Our dominant dark matter theory may be wrong, hinting at a huge new gravity study
Physicists’ main theories about the nature of the universe may be wrong, new research into strangely distorted light suggests. A new study investigated three major theories about dark matter, the invisible matter that makes up much of the universe and provides structure to most galaxies, but we still don’t know exactly what it is. For […]
Thawing permafrost and “shrub” are pushing Alaska’s northern slopes into wildfire conditions not seen in 3,000 years.
Research shows that wildfires on Alaska’s North Slope are occurring more frequently and are more severe now than at any time in the past 3,000 years. The discovery is based on satellite data as well as soil taken from peatlands that contains ancient charcoal lumps and other signs of wildfires. The researchers say thawing permafrost […]
The world’s oldest known sewn garment may have been sewn together from sections of Ice Age skin unearthed in an Oregon cave.
The world’s oldest known sewn garments may have been pieces of animal skin sewn together with animal and plant string by indigenous peoples and left in an Oregon cave some 12,000 years ago, a new study has found. Although its exact purpose is unknown, the sewn skin is “very likely a fragment of clothing or […]
Insulin without needles? Scientists invent gel to deliver insulin through the skin in animal studies
For many people with diabetes, daily insulin injections are required to manage blood sugar levels, but scientists have invented a new polymer-based gel that allows insulin to be administered through the skin without the use of needles. The gel, described in a November study published in Nature, normalized blood sugar levels in diabetic mice and […]
China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that this ‘biological vacuum’ has been turned into a carbon sink
Massive tree planting in China is turning one of the world’s largest and driest deserts into a carbon sink. In other words, they absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit, new research shows. The Taklamakan Desert (also spelled Taklamakan or Taklamakan) is slightly larger than the state of Montana, spanning approximately 130,000 square […]
Diagnostic dilemma: Teen infected with rare ‘welder’s anthrax’, ninth known case ever reported
Patient: 18 years old from Louisiana Symptoms: The teenager, who was training to become a welder, developed a cough and was hospitalized a week later with pneumonia and respiratory failure. He was intubated at the hospital, with a tube inserted into his airway and a machine attached to help him breathe. The teenager was in […]
Western Europe’s oldest mule died 2,700 years ago and was buried with a partially cremated woman
About 2,700 years ago, a partially cremated woman buried with a mule is the oldest remains of a hybrid animal ever found in Western Europe, a new study has revealed. The mule and the woman were buried in an ancient rock-lined pit that served as a silo at the Holt den Grimau archaeological site in […]
The 40-year mystery of Uranus’ mysteriously strong radiation may finally be solved
Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery surrounding Uranus’ unusually strong radiation belts. A new analysis of Voyager 2 data suggests that a temporary space weather event may have made the planet’s electron radiation belts more intense than usual as Voyager 2 passed by. The discovery could help explain why the radiation belt was much […]
Large-scale trial reveals only certain types of brain training reduce dementia risk
Two decades of trials suggest that brain-strengthening exercises that involve quick thinking may reduce the risk of dementia, but exercises that involve memorization or reasoning have no effect on the risk. The discovery could lead researchers to design video games that help users maintain cognitive function as they age, some experts say. As people age, […]
‘Dream engineering’ experiment suggests why ‘sleeping on it’ can help solve problems
In the Hollywood blockbuster Inception (2010), a dedicated team of “dream extractors” is hired to manipulate dreams to change the decisions of CEOs. In the movie, the feat involves a private jet and several liters of sedative gas, but new research suggests a similar effect could have been achieved with just the sound of steel […]