Tool Trove in Saudi Arabia Tells New Story Of Early Humans

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Stone tools found at Saffaqah, in central Saudi Arabia, include (a) a large flake with a smaller flake created during tool manufacture still attached, (b) other large flakes, (c) a handaxe and (d) a large core. (Credit: Scerri et al 2018, doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35242-5) Hundreds of stone tools and related materials, found in central Saudi Arabia, reveal new information about early migrations of archaic humans into Southwest Asia. The discovery suggests multiple waves of tool ...read more

Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Found on Space Station Toilet

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Enterobacter cloacae bacteria cultured in a petri dish. In a new study, scientists have investigated the antibiotic-resistance of bacteria on the space station. (Credit: CDC) Space Bacteria Wherever humans go, our bacterial companions will follow. That’s as true in space as it is on Earth, and while we’ve known that microbial astronauts are present on the International Space Station, one group of researchers has just found a new reason to worry about them. A genomic analysis of sam ...read more

Stowaways Welcome on India’s Upcoming Venus Mission

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

An Adventure to Venus Though widespread interest in Venus has somewhat waned over recent decades, India’s upcoming mission aims to turn that tide. As part of a still unnamed mission, ISRO will launch an approximately 5,500-pound (2,500-kilogram) spacecraft aboard the heaviest rocket they currently operate: the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III. The sheer size and power of this three-stage rocket will enable the spacecraft to ferry a full suite of instruments, weighing up to ...read more

Researchers Discover a New Dwarf Galaxy Orbiting the Milky Way

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Researchers have discovered another Milky Way satellite that’s as large as the LMC but is 10,000 times fainter. (Credit: ESA/NASA/Hubble) A Strange New Galaxy An unusual, enormous, and ancient dwarf galaxy looms near the Milky Way, 424,000 light-years away from Earth in the Antlia constellation, a new study found using data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia spacecraft. Scientists estimate that dozens o ...read more

How Language Allows Scientists to Get Inside the Head of a Chimpanzee

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

(Credit: kletr/Shutterstock) In chimpanzee societies, a whistle followed by a high-pitched hoot seems to mean, “I’m leaving.” Energetic grunts probably say “good food.” And a hip thrust could signal that chimp is ready to get frisky. These rough translations result from decades of research on chimp communication. In addition to revealing what apes are saying (big surprise: food and sex), the results also reflect why and how chimps communicate — and how this ...read more