Did you know it's possible for scientists to trick your brain into thinking you have an additional appendage? A participant might stand in front of a mirror placing their left hand in such a way that the thumb doesn’t show. A researcher then strokes the non-thumb side of the left hand at the same time as stroking the side with the thumb. In the space of a few moments, the participant begins to feel as though they have a second thumb on the wrong side of their hand — even though they can clea ...read more
In Stone Age sites all over the world, archaeologists have found rounded stone “spheroids” that fit in the palms of their hands. A bit too heavy for tossing around, the balls have cropped up in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Levant, the countries gathered near the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. No one knows what purpose the balls served, be it practical, personal, aesthetic or something yet unimagined.Scientists have also disagreed on whether early humans made the objects intentionally ...read more
Oh, GIFs, how could we ever capture all of our human emotions without them? After all, nothing truly expresses our excitement on Friday night like a GIF of Beyoncé dancing. (Credit: GIPHY) Beyoncé Dancing Of course, they’re also there for encapsulating tougher emotions light-heartedly, like our midday breakdowns that are conveniently represented by GIFs of an adorable baby or pet throwing a temper tantrum. What Is a GIF?The best part about these GIFs is the instant commentary and reactions ...read more
The world is full of insects who are out for our blood. Since the dawn of human existence, we’ve been snacked on by ticks, lice, fleas, flies and mosquitoes beyond counting. But in recent times, few parasitic insects have instilled more skin-crawling revulsion — or fear of infestation — than the common bed bug.And with good reason: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cases of bed bug infestation have been increasing over the past 20 years. As many as 1 in 5 Americans eit ...read more
Archaeologists working with Norway’s Secrets of the Ice program recently got a shock when a arrow shaft they had previously dated to the Iron Age turned out to be some 4,000 years old.The scientists had collected the arrow from the side of a mountain, Lauvhøe, and at first, it looked like other Iron Age arrows collected from the area. But after the researchers cleaned the glacial silt off one end, they found a notch befitting a stone arrowhead and not an iron one. The team co-directed by Lars ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
