The unnerving legend of the merchant ship Mary Celeste has persisted for more than 150 years. In late 1872, the ship left New York. About a month later, it was spotted near the Azores, just bobbing along. The crew on a passing ship sent out several unanswered signals. Sensing something was amiss, a few approached in a lifeboat.The surprised sailors found the Mary Celeste abandoned. There were no signs of life — or death. The ship’s wheel was eerily spinning on its own, and everything was le ...read more
As the largest-ever marine predator, the megalodon shark made infamous by Hollywood, measured up to 50 feet in length and was surprisingly warm-blooded, according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This keen adaptation allowed the “meg” to venture into cold waters and extend its range, but paradoxically, it also bled off crucial energy, which may have contributed to the species’ extinction.Read More: The Mystery of the Megalodon and What Scientists ...read more
Appreciating beauty is part of most people’s everyday lives. We find it in the natural world, in one another, in art and even in ideas. It feels good when we see something beautiful.But this appreciation of beauty presents a slight paradox.Studies on human aesthetic preferences have found that our evaluations of beauty converge on certain features: simplicity, symmetry, juxtapositions of color, and particular shapes, ratios and geometries. And yet, individuals can possess vastly different noti ...read more
Temnothorax nylanderi is a low-key species of ant found mostly in Europe, where it builds nests in tree bark and rotting branches and other woody, secluded places. This tiny brown arthropod leads a quiet life, preferring shade and shelter and staying out of the way of the woodpecker’s bill.But for all this quiet, T. nylanderi faces a strange, alien threat in the form of a parasite that turns its members into yellowed, sedentary oafs. These compromised individuals hang out in the nest, not doin ...read more
Most dog owners are familiar with their pups' enthusiasm for food, whether it's begging for a bite, scavenging crumbs or munching on grass. It seems like dogs can eat almost anything — but should they? Research suggests that, with a few key exceptions, dogs have pretty flexible diets. In fact, their ability to eat a wide variety of foods likely played a major role in making dogs the human companions they are today. However, just because a food doesn’t hurt your pup, doesn’t necessarily m ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
