The continent-spanning nature of the United States means that we have a lot of different geologic conditions. The eastern half of the country is in the (mostly) stable part of the North American plate while the western half (including Alaska) is in the much more dynamic part of the plate. However, that doesn't mean that the earthquake hazards that our cities face is only a worry for someone living in California.The latest model of potential earthquake shaking hazard for the country was recently ...read more
For newborns in the ocean, we know that baby corals billow beneath the waves before attaching to something solid; baby comb jellies burst into being in the open ocean; and baby turtles wriggle their way through the sandy shores. But there’s one ocean creature whose birthplace is strangely secretive, and that’s the great white shark.For decades, scientists struggled to determine where great white sharks gave birth. But in July 2023, two shark specialists — a filmmaker and a biologist search ...read more
Scientists hypothesize from genetic studies that, more than 65 million years ago, humans came from squirrel-like, nocturnal animals that lived in trees and weighed less than 200 grams. Up until recently, scientists also suggested that this primate ancestor was a primitive and solitary mammal that lived in the shadow of the dinosaurs. A new study published in the journal PNAS, however, sheds new light on the social organization of this prehistoric creature: namely, that most primate ancestors wer ...read more
Few creatures capture our imagination and curiosity as much as the chimpanzee. As one of our closest kin in the animal world, chimpanzees, with their striking similarities and intriguing differences to humans, offer a glimpse into our own ancestry.In this article, we’ll briefly dive into the remarkable world of chimpanzees, gaining a better understanding of their physical traits, habitat, strength and temperament, and the challenges they face.What Is a Chimpanzee: Is a Chimpanzee a Monkey? At ...read more
This is part 2 of a detailed look at the factors that helped make 2023 the warmest year on record, and arguably one of the weirdest too. For part 1, go here.Last year offered perhaps the clearest warning we've ever received that we need to stop polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other climate-altering greenhouse gases.As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, 2023 shattered the previous record for warmest year in observations dating back to the 1800s. Every month from June through D ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine