Venturing into the ocean's depths unveils a world akin to science fiction. Encompassing seventy percent of our planet's surface, the ocean potentially harbors over two million species – most of which have yet to be discovered. Beneath the surface, in realms devoid of sunlight, the cold, high-pressure environment unveils an astonishing diversity of ecosystems and animals, each uniquely adapted to thrive in extreme conditions."Animals have evolved the ability to tolerate extreme conditions,” ...read more
As you may have heard, the El Niño that has been contributing to severe weather in California and elsewhere is expected to fade between April and June. Moreover, its sibling, La Niña — which also can have a big impact on our weather — stands a good chance of taking center stage in the fall.But does this means a significant change in weather patterns will be happening soon? That's what the Weather Channel recently told its viewers: “El Niño giving way to La Niña means a warmer than aver ...read more
An ancient stone circle sits on the summit of a mountain overlooking the Cajamarca Valley in Peru’s northern highlands. At first glance, it doesn’t appear particularly remarkable — just a circle about the size of a convenience store, with a smaller circle inside. Meanwhile, what remains of its borders are made up of standing boulders.But new research has revealed that this unassuming plaza dates back nearly five millennia, to an era that far preceded the Inca and their predecessors, like t ...read more
Think of a typical creepy crawler, and you’ll probably conjure up the image of a hairy, eight-legged tarantula: the go-to spider in horror, and for those unaware, also a favorite pet among spider lovers.About 900 different species of tarantulas populate virtually every continent of our globe, save for Antarctica. They range from the tiny to the titanic, the colorful to the plain. Here are some things to know about tarantulas, who are not as scary as you’d think – as long as you don’t bot ...read more
Volcanologists can't predict eruptions. There is no reliable and tested method that can say that a certain volcano will erupt on a certain day or at a certain time. You might see such things on YouTube and elsewhere on the internet, but they are mostly people making patterns where there are none.However, volcanologists have been getting much better at forecasting eruption likelihood. Now, that might sound a lot like prediction, but it is not. Instead, it is like the weather: they can offer the c ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine