In January 2025, researchers on the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) had to divert their plans after an iceberg roughly the size of Chicago broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier that had been attached to the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet.As the iceberg broke away, it exposed an area of seabed previously unseen by humans. There, they found it teeming with a variety of sea life. An Iceberg the Size of the Windy CityThe iceberg, named A-84 by the U.S. National Ice ...read more

Archeological evidence has indicated that early humans fabricated tools during the Middle Paleolithic period in Europe and Africa. East Asia, during that same time, was considered less advanced. A new finding demonstrates that we need to adjust our conception of when and where tools were first made and used.Researchers report the discovery of the “Quina technological system” — essentially tools for making tools, with various kinds of stone chips at its core — in southwest China, dating b ...read more

While a drop in libido is often associated with aging in women, it’s not just a female issue. Around 26 percent of men over 70 report a loss of sexual desire as well. Sex isn’t just about reproduction — physical intimacy fosters emotional connection, reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and generally improves mood. Understanding what affects our libido can reveal how lifestyle changes might enhance our sex drive and relationships.Age-related libido changes are seen across mammalian sp ...read more

In 1919, a student at the University of Cambridge had an extra ticket to a lecture being given by an astronomer who had just returned from a trip off the west coast of Africa where he observed the stars and a solar eclipse.Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, then 19 years old and an undergraduate student, took the extra ticket. The lecture changed her life and inspired her to become an astronomer.  “For three nights, I think, I did not sleep,” she later wrote.In turn, Payne-Gaposchkin changed astron ...read more

"That's so random" is a common saying people use when they see or experience something unexpected. But as a concept in physics, true mathematical randomness has long proven elusive — until now. A team of computer scientists using quantum computing methods has, for the first time, generated a truly random number, they report in the journal Nature.By now you’re asking yourself, what is “true randomness,” anyway? Doesn’t choosing a number between, say, one and a trillion, count as truly r ...read more

(A) Ventral view of the mandible and associated skull elements. (B) Mandible and skull elements labeled. (C) Left lateral view of the mandible. Abbreviations: an, angular; art, articular; d, dentary; j, jugal; R. mx, right maxilla; L. mx, left maxilla; p, palatine; R. pm, right premaxilla; sp, splenial; s.r., symphyseal ridge; sur, surangular. (Image Credit: Klaus Nilkens/Urwelt-Museum Hauff/Marx et al.)After making a splash in early 2025 with the identification of its 183-million-year-old fossi ...read more

Early warning systems for natural disasters have undoubtedly saved countless lives. Detectors that monitor signs of impending earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among others, provide crucial hours — sometimes days — for us to take evasive action.What if we could do the same thing for heart attacks? A group of French researchers working with some U.S. colleagues, have designed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that could help do just that, they report in the European Heart Journal.Ear ...read more

Sweetened vanilla, calming lavender, or fragrant jasmine and lotus may fill your home with enticing aromas. But new research shows that the supposed stress-reducing and mood-enhancing effects of scented products may come with unwanted indoor pollution.“While these products are widely used to create a cozy atmosphere, their emissions can impact indoor air quality, especially in spaces with limited ventilation,” says Nusrat Jung, a civil engineer at Purdue University.Jung became interested in ...read more

The impending eruption of Alaska’s Mt. Spurr is a timely reminder that, if you live near a volcano, you should be prepared in case it blows. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says there are 170 potentially active volcanoes in the country, and chances are you could live near one. But how should you prepare for an eruption and how can you recover after? Planning for a Volcano EruptionThe first question one should ask themselves is, do I live within range of a volcano, and if so, how clo ...read more

In the 1960s, physicists showed how light could interact with itself in intriguing ways thanks to a process known as second-harmonic generation. In the right kind of material, two photons of a certain frequency can interact to produce another photon of twice the frequency, turning red light into green, for example. Since then, physicists have exploited these non-linear optics in techniques ranging from precision measurement to quantum computing. Yet, one persistent challenge has remained. Nonlin ...read more