A rare snowfall blankets one of the driest places on Earth, shutting down a giant radio telescope — Earth as seen from space
simple facts Where is it? Chile, Atacama Desert What is in the photo? One of the driest places on earth, covered in parts by rare snowflakes Which satellite took the photo?Landsat 9 When was it taken? July 10, 2025 This striking satellite photo captured a rare sight as “one of the driest places on Earth” […]
History of Science: Anthropologist Looks at ‘Town’s Child’s’ Face to Prove Africa Was Human Birthplace – December 23, 1924
Milestone: ‘Town Child’ skull revealed Date: December 23, 1924 Location: South Africa, Town People: Raymond Dart’s Anthropology Team In late 1924, anthropologists began chipping away at the rock around ancient primate skulls, rewriting the story of human evolution. This tiny skull, about the size of a coffee mug, clearly belonged to a creature very different […]
2,300-year-old Celtic gold coin discovered in Swiss swamp
Two volunteer archaeologists discovered what they believe to be two of the oldest Celtic coins ever discovered in the country while exploring a bog in Switzerland. These may have been offerings to ancient gods. The two gold coins were minted around 2,300 years ago, around the mid-3rd century B.C. “This makes them part of a […]
The best space photos of 2025
The final frontier is an endlessly beautiful expanse full of unimaginable wonders, the perfect sandbox for photographers, observatories, and space telescopes to capture stunning images that we can hardly imagine. 2025 was no exception. This year, we feature a variety of surprising space images, from eye-catching portraits of alien comets and planetary parades to Vera […]
3,300-year-old cremations discovered in Scotland suggest people died in a mysterious catastrophe
Archaeologists have discovered the 3,300-year-old cremated remains of at least eight people buried in five urns in Scotland. It is unknown how they died, but it was probably during some kind of catastrophe. Although many Bronze Age burial sites in Scotland have been reused over the years, this discovery is unusual because the newly discovered […]
‘Lucy’ may not be our direct ancestor after all, scientists claim, sparking heated debate
For half a century, the iconic “Lucy” fossil species, Australopithecus afarensis, has held the title of being the most likely direct ancestor of all humans. However, as the list of ancient human relatives grew and more fossils were discovered, Lucy’s position became increasingly questionable. Now, a major paper published last month in the journal Nature […]
A new EV motor invention could reduce the weight of future vehicles by 1,000 pounds, making them significantly lighter while increasing range.
A new in-wheel motor for electric vehicles (EVs) offers massive amounts of torque in a lightweight package, developers say. The motor, made by YASA, a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary that also supplies motors to Ferrari, weighs just 28 pounds (12.7 kilograms) but can deliver up to 1,000 horsepower at a time, or 469 to 536 horsepower over […]
The reliquary of the holy crib: the remains of Jesus’ manger from Bethlehem
simple facts Name: Holy Crib Contents: 5 pieces of plane tree wood Birthplace: Jerusalem Created: Around 4-6 BC In the 640s, Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem sent several modest wooden planks to Rome for safekeeping after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem. Sophronius asked Pope Theodore I to protect the piece of wood, and the pope stated […]
Why is Venus so bright?
If you look up at the sky at dawn or dusk when there is not a single cloud in the sky, you will easily spot Venus. Appearing as a bright, steady, glowing speck, it is the second brightest object in the night sky, after the moon. “This planet is about 100 times brighter than a […]
This week’s science news: Japan’s laser weapons test bids farewell to Comet 3I/ATLAS, AI solves ‘impossible’ math problem
This week’s science news featured some amazing innovations, including the development of a new type of quantum processor that will last 15 times longer than those used by Google and IBM. Manufactured from the rare earth element tantalum, this processor is an important step toward stable quantum computing. But scientists must overcome significant challenges, including […]