From an evolutionary perspective, the point of life is to procreate and pass on genes. That’s why most animals keep reproducing until their deathbeds.
Yet in humans, females tend to live for decades after they're no longer fertile. All around the world, women experience menopause at around age 50 and routinely continue living into their 70s or 80s.
Few other primates ever live long enough to make it through menopause. The rare individuals that do are usually ...read more
One year ago, astronomers announced their surprise discovery a galaxy almost entirely devoid of dark matter. As the first galaxy ever found lacking the elusive substance — which is thought to account for 85 percent of the universe's mass — the news rippled through the astronomical community. This left some researchers delightfully intrigued, and others understandably skeptical.
"If there's [only] one object, you always have a little voice in the back of your mind sayi ...read more
Researchers have independently confirmed, for the first time, the detection of methane on Mars. For fifteen years, various research groups have claimed to see traces of methane in Mars’ atmosphere. Intriguingly, these often appear as puffs of gas that appear and disappear over short timescales. Groups have hotly debated whether the methane might be evidence of life, or merely geologic processes. Other researchers have argued whether the methane truly exists at all, or if the detections are ...read more
Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey is one of many made using the famed Lincoln County Process, which takes its name from the area where Jack Daniel's was first made. (Credit: monticello/shutterstock)
Champagne is only champagne if it’s made in its namesake region in France, Scotch is exclusively distilled and matured in Scotland, and a “bourbon” label is reserved for products from the United States. And there’s one variation on the bourbon recipe — Tennessee Whiskey & ...read more
I'm a longtime fan of cosmic disaster scenarios. Not because I'm particularly gloomy (according to my friends and family, I'm actually more of a goof), but because they are fabulous ways to illustrate the workings of the universe. They are also great for making you appreciate the delicate set of contingencies that allow us to exist right now, right here on Earth. I wrote one of the first Armageddon-science articles, entitled "20 Ways the World Could End," which was published for the 20 ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine