Death Valley shrubs rearrange their interiors to grow in one of the hottest places on Earth
Scientists have finally discovered how a strange desert plant can grow in one of the hottest places on Earth. It turns out that this vigorous plant changes its internal arrangement as the temperature rises. Extreme conditions frequently occur in California’s Death Valley. Temperatures often exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) in the shade during […]
History of Science: Experiments Show Mutations Occur Naturally and Support the Pillar of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – November 20, 1943
simple facts Milestone: Experiments show that mutations occur spontaneously Date: November 20, 1943 Location: Indiana University in Bloomington and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee People: Max Delbrück and Salvador Luria In 1943, physicists and biologists published a paper confirming one of the central pillars of Darwin’s theory of evolution. The paper, by Max Delbrück of […]
Research suggests that human waste is a catalyst for the domestication of urban raccoons
Raccoons living in cities are showing early signs of domestication, a new study has found. Using photos uploaded to the citizen science platform iNaturalist, researchers found that raccoons in urban environments had shorter snouts than those in rural areas. This difference may be one of several characteristics that constitute a “domestication syndrome,” the scientists said […]
US could lose measles-free status within months, experts say
The United States could lose measles-free status as early as January, marking a sustained resurgence of the disease, which was eradicated from the country 25 years ago. Canada was stripped of its measles exclusion status on November 10 after the Pan American Health Organization concluded that recent measles outbreaks in Canada were related and represented […]
The United States is on track to lose measles-free status within months. RFK needs to go.
On November 10, 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) revoked Canada’s measles elimination status. More than 5,000 cases have been reported since the outbreak began in October 2024. Canada has failed to control the measles epidemic for a quarter of a century. The United States may soon join its neighbors to the north in […]
Diagnostic dilemma: Woman had her twin brother’s XY chromosomes, but only in her blood
Patient: 35-year-old female living in Brazil Symptoms: A woman presents to the hospital after suffering a miscarriage during her seventh week of pregnancy. Prior to the hospital visit, the woman’s gynecologist decided to test the patient’s chromosomes to see if there was an underlying genetic reason for the miscarriage. The most common karyotype, or chromosomal […]
Research reveals that kissing dates back to the common ancestor of humans and other great apes 21 million years ago
Kissing may have been around long before modern humans existed, a new modeling study suggests. Kissing dates back some 21 million years to the common ancestor of humans and other great apes, according to a study published Wednesday (Nov. 19) in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. Homo sapiens, on the other hand, likely appeared […]
‘Forbidden’ black hole’s record-breaking collision may finally be explained, scientists say
Scientists have traced the origin of the most massive black hole merger ever observed, revealing how two “impossible” giants formed despite long-held assumptions that such objects should not exist. These black holes were considered “forbidden” because it was thought that stars of that size would blow themselves up in extremely powerful explosions, leaving no debris […]
A sunken city discovered in a Kyrgyzstan lake was a medieval hotspot on the Silk Road – until it was obliterated by an earthquake
Archaeologists have discovered a submerged medieval city at the bottom of a salt lake in northeastern Kyrgyzstan. This place was an important stop on one of the Silk Roads between China and the West during the Middle Ages. However, the city there was hit by a major earthquake in the 15th century and is thought […]
DNA damage in CTE is similar to that in Alzheimer’s disease
The brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is associated with physical trauma to the head, which can cause inflammation and DNA damage that accumulates in brain cells over time, a new study finds. Research suggests that the DNA damage that can ultimately lead to cell dysfunction and death is similar to damage seen in the […]