Russia’s Vezimiany volcano exploded on its own 69 years ago. It is now almost fully grown.
In late November, Russia’s restless volcano could erupt, sending a cloud of ash 10 kilometers into the sky and pushing the mountain closer to its original height. Vezimianny Volcano is a dramatic cone-shaped stratovolcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east. It self-destructed in 1956, but a 2020 study found that it had largely […]
New discoveries at Hadrian’s Wall are changing the picture of what life was like on the border of the Roman Empire
Two millennia ago, the Roman Empire reached the limits of its power in Britain. The island marked the northernmost border of the Roman Empire and the point at which the ancient superpower’s expansion came to a halt. The Romans launched several invasions and kept 10% of the entire army in the province but failed to […]
Diagnostic dilemma: Donor scratched by skunk, organ transplant infects man with rabies
Patient: Michigan man Symptoms: About five weeks after a man underwent a left kidney transplant at an Ohio hospital, he began experiencing tremors, leg weakness, urinary incontinence, and even confusion. What happened next: About a week after these initial symptoms appeared, the man was admitted to the hospital with additional health problems, including a fever […]
This extremely bright star could be the next supernova visible to the naked eye from Earth
An incredibly bright star system that has long baffled astronomers could soon brighten the sky with the glow of thousands of solar cores, a new study suggests. If that happens, the results could be visible to the naked eye from Earth day and night. The system, called Sagittarius V, consists of a white dwarf (the […]
‘It’s just too hot to bear’: 2024 will be the hottest year on record in the Arab region, revealed in first climate report
The Arab region, a vast region of 22 countries in North Africa and the Middle East, had its hottest year on record in 2024, according to the first-ever climate report. The region’s average temperature in 2024 was surprisingly high, 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit (1.08 degrees Celsius) higher than the average annual temperature from 1991 to 2020, […]
A new study suggests there is enough ‘gold’ hydrogen hidden in the Earth’s crust to power the world for tens of thousands of years.
In 1987, a worker lights a cigarette next to a new well near the village of Bourakebugou in Mali. But at that moment, an explosion echoed inside the well. We now know this is due to a previously undetected cloud of flammable hydrogen wafting from a gas reservoir below the hole. The well was plugged […]
The most common cold virus you’ve never heard of may play a key role in bladder cancer
Scientists believe a very common childhood infection may be linked to bladder cancer, and are currently unraveling the chain reaction linking the two diseases. It is known that kidney transplant recipients are three times more likely to develop bladder cancer than the general population. Researchers hypothesize that because transplant patients are immunosuppressed, dormant viruses in […]
Gray hair may have evolved to protect against cancer, research hints
Gray hair may be a sign that the body is effectively protecting itself from cancer, new research suggests. Carcinogens, such as ultraviolet (UV) rays and certain chemicals, activate natural defense pathways and not only cause premature graying of hair, but also reduce the incidence of cancer, a study has found. The researchers behind the study […]
Is the “Star of Bethlehem” really a planet? This month’s bright visitor may have a clue.
Christians are familiar with the story of the Nativity, in which the three wise men follow the “Star of Bethlehem” to the newborn Jesus. But does this Biblical story have astronomical origins? What was the “Christmas Star”? Modern sky watchers have many theories, including that this star is a very close conjunction of Venus and […]
Glue strong enough to tow a car made from used cooking oil
Scientists have turned waste cooking oil into a variety of recyclable plastics with superior strength, some durable enough to tow a car. Turning non-edible waste into useful polymers is a sustainable way to create new materials, researchers said in a new study published Nov. 28 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. “Waste streams […]