How the Chemicals in Sunscreen Protect Our Skin

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Don’t skimp on the SPF. (Credit: Sabphoto/Shutterstock) Kerry Hanson, University of California, Riverside Not so long ago, people like my Aunt Muriel thought of sunburn as a necessary evil on the way to a “good base tan.” She used to slather on the baby oil while using a large reflector to bake away. Aunt Muriel’s mantra when the inevitable burn and peel appeared: Beauty has its price. Was she ever right about that price – but it was a lot higher than any of ...read more

Tree-Climbing Goats Keep the 'Desert Gold' Growing

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Goats grazing on an argan tree in southwestern Morocco. In the fruiting season, many clean argan nuts are spat out by the goats while chewing their cud. (Credit: H. Garrido/EBD-CSIC) What do goats and squirrels have in common? They both climb trees, of course. While squirrels live amongst the branches, goats, or at least those in arid regions, climb them for dinner. And that’s good for the goats, and the trees. Scientists have discovered that the domesticated goats in southern Morocco be ...read more

Egyptian Mummy DNA Reveals the Region's Rich, Diverse History

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

The outer sarcophagus of a woman buried at Abusir el-Malaq. (Credit: bpk/Aegyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, SMB/Sandra Steiss) DNA recovered from ancient Egyptians mummies is revealing the mosaic of cultures that came to dominate the region. German researchers gathered genetic data from over 100 mummies stored in museum collections and analyzed it with updated sequencing techniques. They amassed 90 mitochondrial DNA sequences and three full genomes, a collection ...read more

Hacking and Doomsday Top Self-Driving Car Fears Online

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

A color-coded view from a self-driving car operated by Waymo. Credit: Waymo Silicon Valley tech giants and Detroit automakers have to convince people to trust self-driving cars before they can sell the futuristic technology to customers. That may prove tricky considering the public’s lingering fears and concerns regarding self-driving cars. A recent AI-assisted analysis of more than one trillion social posts revealed that scared-face emoticons related to self-dri ...read more

Memorial Day Parade 1922: Runaway Tank Kills Veteran

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

American troops on Renault FT tanks going forward to the battle line in the Forest of Argonne. France, September 26, 1918. Credit: U.S. National Archives New York City Memorial Day celebrations have featured parades of military hardware almost since the earliest commemorations following the U.S. Civil War. Barely 15 years after that war’s end, Union Army veterans from New Jersey marched alongside a battery of rapid-fire Gatling guns in a New York City parade described as being ...read more