Let’s start with a definition: Dinosaurs, according to the Natural History Museum in London, were the dominant group of animals that roamed the land for between 140 and 160 million years.Yes, all dinosaurs were egg-laying reptiles. But they were also distinct from other reptiles that lived around the same time.For one, they had straight hind legs that stood perpendicular to their bodies. These helped them to use less energy compared with other reptiles – such as crocodiles, which have a spra ...read more
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have uncovered one of the Holy Grails of astronomy and astrophysics: the discovery of a rocky exoplanet with an exotic, water-rich atmosphere. Then again, it might all be an illusion.JWST was designed, in part, to hunt for such planets, and GJ 486 b would be the first identified. The problem is, the planet closely hugs its parent star, a red dwarf, and lies well outside the habitable zone. Temperatures on the planet, which is larger than ...read more
In 2018, a woman at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport attempted to board a cross-country United Airlines flight with a peacock named Dexter.Although the woman claimed the bird — which had its own seat purchased for the trip — was an emotional support animal, the airline refused to let Dexter travel due to health and safety concerns. Soon after, Delta Airlines announced a tightening of regulations for service and emotional support animals, noting that customers were attempti ...read more
Of the 700 or so dinosaur species paleontologists have discovered to date, some are terrifying, some are magnificent and others are downright bizarre. Those in the last category won’t haunt your nightmares like Spinosaurus or lend grandeur to a Jurassic Park scene like Brachiosaurus; mostly, they’ll just leave you wondering what Mother Nature was smoking in the Mesozoic Era (and where you can get some). The Weirdest DinosaursHere are a few of the preeminent weirdos:1. Mononykus[embedd ...read more
Don’t deny it: Sometimes, swearing just feels good. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that dropping the occasionally profanity bomb is actually good for us, too — at least, according to science.Research has shown that swearing can boost pain tolerance, foster emotional resilience and signal positive traits like verbal fluency and honesty. What’s more, spewing obscenities has the potential to impact our bodies as well as our minds, providing stress relief and even a slight boost in phy ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
