Why are humans the only species with jaws?
Humans are the only species with jaws, a trait not present even in our closest relatives. In fact, it’s an anatomical feature so unique that it’s one of the main features anthropologists use to identify Homo sapiens in the fossil record. However, despite these defining characteristics, surprisingly little is known about their evolutionary purpose. So […]
Cannonballs dating back to the Battle of the Alamo are unearthed on the eve of the 190th anniversary of the conflict that killed Davy Crockett
Archaeologists have unearthed an intact bronze cannonball used in the Battle of the Alamo. They made the discovery on the eve of the 190th anniversary of the historic conflict between Mexican troops and white Texas settlers. Tiffany Lindley, the Alamo’s director of archeology, announced the discovery Thursday (March 19) on an episode of the Alamo’s […]
Can gene therapy treat most cases of Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, has had no potential treatments for decades. Previous research suggests that it is a complex, multifactorial disease where a patchwork of biological and lifestyle factors combine to increase or decrease risk. However, a new study published in January in the journal Nature suggests that the risk of […]
Is the coming HIV pandemic inevitable? | Charles LeBaron
In just one year, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has done enormous damage to an extraordinarily successful HIV prevention program and left the nation nearly defenseless against the emerging HIV pandemic just when eradication seemed possible. These unprecedented acts have surprised and frightened many working in the […]
Live Science Today: The Monte Verde controversy and the heatwave that hits the West
Today’s top news A view of the Monte Verde ruins along the Chinchhuapi River in Chile, taken in 2012. (Image credit: Geología Valdivia (CC BY 2.0)) An important archaeological site in Chile may be thousands of years older than originally thought, according to controversial research that threatens to rewrite the earliest history of human settlement […]
1,800-year-old nails found in three burial sites in Roman necropolis, may have been used to ‘protect’ both the living and the dead
A close-up of the skeleton shows a nail placed above the chest (just to the left of the spine). (Image source: Rome Special Inspectorate) Small iron nails placed in the chests of three skeletons preserve rare details about ancient Roman burial customs. 1,800 years ago, someone tried to protect the living from the dead. Diletta […]
Experts say discovery of ‘dark oxygen’ on the ocean floor is ‘fundamentally inconsistent with thermodynamics’ and should be retracted
A 2024 study that claims to have discovered an entirely new source of oxygen in the deep ocean, called “dark oxygen,” is flawed, contradicts previous research, and is “fundamentally inconsistent with thermodynamics,” critics argue in a new opinion piece. Despite this backlash, the researchers behind the 2024 study recently announced that they would deploy a […]
An experimental AI agent infiltrated the test environment and mined cryptocurrencies without permission.
An experimental artificial intelligence (AI) agent broke the constraints of a test environment and used its newfound freedom to begin mining cryptocurrency without permission. The AI, called ROME, was created by Chinese researchers at the AI Research Institute associated with retail giant Alibaba as a way to develop an agenttic learning ecosystem (ALE). This effort […]
Scientists witness the birth of one of the strongest magnets in the universe for the first time thanks to a ‘magic trick’ of general relativity
For the first time, astronomers have witnessed the birth of one of the most powerful magnets in the universe – a magnetar – at the center of an unusually bright supernova, thanks to an effect first predicted by Albert Einstein. Researchers say this exciting discovery marks the first time that general relativity has been needed […]
Live Science Today: Artemis II prepares to deploy as northern lights light the sky
Today’s top news The Artemis II rocket is scheduled to roll back to the launch pad today. (Image source: Getty Images) NASA plans to return the Artemis II moon rocket to its launch pad today, and the mission’s four astronauts will enter quarantine ahead of its scheduled launch on April 1. This is the second […]