Teeth analysis reveals that North America’s giant ‘hell pig’ may have been crushing bones like a lion 30 million years ago
North America’s giant “hell pigs” may have been munching on bones some 30 million years ago, while smaller pigs were tearing through softer substances like meat, a new study has found. The “hell pigs,” scientifically known as archaeotherium (Greek for “ancient beast”), were a group of pig-like creatures that could be as tall as a […]
Oceanic volcanic eruptions may be echoes of ancient continental breakup
Eruptions of some mid-ocean volcanoes may be echoes of the breakup of supercontinents that lasted tens of millions of years after the Earth’s surface was rearranged, a new study suggests. A new study suggests that long after the continents broke apart, mantle instability caused by the breakup continues to erode the bases of the continents, […]
Chinese astronaut returns to Earth after being stranded in space due to suspicion of being ‘space junk’
Three Chinese astronauts stranded on China’s Tiangong Space Station due to debris believed to be space debris have returned to Earth, officials announced. The crew members of China’s Shenzhou 20 mission, Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui, left the space station in a return capsule on Friday (November 14) and landed in northern China’s […]
History of Science: Chemists Discover Buckyball – The Most Perfect Molecule in Existence – November 14, 1985
simple facts Milestone: ‘Buckyball’ discovered and described Date: November 14, 1985 Location: Rice University, Houston, Texas People: Harry Croteau, Richard Smalley, Robert Carle In 1985, scientists spent 10 frenetic days devising a new molecule with perfect symmetry, which they named after one of the 20th century’s most famous inventors and futurists. The search began in […]
New images of Comet Another Atlas (C/2025 K1) reveal it splits apart before approaching Earth
New observations have revealed that the ‘other’ Comet Atlas has broken apart, turning into a cloud of debris spilling into space. The comet, called C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), was discovered in May by astronomers from the Asteroid Earth Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and passed through perihelion, or the closest point to the sun, on October […]
Mars’ 2 million black “stripes” finally have an explanation, solving a 50-year mystery
Millions of mysterious black stripes littering the surface of Mars have puzzled scientists for decades, but now researchers may finally have a good explanation. The new theory also explains why it took so long to solve this particular problem. Mars’ “slope stripes” are dark albedo features that cover the slopes of Martian terrain. They were […]
Research reveals why the brain ‘zones out’ when exhausted
We’ve all experienced the intense struggle to pay attention after a good night’s sleep. And new research shows what happens in the brain when such emotions arise. When you stay up all night focused, your brain flushes out cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is part of the brain’s waste disposal system that surrounds the brain and […]
There is a weakness in Earth’s magnetic field that is growing stronger, endangering astronauts and satellites.
More than 10 years of measurements from three Earth-orbiting observatories show that weak areas of Earth’s protective magnetic field are expanding, exposing orbiting satellites and astronauts to more solar radiation. Observations by the European Space Agency’s Swarm 3 satellite show that Earth’s already weak magnetic field over the South Atlantic Ocean, a region known as […]
New ‘dragon hatching’ AI architecture modeled after the human brain could be a key step towards AGI, researchers claim
Researchers have designed a new type of large-scale language model (LLM) that they propose can bridge the gap between artificial intelligence (AI) and more human-like cognition. Researchers at AI startup Pathway, which developed the model, say the model, called “Dragon Hatching,” is designed to more accurately simulate how neurons in the brain connect and strengthen […]
Parts of Arizona are being sucked dry, with land area sinking 6 inches a year, satellite data shows
Satellite data shows some areas of Arizona’s Wilcox Basin are sinking more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) per year, making it the fastest sinking area in the state. This subsidence is the result of intensive groundwater extraction to support agriculture in the region, which lowers the water table in the basin and, with it, the […]