You may think of Vikings as warriors raiding and ransacking Medieval European villages. But this image of Viking hordes embarking on sea voyages with the sole purpose of pillaging is changing with new discoveries that reveal extensive trade networks spanning Europe and beyond.Experts are revealing entirely different relationships built on the exchange of a wide variety of goods from far away places for Viking society.Archaeological evidence reveals that materially, the Viking world was like that ...read more

Intense heat generated by Mt. Vesuvius’ eruption turned one victim’s brain to glass. While gruesome, the finding published in the journal Scientific Reports, lends insight into the chaotic events that fatal day in A.D. 79.Although the eruption was a singular event, it killed people in multiple manners. Many Pompeii people suffocated from breathing in toxic fumes from a cloud of gas and ashes. Some may have been crushed by falling objects during an earthquake that may have preceded the event. ...read more

To have a view on aliens and whether or not they exist, you have to believe in outer space in general and other planets beyond our own. So, what does this mean for ancient civilizations? How did they view outer space, the stars, and the objects that we today would refer to as unidentified aerial phenomena (unidentified anomalous phenomenonfile/UAPs)?It’s all about how they viewed the universe in general, says Marcus Harmes, an associate director of research at the University of Southern Queens ...read more

The search for water on the moon is about to take a massive leap into new territory as NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter and the latest Intuitive Machines lunar lander get ready to launch. These missions — riding together on the same SpaceX Falcon9 rocket — both aim to answer key questions about the presence of water on the moon, which has become a top priority in space exploration. The launch is scheduled for the evening of the Feb. 26, 2025 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Whil ...read more

Everyone knows that maintaining a clean kitchen is essential for safe food preparation. Failing to properly sanitize utensils after use can lead to foodborne illnesses from bacterial growth. Alongside dish sponges, cutting boards — particularly those used for raw meat — are hotspots for bacteria.Instead of relying solely on human-devised cleaning methods to combat bacterial buildup, researchers turned to nature for solutions. They found inspiration in the antimicrobial properties of shark sk ...read more

For certain fishes, evolution is easy. After tracking the evolution of teeth in cichlid fishes from Africa, a team of researchers has found that these fishes have developed the ability to evolve rapidly, allowing them to adapt their teeth readily for different habitats and diets. This ability, the researchers report today in a study in Nature, helps these fishes split off into new species faster than any other fishes and, for that matter, any other vertebrates.“This changes the way we think ab ...read more

In the late ‘80s, a team of Soviet and West African archaeologists discovered an African rainforest site that had the potential to rewrite at least a chapter of human evolutionary history. Artifacts encased in several layers of sediment hinted that some early humans had settled and thrived there, during a time when it was thought that they evolved primarily on savannas. Almost nobody paid attention.There were three reasons. First, the group published its findings in Russian, which relatively f ...read more

Decoding Thoughts: AI Translates Brain Scans into TextHow useful it would be to know what the person standing next to you on the train was thinking. Or what your boss was going to offer as a pay rise or what a potential partner thought of you. This ability is entirely futuristic, of course. But the groundwork is being laid now. Various groups have demonstrated the ability to decode certain kinds of thoughts, particularly what people are looking at, based on functional MRI brain scan images. This ...read more

Our brain is constantly working to keep the body functioning and, therefore, requires the utmost protection. In addition to a thick skull, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a natural protective membrane, prevents microscopic intruders such as toxins and pathogens from entering the nervous system.Unfortunately, this also limits medical treatment for neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, brain tumors, and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). But recent developments in medica ...read more

Exercise is one of the most important tools for staying healthy. It helps us to manage weight and improves cardiovascular and mental health. Exercise can also reduce our risk of certain diseases like diabetes and some cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, which amounts to about 30 minutes five days per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly. This amounts to running or other vigorous forms ...read more