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4 hacks to boost food sustainability in the grocery aisle
How does your grocery shopping affect the planet? By Luca Panzone and Natasha Auch – How does your grocery shopping affect the planet? Well, think of it like this — consuming just one egg emits between 260 and 330g of CO₂ to the …
New theory explains how life arose after the dinosaurs went extinct
The research proposes an intriguing new twist in one of the most fascinating moments in Earth’s history. By Passant Rabie – Some 65 million years ago, our planet encountered one of the darkest days in its history. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event resulted in …
Brain stays conscious after death
A new study has found that the brain remains conscious for a few minutes after death. Brain scans – The brain stays conscious for a few minutes after death, according to new research. Researchers have discovered that brain function continues after the …
Study: U.S. alcohol deaths have doubled since 1997
A separate study shows that binge drinkers are also ordering more rounds. By Stephen Johnson – From 1997 to 2017, alcohol-related deaths among Americans aged 16 and older doubled from 35,914 to 72,558. From 2011 to 2017, the average number of drinks consumed …
Artificial photosynthesis produces ‘green methane’
A new device shows promising results in its ability to convert CO2 and water into useful fuels. By Matt Davis – Photo by Maros Misove on Unsplash. Artificial photosynthesis devices have long been touted as a way to remove carbon dioxide from the …
Inside the Italian town that charges tourists an entry fee
By Julia Buckley, CNN • Published 16th January 2020 Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy (CNN) — It’s Saturday morning in Civita di Bagnoregio, and the locals are patrolling the medieval walls, eyeing the visitors as they make their way toward the village. – As …
Huge ‘hot blob’ in Pacific Ocean killed nearly a million seabirds
Thousands of bodies washed up on North America’s Pacific coast. Study finds common murres probably died of starvation. Dead common murres lie washed up on a rocky beach in Whittier, Alaska, on 7 January 2016. Photograph: Mark Thiessen/AP – By Kenya Evelyn in …
Scientists Design Bacteria-Based Living Concrete
Its designers hope that it could help with construction in deserts or even on Mars. Photosynthetic bacteria in the concrete make it bright green until it dries and turns brown. (Courtesy of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Colorado University Boulder) …
An ancient device too advanced to be real gives up its secrets at last
Researchers present what they’ve learned now that they can read the tiny text inside the Antikythera mechanism. By Robby Berman – Exploded view of Antikythera mechanism (Peulle/Wikimedia). Though it seemed to be just a corroded lump of some sort when it was found …
Cows Communicate With Unique Moos
A new study has found that the animals use distinct vocalizations across a range of emotional contexts. Researcher Alexandra Green, recording cows (Lynne Gardner/University of Sydney). By Brigit Katz, Smithsonianmag.com – Should you encounter a herd of cows munching on a field of …
Brain Parasite Strips Rodents of Fears of Felines—and So Much More
Toxoplasma gondii infections don’t just make mice afraid of cats. They get reckless with all sorts of other stuff, too. For decades, researchers have known that mice infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii lose their fear of cats. But there may be more …
Yesterday’s lunch could become tomorrow’s hydrogen fuel, scientists say
One of America’s biggest sources of trash could become clean energy. By Thor Benson – Americans waste a lot of food. As a country, we throw away over 150,000 tons of food every single day. Up to 40 percent of our food is …
What if life is a contagious, interplanetary disease?
New research tracks a rocky, interstellar object’s ability to transport life to another planet. By Passant Rabie – Around 4 billion years ago, Earth was under attack. The planet’s surface was bombarded by asteroid after asteroid and a whole host of other interstellar …
The mystery of how birds navigate is over, and the answer is so amazing
It’s the first time magnetoreception has been discovered in animals, researchers claim. By Philip Perry – Migrating geese. Credit: Getty Images. One of the longest running mysteries is exactly how birds navigate when they fly south for the winter or back come …
Grandmas may be key to species survival, says new study
New research on killer whales may shine a light on the evolutionary power of menopause. Photo Credit: Dan Antoche-Albisor / Getty Images. By Molly Hanson – New research on killer whales suggests that post-menopausal grandmothers play a powerful role in the survival of …
Want to grow a heart in a lab? Get lasers and cabbage juice
Using time-tested techniques, scientists are figuring out how to measure artificial organ growth. Very carefully. By David Grossman – What if a child with a failing organ could, instead of waiting on a donor list, simply have their new liver or heart grown …
This beautiful desert is blooming with wildlife found nowhere else on Earth
By Anna Fletcher, CNN – Van Zyl’s golden mole. – Van Zyl’s golden mole is an extraordinary creature. It is more closely related to elephants than to the moles you might find in gardens and parks. It has no visible eyes or ears …
Poop-dodging robot vacuum also doubles as a 24-hour security system
By Loz Blain – Lucy is a robot janitor with a security badge. Trifo. – Trifo’s new Lucy robot vacuum is a clever little gadget that combines home cleaning with autonomous security patrolling thanks to its 1080p, high dynamic range camera and AI-enabled autonomous …
Before a panic attack strikes, stressed-out people can use this technique
This Navy Seal method could be the key to overcoming panic. By Sarah Sloat – In moments of acute stress, it can be difficult to breath easy. When the “fight or flight” response is activated, the sympathetic nervous system activates rapid breathing. In the …
Welcome to Jáchymov: the Czech town that invented the dollar
Five hundred years after coining the first dollar, a tiny mining town is coming to grips with the many ways it shaped the modern world. By Eliot Stein – The US dollar is the most widely used currency in the world. It is …
Is the world running out of fresh water?
