The Earth's crust has a dual personality. On one hand, there are the continents. Many times, the crust that makes up the continents can be very old, upwards of 3 to 4 billion years old! Yet, the oceanic crust that makes up a majority of the planet's surface doesn't get anywhere near as well. In fact, the oldest oceanic crust is only about 220 million years ago, or ~5% of the age of the Earth. We know we've had oceans and oceanic crust for billions of years, so where has it all gone?That's where ...read more
They might not come when you call them, but recent research reveals that cats recognize the voices of their caretakers — not thanks to their domestication, but thanks, instead, to their proximity to people.Published in PeerJ Life & Environment, the research found that captive, undomesticated cats respond to the voices of their caretakers much more quickly and much more intensely when their caretakers are more familiar. Felines as ferocious as tigers, cougars, and cheetahs could tell people ...read more
In August 2023, a video of a mother bear and her two little cubs at Yellowstone National Park went viral. The clip didn’t circulate the web because of the precious baby bears. Instead, it went viral because of how the tourists reacted when they saw the bears.At first, people stopped their cars and stared at the bears in a field next to the roadway. The bears ignored the humans, even as some got out of their cars and stood at a distance in the road.Then, a van pulled up, and passengers quickly ...read more
Back in February 2023, the international law firm Allen & Overy gave its lawyers access to an AI chatbot to help them draft contracts. Almost immediately, this AI system began saving the company’s 3500 lawyers in the region of 2 hours per week. Later in the year, the company announced an AI system capable of contract negotiations, saving up to seven hours per negotiation. But what is less clear is just how significant these savings really are. In particular, how does the work of a Large La ...read more
It’s a well-known adage among archaeologists that the "deceased do not bury themselves." Burials are shared, meaningful moments where a community can represent and reinforce what it finds important. And for the Cenomani people, an ancient people from northern Italy, animals were important.According to a new article in PLOS ONE, a number of Cenomani individuals were buried beside animals and animal parts between the third and first centuries B.C.E. Interred in the necropolis of Seminario Vescov ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine