The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) first imaged Supernova 1987A (SN) in September 2022. The image captured a mysterious dusty and gassy center that formed during the supernova’s explosion. The dust is so thick it shrouds near-infrared light. But, within the dusty center, a powerful hot neutron star may be lurking underneath, according to a new study published in Science.“It was so exciting looking at the JWST observations of SN 1987A for the first time. As we checked the MIRI and NIRSpec ...read more
For a while, experts assumed that our ancient human counterparts, the Neanderthals, were less advanced and intelligent than we were. But a study recently published in Science Advances is calling this long-held notion into question, reporting evidence of Neanderthals using adhesive material. That is to say, they were making glue.“Compound adhesives are considered to be among the first expressions of the modern cognitive processes that are still active today,” said Patrick Schmidt, who co-led ...read more
In 1997, when paleontologist Paul Sereno first began to unearth the remains of a dinosaur in Niger's Sahara Desert, he didn’t know what to think. He was excavating bones in a dry region called Gadoufaoua, which had a rich fossil bed first discovered by French uranium miners. There were a lot of light, aerated bones — usually associated with theropods, like Tyrannosaurus rex, and the birds that evolved from them — so the researchers assumed that was what they were dealing with.As Sereno beg ...read more
On April 8, 2024, the maximum duration of totality anywhere along the eclipse path will be 4 minutes 28 seconds. For comparison, the maximum length of totality for the last total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S., which occurred on Aug. 21, 2017, was just 2 minutes 40 seconds.Indeed, some eclipse totalities last but a few seconds. And the longest eclipse totality from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 3000 is 7 minutes 29 seconds. That eclipse will occur July 16, 2186.What Determines The Length Of A S ...read more
In recent years, orca whales have repeatedly made headlines after attacking — and, in several cases, capsizing — ships off the coast of Spain and Portugal. Though none of these incidents involved direct harm to any humans, the belligerent behavior caused a stir, prompting many to once again question the threat marine mammals pose to humans. After all, orcas (Orcinus orca), also known as killer whales, sit at the top of the marine food web, and these highly-efficient apex predators are capa ...read more
For 62 years, the only proof that Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna ever existed was a single specimen, recovered in 1961 from the Cyclops Mountains of New Guinea. In the interim, this quill-covered, egg-laying mammal (named for the British naturalist David Attenborough) vanished from the scientific radar. After all that time, you might think, it would’ve been perfectly reasonable to presume the creature extinct. But then, in 2007, an expedition stumbled upon evidence of its survival: “no ...read more
When April 8’s solar eclipse arrives, more than 42 million North Americans living under the path of totality, as well as uncounted millions nearby, will be watching the weather forecast for the prospects of a cloud-free sky. However, those skies could pose a challenge: April is a month that struggles to get out from under the clouds as winter reluctantly gives way to spring.Useful forecasts can’t be made much more than a week ahead, but satellite-based observations of cloud coverage beginnin ...read more
In the 1980s, Koko had a clear message for the humans at The Gorilla Foundation in California. Koko, a western lowland gorilla, was the first gorilla to communicate through sign language. She used her newly acquired skills to let her people know she wanted a pet cat.Koko was soon given a kitten, whom she named All Ball, and cuddled closely. Photos of Koko squeezing her little cat were published around the world. The little grey kitty’s head was barely visible in Koko’s loving arms.Koko wasn ...read more
Sprinkling nature’s dust, or bee pollen, on food as a supplement is a recent hot topic for ‘superfoods.’ The mixture of flower pollen, nectar, bee secretions, honey, and enzymes is thought to provide a source of amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and other health compounds.Historically, various ancient civilizations used bee pollen medicinally worldwide. Starting in 13,000 B.C., Ancient Romans and then Native Americans used bee pollen for energy and food on long trips. The Māori in New ...read more
If you’ve ever watched a gymnast effortlessly sink into splits, or seen a prostrate yogi arch their back forward until they feet land inexplicably on either side of their head, then you’ve witnessed a painful truth: Flexibility is not distributed equally.That’s not to say rigidity is a life sentence — just because you can’t touch your toes today doesn’t mean you never will. There are indeed reasons behind the huge variation in suppleness, but they are (at least to some degree) under ...read more