Increasing temperatures and populations threaten a precious element and pose a serious problem. What can we do about protecting our most vital resource? By Tim Smedley – The next time you open a can of soft drink, consider where the water inside it …
The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board
Tool of the devil, harmless family game—or fascinating glimpse into the non-conscious mind? The makers of the first talking board asked the board what they should call it; the name “Ouija” came through and, when they asked what that meant, the board replied, …
The air that makes you fat
Some puzzling studies appear to show that tiny airborne particles may contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Should we be concerned? By David Robson – Take a deep breath, and exhale. Depending on where you live, that life-giving lungful of air might …
This Map Lets You Plug in Your Address to See How It’s Changed Over the Past 750 Million Years
The interactive tool enables users to home in on a specific location and visualize how it has evolved between the Cryogenian Period and the present. During the Early Triassic Epoch, Washington, D.C. was situated in a massive supercontinent called Pangea (Ian Webster/Ancient Earth) …
Humans Were Roasting Root Vegetables 170,000 Years Ago, Study Suggests
The find may challenge modern notions about the starch-starved “paleo diet.” The excavation at Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains on the Kwazulu-Natal/eSwatini border (Copyright Lucinda Backwell) By Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonianmag.Com – The human hankering for roasted root vegetables may have gotten …
An Ancient Maya Palace Was Discovered in Yucatán State
Archaeologists think it was occupied by Maya elite more than 1,000 years ago. Parts of Kulubá are already open to the public, and the INAH hopes the newly discovered palace will become accessible “in the medium term.” (Mauricio Marat/INAH) – By Brigit Katz, …
How air pollution is doing more than killing us
The air we breathe could be changing our behavior in ways we are only just beginning to understand. By Melissa Hogenboom / Images by Emmanuel Lafont – * This story is featured in BBC Future’s “Best of 2019” collection. Discover more of our picks. …
Lethal algae blooms – an ecosystem out of balance
Toxic formations across the US and the Baltic are part of a worrying trend linked to the climate crisis and farming methods. By Jeremy Hance – A harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie in September 2017. Photograph: Zachary Haslick/Aerial Associates Photography/NOAA. On …
Last Jews of Bukhara fear their community will fade away
The ancient Silk Road city once had a thriving Jewish population, which has shrunk to around 200. By Andrew Roth in Bukhara, Uzbekistan – Abram Iskhakov, the president of the Bukhara Jewish community, reads during an evening service in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Photograph: Andrew …
The Green New Deal would create nearly 30 million jobs — study
We could create nearly 30 million more jobs than we otherwise would. By Thor Benson – If we want to avoid the possibly catastrophic effects of climate change, we’re going to have to transition to renewable energy as soon as possible. That will …
The stories behind 10 of the world’s earliest known photographs
Credit: Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac / RMN Grand Palais. Written by Oscar Holland, CNN – As early cameras began spreading out from Europe in the middle of the 19th century, photography became an increasingly powerful medium for obtaining and disseminating …
The best space photos of 2019
By Michael Irving – A composite image comprised of optical data from the Isaac Newton Telescope and X-ray data from Chandra showing the stellar association Cygnus OB2. X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Drake et al; H-alpha: Univ. of Hertfordshire/INT/IPHAS; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Spitzer. – The cosmic beauty of space …
5 incredible things scientists can make out of plastic waste
By Nick Lavars – Using a novel manufacturing method, scientists have discovered a way to turn plastic bottles into a useful new aerogel. National University of Singapore. – Recycling plastics is far from a simple undertaking, with only a small portion of what …
Giant birds may help scientists finally solve the mystery of the Nazca lines
The newest approach: ornithological identification. By Sarah Sloat – Earth’s most astounding group of geoglyphs stretch across nearly 200 square miles of arid Peruvian coastal plain. The Nazca lines are a huge mystery — literally. A portion of the 70 animal and plant …
Tiny zaps used to kill stubborn warts
By Ben Coxworth – Treatment-resistant warts, along with other skin lesions, may be no match for nano-pulse stimulation. Tiler84/Depositphotos. – Although it’s possible to remove warts by freezing them with liquid nitrogen, they often grow back, requiring multiple treatments. New research, however, suggests …
