A father and daughter, searching for fossils on an English beach, found more than they expected: the jawbone of what may be the largest known marine reptile. Scientists estimate that the giant ichthyosaur, from which the jawbone came, measured 80 feet long and lived during the late Triassic period. A report in the journal PLOS details the find. When Justin Reynolds and Ruby Reynolds (then 11) were combing the beach at Somerset in 2020 and came upon a giant bone chunk, they knew they were on to s ...read more

Taking the tube in modern London means using the subway system for transportation. Going down the tube in Holocene-Era Saudi Arabia probably referred to employing underground tunnels for temporary shelter. A new study in the journal PLoS One paints a picture of how human herders lived over the past 7,000 years in a sometimes harsh desert environment. That lifestyle has remained relatively unknown due to poor preservation of organic remains in the region’s arid conditions, until the recent stud ...read more

If you picture a showdown between the chirpy dolphin and the toothy shark, you might imagine a pod ramming into the ocean’s iconic predator enough times to eventually kill it. To see such a predator done in by the animals we perceive as the underdogs certainly makes for a compelling role reversal.“You’ve got these amazingly intelligent, incredible dolphin predators, in social groups with complex social lives, and then the iconic shark,” says Michael Heithaus, a professor in the Departmen ...read more

Recently, collagen supplements have surged in popularity, touted for their wide-ranging health benefits. From improving the appearance of skin and nails to supporting heart and joint health, collagen is often presented as a wonder supplement. But what does science say? Here are the types of collagen and the various areas where collagen is believed to have a positive impact.What Is Collagen?Collagen is the most predominant protein in the human body. It consists of three polypeptide chains. Collag ...read more

“Warp speed, Mr. Sulu!” With these words, Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise prepared his ship for faster-than-light travel while inspiring a generation of aspiring physicists who watched Star Trek from their sofas. So it’s no surprise that in 1994, the theoretical physicist, Miguel Alcubierre, worked out how a warp drive might work in the real universe. The key feature of a warp drive is that it can propel a spaceship at superluminal speeds without the occupants experiencing huge acc ...read more

My journey toward the line of totality started with a road trip from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to southern Indiana. It was the first time I went on a road trip alone, and I felt thrilled about the adventure. A few hours' drive was worth seeing a rare event like a total solar eclipse.I didn't plan for the 2017 Eclipse and only briefly saw the partial eclipse from Wisconsin after a benevolent stranger handed me an extra pair of solar glasses. It was cool, but it didn't shake the ground for me. Fast-for ...read more

Humans have experienced hair loss for thousands of years and tried to find ways to stop it. In ancient Egypt, unusual treatments included applying boiled porcupine hair to the scalp and consuming the leg of a female greyhound. Hippocrates even touted castration as a baldness prevention. Currently, supplements are a common source people turn to in the hopes of preventing hair loss or restoring hair. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill, but certain supplements can potentially aid in hair growth ...read more

Minerals accomplish all kinds of tasks to keep our bodies running, and one in particular — magnesium — has its own functions that make it a necessary component of human health. This mineral activates over 300 enzymes that help the body build proteins, strengthen bones, support nerve and muscle function, and regulate heart rhythm. As with other essential minerals, the key to maintaining a proper magnesium level is through the foods we eat. A diet that lacks magnesium can spell a number of pr ...read more

You may have seen it on social media, or even at an aquarium — sea otters cuddling and even holding hands (or rather, paws) while sleeping. Sea otters have long been beloved for their fuzzy coats and rambunctious personalities, but when a video of two sea otters holding paws while sleeping at the Vancouver Aquarium went viral in 2007, people around the world began to associate this heart-warming image with otters. Sea Otters Holding Hands[embedded content]It’s quite rare to see sea otters ...read more

On The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart tearfully described how his dog passed away just the day before.Stewart’s family had Dipper, a three-legged pitbull rescue, for more than 12 years. He went to work with Stewart, and the loss was hard to accept.“He was ready. He was tired, but I wasn’t,” Stewart said in a video.Many people with pets can relate. In recent years, scientists have also been trying to better understand the grief people experience when they lose a pet. Researchers are learnin ...read more