One of the big contributors to the record-breaking global temperatures over the past year – El Niño – is nearly gone, and its opposite, La Niña, is on the way.Whether that’s a relief or not depends in part on where you live. Above-normal temperatures are still forecast across the U.S. in summer 2024. And if you live along the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf coasts, La Niña can contribute to the worst possible combination of climate conditions for fueling hurricanes.Pedro DiNezio, an atmosphere an ...read more

The side of a highway outside Gloucester, U.K. might not be the place you’d expect to find thousands upon thousands of archaeological wonders. Yet in recent years, that's exactly where researchers from the archaeological group Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA) have uncovered thousands of historical artifacts dating back 12,000 years ago.Ancient Artifacts from Different AgesIn advance of a highway restoration project that started in March 2023, archaeologists have discovered over 10,000 artifa ...read more

Some dinosaurs may have been essentially warm-blooded, which contradicts how we once thought of the ancient creatures, according to a new study in Current Biology.“Up until the ‘70s, dinos were considered cold-blooded reptiles — basically over-grown crocs,” says Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, an author of the study and a researcher at University College London (UCL). That conception has shifted some in the past decade, when researchers discovered that some dinosaur skeletal features more re ...read more

Getting enough sleep is essential to your physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation is linked to certain health issues, including heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. In the course of history, people have used opium, valerian, cannabis, and alcohol as natural sleep aids. In modern times, doctors may prescribe sleep aids. However, some people prefer supplements to address insomnia — and magnesium is a popular choice.Insomnia Is Pretty Common and Magnesium ...read more

Some dinosaurs are positively massive. But like most reptiles, these giants don’t start their lives at those titanic sizes — even relatively speaking.Many species, though perhaps not all, likely came from eggs laid outside their mothers' bodies. But paleontologists have yet to discover the eggs of many dinosaurs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these highly delicate embryo cradles probably didn’t last more than a few months, let alone the huge epochs of geological time scales.But regardless, some ...read more

Almost half of American adults have high blood pressure. However, out of almost 120 million Americans with it, only one in four has the condition under control. While many people take prescription medication to treat their high blood pressure, others prefer to use natural methods. These methods include reducing stress and adopting healthier lifestyles. Another option is supplements. Fish oil, potassium, ginger, and garlic are touted for their blood pressure-lowering benefits. Magnesium is anothe ...read more

Orangutans have a lot to say. And the way they do so may be more complicated and sophisticated than previously appreciated, according to new study in PeerJ Life & Environment.Orangutans, the great apes of Southeast Asia, have a reputation for complex vocal communication. But understanding the nuances of their repertoire has proved challenging for researchers. Wendy Erb, a primatologist with the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and her team s ...read more

Native to the Sonoran Desert of the American southwest and Mexico, the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) might look and sound threatening. But to many, it’s known for its status as the largest lizard — and the only venomous lizard —native to the United States.  The Gila monster, distinguished by its black-and-pink patterned scales, spends the majority of its life beating the Arizona heat underground. Because of this, though, its habits have long been a mystery to scientists. Growing up ...read more

These days, when it comes to meat alternatives, most eyes are on lab-grown and plant-based products. But one of the latest breakthroughs in sustainable, cruelty-free food comes from yet another kingdom of life: fungi.The human-fungus bond has been cementing for thousands of years, during which our ancestors found countless ways to fit these nutritious organisms into their diet. Now, putting a distinctly modern twist on the relationship, scientists at UC Berkeley reported in Nature Communications ...read more

They are the moments that jolt you into awareness. You’re minding your own business, and all of a sudden, you’re reminded of how mortified you felt at that moment, weeks, months, or even years ago. Embarrassing moments can still carry the same emotional weight as they did in the moment they were happening. It’s the brain’s way of telling us not to make the same mistake twice.The good news is that you don’t have to suffer at the hands of embarrassing moments, and over time, their power ...read more