NASA Satellites Detect Signs of Unrest Years Before Volcanic Eruptions
New research methods may lead to earlier predictions of volcanic eruptions. Although there are telltale signs that a volcano is likely to erupt in the…
New Technique Reliably Measures Whether Rivers or Lakes Have Run Out of Air
International study shows that freshwater polluted by fecal material can be determined more quickly and reliably using a new technique. When wastewater from villages and…
Nearest Exoplanet to Our Solar System: Jupiter-Mass Planet Orbiting Epsilon Eridani
This artist’s concept is of a Jupiter-mass planet orbiting the nearby star Epsilon Eridani. Located 10.5 light-years away, it was the closest known exoplanet to…
Micrometeorites: More Than 5,000 Tons of Extraterrestrial Dust Falls to Earth Each Year
Every year, our planet encounters dust from comets and asteroids. These interplanetary dust particles pass through our atmosphere and give rise to shooting stars. Some…
“Unlike Anything Seen Before” – Gigantic Flying Pterosaurs Had Spoked Vertebrae to Support Their “Ridiculously Long” Necks
Little is known about azhdarchid pterosaurs, gigantic flying reptiles with impressive wingspans of up to 12 meters. Cousins of dinosaurs and the largest animals ever…
“Monkeydactyl” – Strange New Jurassic Flying Reptile Reveals the Oldest Opposable Thumbs
A new 160-million-year-old arboreal pterosaur species, dubbed ‘Monkeydactyl’, has the oldest true opposed thumb — a novel structure previously not known in pterosaurs. An international…
Screams of “Joy” Are Often Mistaken for “Fear” When Heard Out of Context
The first in-depth look at the human ability to decode the range of emotions tied to the acoustic cues of screams. People are adept at…
Intriguing Secret to Jupiter’s Curious Aurora Activity Revealed in New Research
Auroral displays continue to intrigue scientists, whether the bright lights shine over Earth or over another planet. The lights hold clues to the makeup of…
COVID Variant B117 Is More Transmissible, but Does Not Increase Severity of Symptoms
An observational study of patients in London hospitals suggests that the B.1.1.7. variant is not associated with more severe illness and death, but appears to…
Dark Matter Is the Most Likely Source of Excess of Gamma Rays From Galactic Center of the Milky Way
In the recent past, space missions dedicated to the study of astrophysical signals in the high-energy spectrum revealed a series of enigmatic excesses not predicted…
Researchers Use Genetics To Identify Potential Drugs for Early Treatment of COVID-19
A new study using human genetics suggests researchers should prioritize clinical trials of drugs that target two proteins to manage COVID-19 in its early stages….
Climate Change Is Making Indian Monsoon Seasons More Chaotic – Potentially Grave Consequences for Agriculture and Economy
If global warming continues unchecked, summer monsoon rainfall in India will become stronger and more erratic. This is the central finding of an analysis by…
Ancient Pottery Reveals First Evidence of Prehistoric Honey Hunting in West Africa 3,500 Years Ago
A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, with colleagues from Goethe University, Frankfurt, has found the first evidence for ancient honey hunting,…
Toxic Gas in Rat Brains Reveals Potential for New Dementia Treatments
A potential treatment for dementia and epilepsy could look to reduce the amounts of a toxic gas in the brain has been revealed in a…
Catastrophic Wildfires on the Fish Lake Plateau Reduced by Indigenous “Cultural Burning”
If you were to visit the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau a thousand years ago, you’d find conditions remarkably familiar to the present. The climate…
NASA’s Swift Helps Tie “Ghost Particle” to Star-Shredding Black Hole
For only the second time, astronomers have linked an elusive particle called a high-energy neutrino to an object outside our galaxy. Using ground- and space-based…
Superbug Killer: New Nanotech Destroys Bacteria and Fungal Cells, While Leaving Human Cells Unharmed
Nanothin antimicrobial coating could prevent and treat potentially deadly infections. Researchers have developed a new superbug-destroying coating that could be used on wound dressings and…
Noise Can Be Detrimental to Plant Life – Effects Persist Even Years After the Noise Has Been Removed
Though noise may change moment by moment for humans, it has a more lasting effect on trees and plants. A new Cal Poly study reveals…