It’s important to use the right words when writing about writing.Scholars studying the history of it distinguish between pre-writing symbols used to mark objects and more precise marks that establish an exact correspondence between sign and sound; script and language are not the same thing.A new study in Antiquities illustrates the transition from printed symbol to written word — a metamorphosis that lead author Silvia Ferrara, a philology researcher from the University of Bologna calls “f ...read more
While there are hundreds of adorable animals across the globe, Discover Magazine narrowed this list down to 20 of the cutest animals that exist today. From cuddly rodents to happy amphibians to waddling birds, enjoy these delightful animals. 1. Red Panda(Credit: seaonweb/Shutterstock) Native to the eastern Himalayas, red pandas are more closely related to raccoons than the giant panda. Although these forest dwellers have extremely cute faces, their colorful facial markings have a purpose — hel ...read more
For thousands of years, gazing upward was how astronomers studied the sky above. On a clear night, several planets in our solar system were visible without a telescope. However, as telescopes increased in sophistication, astronomers discovered more planets, confirming the eight in our solar system. As technology continues to progress, though, could we uncover a new one? Astrophysicists don’t know if there are undiscovered planets in our solar system, but new technologies are enabling researche ...read more
By some estimates, about 3,000 dead satellites are orbiting Earth, and around 34,000 pieces of space junk have been left behind by humans. Wherever humans go, we always leave a trace. And it’s an even bigger problem in space because it takes much longer to decompose and does nothing but muck up the place, says Jack Gabit, an associate professor of physics at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. As humans go back to the moon and aim to travel to Mars, the more people that visit space, t ...read more
Some of the most famous and best-preserved dinosaur fossils were thought to have been suspended in time due to a massive volcanic event like the Mt. Vesuvius eruption that literally froze Pompeii in stone.But the cause of those dinos’ demise was likely much more mundane — collapsing animal burrows, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Incredibly Preserved FossilsTwo perfectly articulated skeletons of the sheep-size dinosaur Psittacosaurus, found in Chin ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine