When faraway stars explode, they send out flashes of energy called gamma-ray bursts that are bright enough that telescopes back on Earth can detect them. Studying these pulses, which can also come from mergers of some exotic astronomical objects such as black holes and neutron stars, can help astronomers like me understand the history of the universe.Space telescopes detect on average one gamma-ray burst per day, adding to thousands of bursts detected throughout the years, and a community of vol ...read more

The Colorado River slowly cut one of the world’s most epic scars into the landscape of northern Arizona. That scar, of course, is better known as the Grand Canyon. One of the top tourist attractions in the U.S., this natural wonder draws visitors from all over the world every year to gawk at the views created by roughly 278 miles of river.Modern visitors are hardly the first to appreciate the vistas. In fact, archaeologists have discovered the remains of a number of ancient cultures in and aro ...read more

Here’s a game: Ask a friend to give you any number, and you’ll return one that’s bigger. Just add “1” to whatever number they come up with, and you’re sure to win.The reason is that numbers go on forever. There is no highest number. But why? As a professor of mathematics, I can help you find an answer.First, you need to understand what numbers are and where they come from. You learned about numbers because they enabled you to count. Early humans had similar needs– whether to count ...read more

Orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are among the ocean's most captivating inhabitants. Reknowned for their striking beauty and complex social structures orcas have long fascinated scientists and the public alike. However, despite their popularity, many misconceptions and questions persist about these marine mammals. From their diet, habitat, behavior, and conservation status, let's take a deep dive into the orca's world and discover just how intelligent they are.Orcas' Surprising Family Con ...read more

When C. Michael Gibson of Boston saw his doctor in the spring of 2023, the blood test results were confusing. His cholesterol levels were decent — he was already taking statins to keep the “bad” cholesterol low — but the arteries delivering blood to his heart were nonetheless crammed with dangerous plaque. “It didn’t make sense,” says Gibson, himself a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. So Gibson asked his physician to check his blood for a specific kind of chole ...read more

Titanoboa has long been heralded as the largest of large snakes. Slithering through the Paleocene at an estimated 45 to 50 feet, this ancient snake appears in almost every list of large snakes, and almost always at the top. But now another ancient snake is sliding up those lists. Named Vasuki indicus, and identified in a new paper published in Scientific Reports, this new snake slunk through the Eocene at an estimated 36 to 50 feet. If accurate, these estimates establish this new snake as an equ ...read more

For people going through menopause or seeking birth control options, medications that help replace and supplement key sex hormones — known as progestogens — are an essential part of treatment.  However, new research published last month suggests that these types of medications are associated with higher risk of a common type of brain tumor. Now, scientists are urging caution and pursuing further research on progestogens as a form of contraception and gynecological treatment. What Are Prog ...read more

Netflix's 3 Body Problem has been generating a lot of buzz since its premiere last month, and it's not hard to see why: The hit new series is being helmed by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with screenwriter Alexander Woo, and adapts a bestselling sci-fi book trilogy by Chinese writer Liu Cixin. Both series explore thorny theoretical ideas posed by quantum mechanics, and don't skimp on the science, either. In fact, the series namesake — the titular three-body pr ...read more

Indonesia is possibly the most volcanically-active country in the world. It is the home of 127 potentially active volcanoes and one any given day it isn't surprising to see that 5-6 of them are erupting. Now, most of these eruptions are small puffs of ash or maybe the slow extrusion of lava at the summit. However, Indonesia is also home to some of the largest explosive eruptions in the historical record and beyond. Krakatoa in 1883, Tambora in 1815 and Toba around 73,800 years ago were massive b ...read more

Since the 1920s, anyone luckless enough to experience a stomach bug or digestive ailment — along with the attendant symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset in general — was likely to hear about the BRAT diet. It was a recommendation for specific kinds of bland foods that were thought to be easily digested and less irritating to tender tummies.Although components of BRAT can be beneficial, current medical and nutritional thinking has raised some concerns about the diet, whil ...read more