Although dirt doesn’t seem to be particularly interesting on the surface — we often picture a lifeless, unremarkable substance beneath our feet — it’s actually a dynamic ecosystem teeming with organisms. And these organisms hold the power to make or break all of life on Earth.One such unsung hero is the humble earthworm and, most importantly, its toilet habits. If you plop your spade into a patch of healthy soil, chances are that most of this is stuff that's come out the back end of an e ...read more
Humans lived in South America many thousands of years earlier than previously believed, during the height of the Last Ice Age. A new archaeological study discovered this by analyzing a trio of necklaces made from ground sloth bones. The project wades into an ongoing debate over when and how Homo sapiens, who evolved in Africa and first spread to Europe and Asia, made it to the relatively remote Americas.How Did Humans Settle the Americas?In the conventional view of American settlement, human bei ...read more
A female American crocodile has spent her entire life in captivity in a reptile park in Costa Rica and just laid several fertile eggs — without mating first.This recent event means that researchers are now adding crocodilians to a growing list of birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish that can generate offspring without the help of a male mate.“It’s likely that this has happened for thousands and thousands of years and [has] just been missed,” says Warren Booth, an evolutionary biologist a ...read more
The Earth hasn’t always had ozone — or even oxygen — in its atmosphere. Our planet spent more than 2.4 billion years with an oxygen concentration of less than 1 part per million, in fact. While the element is plentiful throughout the universe, what little Earth was born with quickly evaporated away into space.It wasn’t until the arrival of plants and photosynthesis, which consumes abundant carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and leaves oxygen as a byproduct, that the concentration of ox ...read more
“Doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever will,” is a popular Suzy Kassem quote, especially for those who are too afraid of failing at something that they don’t even bother to try. Think of all the songs and books that were never written or the athletes and artists that never made it because they were too afraid of failing. Or, imagine the pressure professional athletes or musicians feel to perform well enough that the audience isn’t disappointed in them. This doubt or fear is wh ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