Drinking lingonberry juice may help lower high blood pressure
By Ben Coxworth – The lingonberry is native to the boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Eurasia to North America. Evgeniy_Bobkov/Depositphotos. – If you suffer from high blood pressure, you might want to try making lingonberry juice part of …
9 amazing camper concepts foreshadowing cushier RV life in the 2020s
By C.C. Weiss – Hymer Concept Galileo self-driving camper pod. Erwin Hymer Group. – The RV world reached new heights in the 2010s, laying the groundwork for what could be an even bigger decade to come. Not only did the camper industry rebound …
‘Time is elastic’: Why time passes faster atop a mountain than at sea level
The idea of ‘absolute time’ is an illusion. Physics and subjective experience reveal why. By Stephen Johnson – ESA. Since Einstein posited his theory of general relativity, we’ve understood that gravity has the power to warp space and time. This “time dilation” effect …
Researchers found a brand new mineral tucked in a tiny meteorite. It’s never been seen in nature before
By Scottie Andrew, CNN – The Wedderburn meteorite contains edscottite, which occurs in iron smelting. But it has never occurred in nature until now, when researchers sliced the meteorite open and found it hidden there. Between 2015 and 2019, researchers discovered 31 …
A surprising way of showing gratitude
It’s almost an unthinkable practice in our modern era and one that may teach us a lot about generosity: giving to your community until you have little else to give. By Cat Perry – In remote fishing communities across southeast Alaska live the …
4 hacks to boost food sustainability in the grocery aisle
How does your grocery shopping affect the planet? By Luca Panzone and Natasha Auch – How does your grocery shopping affect the planet? Well, think of it like this — consuming just one egg emits between 260 and 330g of CO₂ to the …
New theory explains how life arose after the dinosaurs went extinct
The research proposes an intriguing new twist in one of the most fascinating moments in Earth’s history. By Passant Rabie – Some 65 million years ago, our planet encountered one of the darkest days in its history. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event resulted in …
Brain stays conscious after death
A new study has found that the brain remains conscious for a few minutes after death. Brain scans – The brain stays conscious for a few minutes after death, according to new research. Researchers have discovered that brain function continues after the …
Study: U.S. alcohol deaths have doubled since 1997
A separate study shows that binge drinkers are also ordering more rounds. By Stephen Johnson – From 1997 to 2017, alcohol-related deaths among Americans aged 16 and older doubled from 35,914 to 72,558. From 2011 to 2017, the average number of drinks consumed …
Artificial photosynthesis produces ‘green methane’
A new device shows promising results in its ability to convert CO2 and water into useful fuels. By Matt Davis – Photo by Maros Misove on Unsplash. Artificial photosynthesis devices have long been touted as a way to remove carbon dioxide from the …
Inside the Italian town that charges tourists an entry fee
By Julia Buckley, CNN • Published 16th January 2020 Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy (CNN) — It’s Saturday morning in Civita di Bagnoregio, and the locals are patrolling the medieval walls, eyeing the visitors as they make their way toward the village. – As …
Huge ‘hot blob’ in Pacific Ocean killed nearly a million seabirds
Thousands of bodies washed up on North America’s Pacific coast. Study finds common murres probably died of starvation. Dead common murres lie washed up on a rocky beach in Whittier, Alaska, on 7 January 2016. Photograph: Mark Thiessen/AP – By Kenya Evelyn in …
Scientists Design Bacteria-Based Living Concrete
Its designers hope that it could help with construction in deserts or even on Mars. Photosynthetic bacteria in the concrete make it bright green until it dries and turns brown. (Courtesy of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Colorado University Boulder) …
An ancient device too advanced to be real gives up its secrets at last
Researchers present what they’ve learned now that they can read the tiny text inside the Antikythera mechanism. By Robby Berman – Exploded view of Antikythera mechanism (Peulle/Wikimedia). Though it seemed to be just a corroded lump of some sort when it was found …
Cows Communicate With Unique Moos
A new study has found that the animals use distinct vocalizations across a range of emotional contexts. Researcher Alexandra Green, recording cows (Lynne Gardner/University of Sydney). By Brigit Katz, Smithsonianmag.com – Should you encounter a herd of cows munching on a field of …