When pterosaurs thrived, the world would have looked like a very different place. The climate was warmer, almost subtropical. And the Solnhofen archipelago in modern-day Bavaria, Germany, was home to various flying reptiles.In the late Jurassic period, 145 million years ago, they would have lived alongside a feathered dinosaur named Alcomonavis as well as a small predator called Compsognathus. But for the most part, the archipelago was home to a plethora of these ancient flying beasts. One sp ...read more
The age-old fascination with giants has persisted throughout human history and transcended throughout our culture. Tales of these colossal figures have sparked our imagination and curiosity for generations. Some may dismiss these stories as mere legends or fantasies, while others question whether there is evidence leading to the possibility that giants, in some form, may have once roamed our world.Are Giants Real?Do giants have any basis in reality? Humanlike beings who grow to 20 feet or more a ...read more
Microplastics are everywhere. Everyday items like clothing, food packaging, cosmetics and car tires shed tiny particles of plastics, which in turn find their way into blood, baby poop, placentas and breastmilk. According to recent research, plastics are even in the intricate, delicate tissue that makes up our lungs.We breathe in about 16 bits of microplastic every hour, the equivalent of a credit card each week, according to a recent study published in the journal Physics of Fluids. ...read more
The ability to use fire forever changed the fate of the human race: For starters, it allowed our ancestors to cook foods, which made us much more efficient eaters. Instead of gnawing on nuts and berries all day, we could now cook animal meat, which packs much more of a caloric punch. We also used fire to make more effective weapons and tools. But there’s a lot we don’t know about when humans first encountered fire and its transition into effective, everyday use. When Was Fire First Discover ...read more
An avid stargazer may notice that apart from the gleaming white stars that sprinkle the night sky, there are red, yellow, blue and orange stars. However, what you'll never see are green stars. Why is that, and why are some stars different colors than others? The answer may surprise you. What Color Are Stars?On a typical cloudless night — depending on the level of light pollution — you'll see thousands of bright white stars. On certain nights throughout the year, you'll even get a glimp ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine