This is an illustration of the new species, Uromys vika. (Credit: Velizar Simeonovski, The Field Museum)
The mysterious tale of the giant rat of Sumatra was famously “a story for which the world is not yet prepared,” according to Sherlock Holmes. Now, after years of searching, researchers have discovered a new tree-dwelling, coconut-piercing species of giant rat in the Solomon Islands—it measures 18-inch rodent that researchers finally tracked down after years of searching.
T ...read more
While there’s no I in TEAM, each penguin benefits from hunting together. Photo credit Sergey Uryadnikov
They say that many hands make light work. Well, for African penguins, many beaks make for bountiful hunts, according to a new study in Royal Society Open Science. The results suggest that dwindling populations may have greater consequences than previously realized.
African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), or as some call them “jackass” penguins for their donkey ...read more
An example of the expandable “water responsive material” that could provide power from evaporating water. (Credit: Xi Chen)
There’s energy everywhere, the trouble is harnessing it.
We extract power from wind, waves and sunlight, but researchers from Columbia University say there’s another font of untapped energy — water evaporating from lakes and reservoirs across the country. In a new analysis laying out a prospective plan to harness evaporation, they say that up ...read more
A dinosaur of the group Caenagnathidae, which had teeth as children, but grew beaks as adults. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
It’s well known that theropods were the ancestors of modern-day birds, but exactly how these dinosaurs made the transition from fearsome maws to toothless beaks has been unclear. A new study from researchers in China shows various adolescent species of toothed theropods actually had both for a time — they transitioned from toothy jaws to beaks during adolescenc ...read more
How can you protect an astronaut from getting a sunburn in space?
Kids learn how chemistry can protect astronauts at England’s National Space Center in Leicester. Credit: National Space Centre, Leicester 2
The Royal Society of Chemistry in London has designed a collection of hands-on chemistry experiments that kids can do to explore this question and discover the answer for themselves.
The project is called Mission: Starlight. It is free and includes downloadable videos, worksheets, ...read more
Astronaut Scott Kelly hosted a Super Bowl 50 party on the International Space Station, but no one came. (Credit: Scott Kelly)
No one knows for sure what a long-range space journey will be like for the people on board. Nobody in the history of our species has ever had to deal with the “Earth-out-of-view” phenomenon, for instance. How will it feel to live in close quarters with a small group, with no escape hatch? How will space travelers deal with the prospect of not seeing family o ...read more
The Sentinel-1 satellite captured this image of a 100-square-mile chunk of ice calving from West Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier on September 23, 2017. (Source: Stef Lhermitte)
We’ve now got yet another worrying sign that human-caused warming is causing the behemoth West Antarctic Ice Sheet to come unglued, threatening to raise sea level by 10 feet over time.
You can see that sign in the image above from the Sentinel-1 satellite.
The image shows a 103-square-mile tab ...read more
Meatless burger patty. Photo Credit: Impossible Foods
If you’re living in Los Angeles, there is no doubt that you’ve noticed the surging popularity of plant-based foods in the dining landscape. Not only are restaurants blooming with new vegan menu options, but plant-based food products are increasingly emerging in the food industry. Notable newcomers include veggie burgers and dairy-free products including milk, yogurt, and even cheese! We are now welcoming the age of the plant butc ...read more
Thanks to sweat, you can drink in peace. (Credit: Yellow Cat/Shutterstock)
Our fingers take a little while to get used to glass.
New research shows that when we touch a glass object, whether it be a cup or a smartphone screen, it can take up to 20 seconds before our fingers form a good grip. This is in contrast to things like rubber, which may be just as smooth, but are much softer and easier to hold.
Glass is slippery, obviously, but we can still get a handle on it thanks to small a ...read more
