Fossils provide important insights about the existence and adaption of living organisms — over millions of years. Ancient plant fossils provide clues about climate conditions and environmental change. Among the most interesting are Glossopteris leaf fossils, which have been found in Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and parts of Asia — mostly India. With more than 70 identifiable species, this once prevalent plant is a valuable information source on Earth’s conditions, lo ...read more

Old Tom, a particularly long-lived orca that participated in whale hunts in the early 1900s, may have sounded a call-to-arms early in the morning, or even in the middle of the night — a loud slapping of tail fins off the surface of the water.In a small town called Eden off the coast of southeastern Australian, orca pods would alert whalers and heard humpback whales that swam through these waters every year towards the Twofold Bay area. The whalers would then get out on the water as quickly as ...read more

For tens of millions of years, the asteroid Bennu traveled through the vacuum of space, likely originating from our own solar system. But one small hunk of debris from the sample brought back to Earth — the first piece of an asteroid ever obtained by NASA — took its most recent trip on a subway car in Washington, D.C.“The good people at [the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] can say they transported a piece of Bennu,” says Tim McCoy, curator of meteorites at the Smithsonian ...read more

There’s an academic exercise in psychology classes that asks students to take Sigmund Freud’s concept of the id, ego, and superego and apply it to characters from The Simpsons. Homer’s impulsiveness typically casts him as the id, Marge’s down-to-earth mentality makes her the ego, and Lisa’s conscientiousness represents the superego.The activity helps students learn about the history of psychology, and although Freud’s theory directed the discipline for decades, scholars now debat ...read more

An ancient planet named Theia collided with Earth some 4.5 billion years ago and left large amounts of its iron-rich material embedded in our planet, according to a new study.Researchers first identified the material by studying seismic waves, which travel more slowly in the denser material. The continent-sized deposits lie beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean and are each about twice the size of the moon.Earth's Collision With an Ancient PlanetAs dramatic as it may sound, our collision with a w ...read more

If you’ve ever listened to a recording of whale song, you know that it can be haunting, beautiful, and moving. The songs of humpbacks and the clicks, called codas, of sperm whales are sophisticated forms of communication, according to research.But what are they actually saying to each other? We humans don’t know, but some scientists are trying to find out. And when they do, they hope that being able to communicate with whales could not only help save life on this planet but also allow us ...read more

For many, the mere mention of "wisdom teeth" conjures up memories of sore jaws, throbbing pain, and soft food diets. But what's the real deal behind these notoriously late-blooming teeth, and why do they cause so much trouble? Let’s dive into the science behind the pain and unravel the mystery of wisdom teeth.What Are Wisdom Teeth?Wisdom teeth, known as third molars, are the last teeth to develop and appear in the mouth. According to Cleveland Clinic, wisdom teeth typically emerge between the ...read more

More often than not, a trip to the grocery store ends up with the purchase of packaged snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages, or reconstituted meat products, also known as ultra-processed foods. These foods make up more than 70 percent of the packaged foods in the U.S. and represent about 60 percent of the calories consumed by the average American.Extensive research has already indicated how detrimental ultra-processed foods are to your physical health — but what about your mental health?What Are ...read more

The importance of a good night’s rest cannot be overstated. Poor sleep is linked to all-cause mortality, which means getting too little or too much sleep are “significant predictors of death,” according to a 2010 meta-analysis study. But good sleep is increasingly a privilege, as stress, workloads, and the trappings of a modern lifestyle squeeze out valuable shut-eye.Naturally, there are medications that aim to fix this problem. Home remedies like extracts of valerian root, a pinkish-white ...read more

The benefits of friendship go far beyond having someone to confide in or spend time with – it can also protect you from physical and mental health problems. For example, people with good friends recover more quickly from illnesses and surgeries. They report higher well-being and feel like they live up to their full potential. Additionally, people with good friends report being less lonely across many life stages, including adolescence, becoming a parent and old age.In fact, friendshi ...read more