Spring, summer, fall and winter – the seasons on Earth change every few months, around the same time every year. It’s easy to take this cycle for granted here on Earth, but not every planet has a regular change in seasons. So why does Earth have regular seasons when other planets don’t?I’m an astrophysicist who studies the movement of planets and the causes of seasons. Throughout my research, I’ve found that Earth’s regular pattern of seasons is unique. The rotational axis that Ear ...read more
Within a limestone cave system in Richards Spur, Oklahoma, paleontologists uncovered several detailed casts of the skin of an ancient animal. The skin resembles a crocodile hide's pattern and texture, with its detail so well-preserved that individual scales pop along the various casts. The skin may belong to one animal or several different species.They are the oldest example of an outer layer of skin for animals found in terrestrial areas, like reptiles, birds, and mammals. A cast of this skin t ...read more
A head of lettuce sealed in plastic. A chicken tender from the hot bar at the local grocery. A bowl of cereal. An oyster served on a bed of ice at a fancy seafood bar. Which of these foods can give you food poisoning?Most people might guess the oyster, but the answer is that any of these foods — even the cooked and packaged ones — can carry foodborne illness.Food contamination can lead to illnesses that are uncomfortable or painful. For the very young, elderly, or people with compromised he ...read more
Taking your dog on a walk or tossing around your cat’s favorite toy may seem like a uniquely modern activity. But humans have lived alongside animals for a long time — and have loved them for almost as long. In fact, it was as many as 40,000 years ago that the first animals began to be tamed and domesticated through their interactions with our ancient ancestors, transforming from wild beasts into beloved friends and, in some instances, family.But a domesticated animal and an adored pet aren ...read more
A new look at the skull of a tiny extinct mammal has revealed to researchers that it did not belong to the primate order as previously thought, reversing a decades-long notion about the identity of this elusive mammalian family, known as “picrodontids.” Mouse-sized picrodontids, living several million years after the extinction of dinosaurs, were placental mammals that likely lived on a diet of fruit, nectar, and pollen. Until now, they were envisioned as primates because of their teeth, wh ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine