupiter and the Sun, and the gas giant […]
History of Science: Sophie Germain, the first woman to win France’s prestigious Grand Prize in Mathematics, is ignored because her ticket to the ceremony was “lost in the mail” — January 9, 1816
Milestone: Won the Elastic Wave Theory Award Date: January 9, 1816 (some sources say January 8) Location: Paris People: Sophie Germain In January 1816, the general secretary of the Paris Academy of Sciences sent Marie-Sophie Germain a strange letter. In it, he acknowledged her winning the institute’s prestigious Grand Mathematics Award for her mathematical work […]
Hubble telescope discovers ‘Cloud 9’, a dark and rare ‘failed galaxy’ unlike anything seen before
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a new type of celestial object. Cloud 9 was a starless, gas-rich cloud of dark matter that was slightly too light to become a full-fledged galaxy. The strange object is located near the spiral galaxy Messier 94 (M94), more than 14 million light-years from Earth, as detailed […]
NASA announces unprecedented return of sick ISS astronaut and crew
NASA announced on Wednesday (January 7) that an extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station (ISS) was postponed and the crew returned early due to a medical issue in an astronaut. The spacewalk was scheduled for 8 a.m. ET on Thursday (January 8) to complete preparations for the power channel where a new solar array […]
James Webb Telescope confirms supermassive black hole escaping from host galaxy at 2 million miles per hour, researchers announce
A shock wave in the far reaches of space could be a precursor to the first known runaway supermassive black hole to escape from its host galaxy at 2.2 million miles per hour (3.6 million kilometers per hour). The possible confirmation from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), published on the preprint server Arxiv on […]
A new theoretical “collision clock” reveals the possibility that orbiting satellites will start colliding with each other within three days
In a worst-case scenario, Earth-orbiting satellites could start colliding with each other within three days, setting off a runaway cascade that could render low Earth orbit (LEO) unusable, a new preprint study warns. According to the researchers’ new CRASH Clock, this is 125 days earlier than it would have been in an emergency just seven […]
Vera C. Rubin Observatory discovers record-breaking giant asteroid in first seven days of observations
Scientists analyzing the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered the fastest-spinning asteroid of its size ever. This record-breaking space rock, called 2025 MN45, is approximately 2,300 feet (710 meters) wide and larger than most skyscrapers on Earth. This giant rock rotates in about 113 seconds, making it the fastest-spinning asteroid known […]