In a brilliant development, scientists have discerned the origins of a fast radio burst borne from the magnetic surroundings of a dead neutron star. Its sighting can be traced to a curved glint of light originating from a faraway galaxy. New research from a study in Nature on this luminous phenomenon has issued an updated perspective on fast radio bursts — short-lived explosions of radio waves that release an abundance of energy. Fast Radio Burst 20221022AA fast radio burst (FRB), thought to ...read more
Rangers at Yellowstone National Park are often asked to predict when the next massive volcanic eruption will occur there.A team of USGS scientists, who surveyed the park’s underground magma reservoirs, recently confirmed the standard response, “probably not any time soon.” But they have pointed out that the area where such activity is likely to occur has shifted, according to a report in the journal Nature.Reservoirs of Molton RockIt’s not like there’s been a pattern of frequent, massi ...read more
The sun had a big year in 2024. First, April brought a total solar eclipse that provided a wide swath of the continental U.S. with nearly four minutes of hushed totality. It also gave sun-gazers a chance to observe the outer layers of the sun’s atmosphere, which are normally obscured.Then, on May 10–11, the aurora borealis seemed to appear everywhere, all at once. Reports came from North Texas, Arizona, even Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee — nearly the entire U.S. — that the night sky ha ...read more
Bats are often synonymous with a dark and stormy night mostly for their association with vampires, the fact that they’re nocturnal, and thanks to media like Scooby-Doo. While bats may add an extra layer of eerie to nighttime, their presence in bad weather may actually be due to a migratory advancement. A new study in the journal Science explains how certain bats may use warm storm fronts to aid in cross-continental migration. Bats and Storm Surfing Bat migration is notoriously difficult to ...read more
When most people think of Neanderthals, they picture a classic caveman caricature — brutish and backward, a relic of the distant past. But this image doesn’t tell the whole story.These Ice Age inhabitants of Europe and parts of Asia were skilled hunters, toolmakers, and caregivers. And their legacy persists — not just in the archaeological record, but in our very genes. Some modern-day people have 2 percent Neanderthal DNA, according to Prof. Chris Stringer, a leading human evolution resea ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine