Ever go to the movies or a rock concert and been blasted by the sound? You may not realize it while it’s happening, but ongoing exposure to loud sounds at these venues can damage your hearing.Our ears are highly sensitive to loud noise. Even very short exposures to high-level sounds – that’s anything above 132 decibels – can cause permanent hearing loss for some people. That’s true even if it’s just a brief blast; a single gunshot or fireworks explosion can cause immediate damage to ...read more
Modern and early birds, plus feathered dinosaurs, have all sported feathers made of the same material, according to a new study.The researchers investigated 125-million-year-old feathers from a dinosaur and an early bird to identify the proteins present. Both lived in China during the Early Cretaceous Period, about 25 million years after the first birds evolved.Established science holds that they should have found spiral-shaped alpha proteins, which set ancient feathers apart from modern ones.†...read more
The world of archaeology has been illuminated by the tireless efforts and groundbreaking discoveries of archaeologists throughout history. From King Tut to our oldest human ancestor "Lucy," archaeologists have not only enriched our knowledge of the past, but have also ignited a passion for uncovering the secrets buried beneath us.6 Famous ArchaeologistsThese six archaeologists deserve more time in the limelight because of their great contributions to their respective canons, continued commitment ...read more
Since the first satellite, Sputnik 1, was successfully launched into Earth's orbit on October 4, 1957, humans have launched more than 5,000 large objects into space. The list includes satellites, spacecraft, rovers, probes and other scientific equipment. In addition, thousands of fragments produced by accidental collisions or deliberate destruction of original materials exist beyond Earth. Since the 1990s, space archaeologists have studied this material culture in an effort to preserve it. “Fr ...read more
There are always volcanoes erupting on Earth. Likely since the planet was formed over four and a half billion years ago, volcanic eruptions have rocked some part of the planet. Sometimes it might be an explosion only noticed by the wildlife near a remote volcano. Other times, the blast might catch the world's attention and we feel the impacts for months or years. As you sit there reading this paragraph, somewhere between 10-20 volcanoes are doing their thing.A Planet of VolcanoesThe Smithsonian ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine