Fossils suggest Homo erectus was not the first human to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago
Early ancestral members of the human lineage may have left Africa earlier than widely thought, a new study of fossil teeth suggests. Modern humans, Homo sapiens, are the only extant member of the genus Homo, which is thought to have originated in Africa about 2 to 3 million years ago and first left the African […]
The giant sunspot that sparked the recent solar ‘superstorm’ triggered nearly 1,000 flares and a secret X-rated explosion, a record-breaking study reveals
A record-breaking study of the giant sunspot that caused Earth’s largest geomagnetic storm in more than two decades has revealed surprising new details about the explosive dark region. This monster sunspot triggered nearly 1,000 solar flares in just over three months, and may have discreetly triggered the most powerful explosion of the current solar cycle. […]
Unreleased footage captures the moment a new species of giant anaconda was discovered in the Amazon
In 2024, scientists announced the discovery of a new species of anaconda in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Now, in a new nature series, filmmakers have released shocking, never-before-seen footage of a snake encounter in the wild. The film transports viewers to the Vaihueri Huaorani region of the Amazon rainforest. There, in 2022, researchers were sampling anacondas […]
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 […]