Key Take-Aways on Dark Oxygen: Dark oxygen is produced on the seafloor by a process other than photosynthesis.A new study published in Nature Geoscience in July 2024 suggests it’s unclear what causes dark oxygen, but a possible source could be polymetallic nodules.This discovery could rewrite our understanding of how aerobic (oxygen-respiring) life evolved on Earth. And it could even point to new possibilities for extraterrestrial life, perhaps on Saturn’s watery moons.The traditional story ...read more
Ever wished upon a shooting star? Though beautiful, shooting stars are also signs of the cosmic shooting range through which Earth is currently whizzing. The ammunition consists of countless space rocks, microscopic to mountainous, moving impossibly fast. The few that end up scoring a direct hit are called meteorites. Organizations like NASA's CNEOS track thousands of these near-Earth objects. Occasionally, candidates like the building-sized asteroid 2024 YR4 make headlines. In April 2025, it wa ...read more
Humans love to take liberties when we talk about our heights. But Afruca tangeri fiddler crabs don’t have that luxury. Looking and listening in on the members of this species as they tried to attract mates, a team of researchers found that the males’ mating songs are shaped by their size, and are thus accurate signals of their fitness as mates, according to a press release, at least from the perspective of female fiddler crabs.Publishing their findings in a study in the Journal of Experiment ...read more
One of the most important parts of living a healthy lifestyle is getting a good night’s sleep. Quality sleep can prevent illness, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive function, just to name a few. A research team working with the Baycrest Corporate Centre for Geriatric Care has now added a new benefit to the list: unlocking the brain’s ability to sort memories. According to a study published in Nature Human Behaviour, sustained deep sleep not only safeguards against memory decline but also ...read more
Black holes — the supermassive gravitation forces at the center of most galaxies — actually spend much of their time dormant, or essentially asleep. Astronomers have now spotted one not only waking up but appearing to hit the celestial equivalent of a snooze button every few days. The black hole at the center of a galaxy named SDSS1335+0728, about 300 million light-years away, first showed signs of stirring when, in 2019, the galaxy started shining brightly. But since 2024, that black hole t ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine