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History in the making: The original Porsche heads to auction
By Mike Hanlon – “This is the most historically significant of all Porsche cars and it is simply incredible to find the very first Porsche in this original condition.” (Credit: RM-Sotheby’s). There are only a handful of places where truly landmark automobiles …
Phthalates: why you need to know about the chemicals in cosmetics
Also known as plasticizers, phthalates are also commonly found in food packaging and plastics. By Lauren Zanolli @LaurenZanolliares – Phthalates are also found in shampoo, perfume, nail polish, hairspray, sanitary pads and more. Illustration: Guardian Design/The Guardian. What are phthalates? Phthalates are a …
Bonobos, Nicest Primates on the Planet, Make Humans Look Like Monsters
“You want to be nice to someone who’s going to be important for you.” By Yasmin Tayag – Among the countless shitty things humans have done recently, we’ve revived Nazism, attempted to cover up egregious sexual abuse, and resurrected the threat of nuclear …
Extreme-terrain six-wheeler shows off in-wheel fluid drive motors
By Loz Blain – The Ferox Azaris was built to demonstrate the company’s fluid drive technology. (Credit: Ferox). The Ferox Azaris is a work of art to look at, and should offer some awesome rough terrain capabilities – but at its heart, it’s a …
Mobile app can “hear” ear infections with just a phone and a paper cone
By Matt Kennedy – Dr. Randall Bly, an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the UW School of Medicine who practices at Seattle Children’s Hospital, uses the app to check his daughter’s ear. (Credit: Dennis Wise/University of Washington). The symptoms of …
Human Biology Did Not Evolve to Suffer a Low-Carbohydrate Diet
“There are very few examples of evolution happening that fast.” By Yasmin Tayag – Thanks to the keto, Atkins, and paleo diets, the world we live in is a carbohydrate-hostile one. Celebrities like Beyoncé and Lebron James have claimed that their low-carb …
New discoveries in Laos deepen the ancient mystery of the Plain of Jars
By Rich Haridy – Fifteen new sites have been discovered, revealing 137 previously undiscovered stone jars, deepening the mystery of Laos Plain of Jars. (Credit: ANU). A team of archaeologists from the Australian National University has discovered over 100 ancient stone jars across …
Study claims meal kits produce less emissions than grocery shopping, despite more packaging
By Rich Haridy – A new study contrasts the excessive packaging found in meal kits against increased transportation and food waste factors commonly associated with grocery shopping. (Credit: IgorVetushko/Depositphotos). Over the last few years pre-packaged meal kits have quickly become a multi-billion dollar …
Jewel Changi Airport, home of world’s tallest indoor waterfall, opens for business
By Adam Williams – Jewel Changi Airport’s waterfall measures 40 m (131 ft)-tall. (Credit: Jewel Changi Airport Devt). Following over four years of construction, work is now finally complete on the Safdie Architects-led Jewel Changi Airport project. The impressive building, complete with indoor …
Forests that live fast and die young may help speed up climate change
By Michael Irving – Researchers examined samples taken from trees in the Spanish Pyrenees and found that faster-growing trees tend to die younger than those that grew slower. (Credit: RFarrarons/Depositphotos). As human activity continually pumps carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the Earth is …
First-of-its-kind trial finds processed food causes overeating, but researchers not sure why
By Rich Haridy – This image shows one of the study’s unprocessed lunches, consisting of a spinach salad with chicken breast, apple slices, bulgur, and sunflower seeds and grapes. (Credit: Hall et al./Cell Metabolism). In a fascinating first-of-its-kind study, researchers have discovered diets …
Atmospheric carbon dioxide hits the highest point in human existence
By Nick Lavars – Concentration of atmospheric C02 has now hit 415.26 ppm, the highest point in human history. (Credit: rclassenlayouts/Depositphotos). The fact that we humans are pumping more and more carbon dioxide into the air is well-known, but the extent to which …
When Women Ran Hollywood
by Juliette Fay – Mary Pickford, best known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was the most successful and highest paid actor of her time. She was also a shrewd business woman. Hold on. When did women—who produced only 18 percent of the 100 top-grossing movies …
What’s the Most Common Surname in Your State?
by Angel Cohn – When doing your family research, do you stumble across the last name Smith in your area frequently? According to listings in the white pages, Smith is one of the most common last names in almost every region of the …
Quirky Messerschmitt velomobile rides again
By Ben Coxworth – The Messerschmitt KR 25-E was unveiled at last month’s Spezi specialty bike show in Germany. (Credit: iDMOOVE). When it comes to weird little old cars, the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller was one of the delightfully weirdest. Five years ago, we …
Ancient crystals suggest Earth’s core is 4 billion years younger than the planet
By Michael Irving – A new study dates the Earth’s inner core to just 565 million years old – much younger than the 4.5-billion year old planet. (Credit: Shad.off/Depositphotos). The Earth is almost 4.5 billion years old, but it’s young at heart – …
Navassa Island: The U.S.’s 160-year Forgotten Tragedy
By Ken Lawrence – The Navassa Lighthouse. On December 8, 1859, to forestall a Haitian attempt to take possession of Navassa, a Caribbean island south of Cuba, U.S. Secretary of State Lewis Cass made a momentous decision. He officially recognized an American ship …
Lipstick pistols and surveillance pigeons feature in new International Spy Museum
By Adam Williams – The new International Spy Museum, led by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, is an eye-catching addition to Washington DC’s L’Enfant Plaza. (Credit: Nic Lehoux). Washington DC’s International Spy Museum recently moved into a new building designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + …
3,000-year-old female mummy was covered in hidden tattoos
Evidence suggests tattoos are a very ancient form of human decoration. Annalee Newitz – Tattoos on the mummy’s neck Covered in more than 30 tattoos of flowers, animals, and sacred symbols, this 3,000-year-old mummy is one of the most unusual that archaeologist Anne …
Colorful thermal images help reveal the origins of a doomed Martian moon
By Anthony Wood – Views Mars’ largest moon Phobos captured by NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/SSI). NASA has released new images of the Martian moon Phobos that could shed light on the origin of the enigmatic satellite. Scientists are currently unsure …
Can carbon fiber car panels double as energy storage materials?
By Nick Lavars – Can carbon fiber store energy for electric vehicles, as well as serve as structural elements? (Credit: jukai5/Depositphotos). Carbon fiber as we know it is one of the most impressive materials in our toolkit. Its incredible lightness and strength has …
Chainless KerVelo recumbent bike is back, in lower-profile carbon fiber form
By Ben Coxworth – The KerVelo Low Racer features a front gearhub transmission. (Credit: KerVelo). It was back in 2016 that we first heard about the KerVelo, a recumbent bike that replaced the chain with a gearhub transmission built into the front wheel. …
George Mason: Lost Founder
By William G. Hyland Jr. – America was woven together by three revered pieces of political paper: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. George Mason’s intellectual potency had a decisive role in shaping and producing all three …
Eco-friendly foam outperforms the “real thing”
By Ben Coxworth – A sample of the foam, which is made of wood pulp-derived cellulose. (Credit: Washington State University). Styrofoam is not eco-friendly stuff. It’s made from petroleum, it can’t be efficiently recycled, it’s non-biodegradable, and it creates pollution when burned. A …
2,000-year-old toilet paper gives us a whiff of life on the Silk Road in China
Pit stop analysis shows ancient travelers were often thousands of miles from home. By Annalee Newitz – Archaeologists scraped fecal bits off these ancient wipe sticks, discovered in a 2,000-year-old latrine at a pit stop along the Silk Road in Dunhuang, China. Hui-Yuan …
Notorious Three Mile Island nuclear power station to shut down
By David Szondy – Three Mile Island was the site of the worst nuclear accident in US history. (Credit: US Department of Energy). The Three Mile Island nuclear power station in Pennsylvania is scheduled to close in September according its owner, Exelon Generation. …
Floating cities and air-cleaning towers rise up in eVolo’s 2019 Skyscraper Competition
By Adam Williams – The Floating Tower, by Piotr Yurchanka, Alexey Kunko, Vladislav Sidorenko and Dmitry Tkachuk, would restore the drained swamps of Belarus. The project is one of 27 honorable mentions in the 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition. (Credit: eVolo). The 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition winners …
Odor receptors in taste cells suggest you can smell with your tongue
By Rich Haridy – New research has discovered functional odor receptors inside taste cells on the tongue. (Credit: lightsource/Depositphotos). We know that our perception of flavor involves a complex interaction between odors detected in the nose and tastes sensed by our tongue. A …
Why people become vegans: The history, sex and science of a meatless existence
By Joshua T. Beck, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Oregon – Disclosure statement Joshua T. Beck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no …
Did human ancestors split from chimps in Europe, not Africa?
By Michael Irving – An artist’s impression of the early hominin Graecopithecus freybergi in its savannah home in ancient Greece. (Credit: Veliza Simeonovski). It’s generally accepted that humans originated in Africa and gradually spread out across the globe from there, but a pair of …
“Metallic wood” makes nickel as strong as titanium, but five times lighter
By David Szondy – A microscopic sample of the researchers’ “metallic wood”. (Credit: University of Pennsylvania). A new technique has been used to turn ordinary metals into “metallic wood” with a greatly improved strength-to-weight ratio. By manipulating materials at the atomic scale, scientists …
Scientists Identify 25 US Counties Most at Risk for Future Measles Outbreaks
Two major factors set these counties apart. By Emma Betuel – In the first five months of 2019, measles cases surged in the United States, hitting the highest numbers since the disease was officially eliminated from the US, and there’s still over half …
Hawaii Sunscreen Ban Aims to Stop Coral From Mysteriously Self-Destructing
Sunscreen chemicals seem to cause a very strange phenomenon in coral. By Emma Betuel – The corals of Hawaii are so stressed out that they’re encasing themselves in their own skeletons and self-destructing. Many coral researchers believe that two chemicals commonly found in …
Jetpack Aviation’s David Mayman on his upcoming Speeder flying motorcycle
By Loz Blain – The Speeder flying motorcycle: Jetpack Aviation’s latest project. (Credit: Jetpack Aviation). If somebody tells you they’re building a flying motorcycle, it’s probably appropriate to reply “yeah, right.” But if that somebody is jetpack guru David Mayman, it’s worth your …
Alien asteroid discovered orbiting the Sun
By Anthony Wood – Image of 2015 BZ509 captured by the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, Arizona. (Credit: C. Veillet / Large Binocular Telescope Observatory). An international team of astronomers has discovered an asteroid orbiting the Sun at roughly the same distance as Jupiter …
Three-foot-tall cousin of T-rex fills some big evolutionary boots
By Matt Kennedy – Artist’s interpretation of the newly-named Suskityrannus hazelae. (Credit: Andrey Atuchin). In 1998, a 16 year old boy with a passion for paleontology unearthed a near-complete skeleton of one of Tyrannosaurus rex’s cousins in New Mexico. It was a defining moment …
How a strange flickering light therapy may help battle Alzheimer’s
By Rich Haridy – New research has revealed a 40 Hz flickering light can alter the expression of genes in neurons and microglia. (Credit: OlgaYakovenko/Depositphotos). Since 2016, a team of MIT neuroscientists has been exploring the strange hypothesis that external exposure to a light flickering …
Can medicinal cannabis help intellectually disabled children with behavioral problems?
By Rich Haridy – A pilot study is looking at whether CBD reduces cases of aggression and self-harm in children with intellectual disabilities, including autism. (Credit: Omstudio/Depositphotos). A pilot study is currently underway in Australia investigating the efficacy of medicinal cannabis as a …
Humanity must save insects to save ourselves, leading scientist warns
Insects are ‘the glue in nature’, says Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, underpinning the food and water we rely on. By Damian Carrington Guardian Environment editor @dpcarrington – A Notch-horned Cleg, a type of horsefly. ‘While we humans have doubled our population in the past 40 …
Skypixel’s awe-inspiring top drone photos of the year
By Rich Haridy – Another Nominated Entry prize winner, several skiers walk the summit of Mont Blanc before skiing down the north face. (Credit: Mathias Dumas / Skypixel). Skypixel’s 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest winners have just been revealed offering an incredible array of …
History in the making: The original Porsche heads to auction
By Mike Hanlon – “This is the most historically significant of all Porsche cars and it is simply incredible to find the very first Porsche in this original condition.” (Credit: RM-Sotheby’s). There are only a handful of places where truly landmark automobiles …
Phthalates: why you need to know about the chemicals in cosmetics
Also known as plasticizers, phthalates are also commonly found in food packaging and plastics. By Lauren Zanolli @LaurenZanolliares – Phthalates are also found in shampoo, perfume, nail polish, hairspray, sanitary pads and more. Illustration: Guardian Design/The Guardian. What are phthalates? Phthalates are a …
Bonobos, Nicest Primates on the Planet, Make Humans Look Like Monsters
“You want to be nice to someone who’s going to be important for you.” By Yasmin Tayag – Among the countless shitty things humans have done recently, we’ve revived Nazism, attempted to cover up egregious sexual abuse, and resurrected the threat of nuclear …
Extreme-terrain six-wheeler shows off in-wheel fluid drive motors
By Loz Blain – The Ferox Azaris was built to demonstrate the company’s fluid drive technology. (Credit: Ferox). The Ferox Azaris is a work of art to look at, and should offer some awesome rough terrain capabilities – but at its heart, it’s a …
Mobile app can “hear” ear infections with just a phone and a paper cone
By Matt Kennedy – Dr. Randall Bly, an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the UW School of Medicine who practices at Seattle Children’s Hospital, uses the app to check his daughter’s ear. (Credit: Dennis Wise/University of Washington). The symptoms of …
Human Biology Did Not Evolve to Suffer a Low-Carbohydrate Diet
“There are very few examples of evolution happening that fast.” By Yasmin Tayag – Thanks to the keto, Atkins, and paleo diets, the world we live in is a carbohydrate-hostile one. Celebrities like Beyoncé and Lebron James have claimed that their low-carb …
New discoveries in Laos deepen the ancient mystery of the Plain of Jars
By Rich Haridy – Fifteen new sites have been discovered, revealing 137 previously undiscovered stone jars, deepening the mystery of Laos Plain of Jars. (Credit: ANU). A team of archaeologists from the Australian National University has discovered over 100 ancient stone jars across …
Study claims meal kits produce less emissions than grocery shopping, despite more packaging
By Rich Haridy – A new study contrasts the excessive packaging found in meal kits against increased transportation and food waste factors commonly associated with grocery shopping. (Credit: IgorVetushko/Depositphotos). Over the last few years pre-packaged meal kits have quickly become a multi-billion dollar …
Jewel Changi Airport, home of world’s tallest indoor waterfall, opens for business
By Adam Williams – Jewel Changi Airport’s waterfall measures 40 m (131 ft)-tall. (Credit: Jewel Changi Airport Devt). Following over four years of construction, work is now finally complete on the Safdie Architects-led Jewel Changi Airport project. The impressive building, complete with indoor …
Forests that live fast and die young may help speed up climate change
By Michael Irving – Researchers examined samples taken from trees in the Spanish Pyrenees and found that faster-growing trees tend to die younger than those that grew slower. (Credit: RFarrarons/Depositphotos). As human activity continually pumps carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the Earth is …