As a founding father in the fields of physics and astronomy, Galileo Galilei is known for countless contributions to science. The Italian thinker stressed a methodical, mathematical approach to studying the universe, and inspired the modern scientific method that remains a bedrock of scientific inquiry — even 380 years after his death. His innovations in the realm of motion and gravity are equally exceptional and have laid the foundations for today’s physics and made him one of the greatest ...read more
Though known for the sound of their hissing and slithering, snakes themselves were long believed to be deaf. Now we know that couldn’t be farther from the truth, according to a growing body of research by scientists who are working to show that snakes use sound to interact with their environment. How exactly these slithering reptiles understand noise still has the scientific jury puzzled, however. One school of thought argues that snakes sense vibrations in the ground — but new research doub ...read more
A massive but surprisingly dainty “elephant bird” once wandered Madagascar, according to a new study that hands the title of largest-ever bird to a new species. The winner? Aepyornis maximus, which lived more than 1,200 years ago on the island of Madagascar and wielded a raptor-like beak and impressive talons, though it probably ate mostly plants and the occasional small lizard. The largest elephant birds stood about 9 feet tall and weighed up to 2200 pounds, about as much as a small car or ...read more
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 932,000 people have died from a drug overdose in the U.S. since 1999. In 2020 alone, nearly 100,000 people died from an overdose. The main cause? Synthetic opioids — specifically fentanyl. This sharp rise in opioid-related overdoses in recent years includes almost 69,000 deaths in 2020. Of those deaths, 82.3 percent of them involved synthetic opioids, which are artificially produced. But what makes synthetic opioids so dead ...read more
It was a familiar scene in my office, where I practice as a clinical psychiatrist. The well-dressed woman sat across from me with a worried furrow between her brows. “Doctor, my husband and children say I get too angry," she said. "I have trouble controlling my temper. Do you think I have bipolar disorder?” After a thorough evaluation, I concluded that my patient’s verbal outbursts and tendency to throw dishes didn't stem from a severe mood disorder, but from uncontrollable anxiety. M ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine