The lair of an antlion looks like nothing more than a pit from above. To an ant walking on the surface, it probably looks like nothing at all. But one wrong step can send an unfortunate insect tumbling to the bottom of a clever trap in a shower of sand. There, a pair of merciless jaws await, held wide open to deliver a deadly embrace.
To those of us with even a bit of pop culture knowledge, the pits the insects dig look suspiciously familiar. If you're waiting for a forest of tentacle ...read more
Mental illness affects millions of Americans. Many people with bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia suffer hallucinations, the perception of something that is not present. From phantom smells to hearing voices and seeing things that are not there, hallucinations can take many forms and stem from many causes. It's not just mental illness, either. Strokes, migraines and inner ear diseases can also lead to hallucinations. And obviously, psychedelic drugs do as well.
Yet surprising ...read more
Carnitine, chromium, anabolic steroids: Athletes have experimented with a broad array of aids in pursuit of a performance edge. A popular — if unglamorous — one today that seems safe and backed by solid data: the juice of beets, for the nitrate it contains.
Inorganic nitrate (NO3-) is added to cured and processed meats to extend their shelf life and give them their distinctive pink color. It’s also naturally found in spinach, arugula and beets. In the past decade, new evidence ...read more
(Inside Science) -- By examining the literal dustbins of history, archaeologists have now shed light on how a 125-year "little ice age" might have wreaked havoc on the Byzantine Empire -- an example of how climate change might influence human civilization.
Although the Roman Empire is often said to have fallen in 476 A.D., that was only the end of its western part. Its richer, stronger eastern half continued as the Byzantine Empire for almost another thousand years until it fell to t ...read more
The Trump administration wants to put Americans back on the moon by 2024, Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday at a meeting of the National Space Council in Huntsville, Alabama.
"The first woman and the next man on the moon will both be American astronauts launched by American rockets from American soil,” he pledged. It's an audacious pledge, given NASA's current capabilities, and especially in light of recent setbacks to the Space Launch System (SLS), the ...read more
NASA’s first all-female spacewalk is on indefinite hold. After Anne McClain and Nick Hague’s successful spacewalk outside the International Space Station on March 22, NASA discovered that they don’t have enough suits of the right size to fit both McClain and Christina Koch, who were scheduled for a spacewalk together on March 29. Earlier this month, the space agency announced it would be the first all-female spacewalk.
The spacewalk will continue, but with Hague and ...read more
During its heyday 66 million years ago, Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the fiercest creatures on Earth. Now, one specimen discovered almost 30 years ago is revealing that the animals grew even larger than fossils have led some to believe.
Scientists estimate the behemoth dinosaur weighed close to 10 tons and was about 30 years old. Its age is likely what allowed it to grow so big, the researchers say. Tyrannosaurs kept growing throughout their lives.
“Tyrannosaurs seem to be an a ...read more
For the first time since 2010, a full-fledged tropical cyclone has formed in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Say hello to Tropical Storm Iba.
You can see it in the animation above, about 500 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The animation consists of infrared imagery from the GOES-16 weather satellite. It shows Iba as it strengthened on Sunday. The false colors correspond to the temperature of the cloud tops in the storm, with black and pinkish colors indicative of the very colde ...read more
Whether it’s playing basketball, lifting weights or taking a brisk walk, a good workout can leave you feeling energized and confident. It’s well known that frequent bouts of exercise make you stronger and improve your cardiovascular health, but a new study is adding another, unexpected benefit to the mix.
Research presented at the annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society meeting on March 24 shows that habitual exercise can improve memory and brain function over time. It’s long be ...read more
Medical marijuana is legal in 33 states as of November 2018. Yet the federal government still insists marijuana has no legal use and is easy to abuse. In the meantime, medical marijuana dispensaries have an increasing array of products available for pain, anxiety, sex and more.
The glass counters and their jars of products in the dispensary resemble an 18th century pharmacy. Many strains for sale have evocative and magical names like Blue Dream, Bubba Kush and Chocolope. But what does it ...read more
