We all depend on oxygen to survive, but about 3 billion years ago, there was barely any oxygen at all. When was the last time you thought about where all the oxygen on Earth came from?A research team from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Earth and Planetary Science thinks about this question all of the time. In a newly published study in Communications Earth & Environment, the team reveals that we may have volcanoes to thank for the abundance of air that we breathe. A Volcanic Disc ...read more
There’s nothing like a well-timed joke to set the mood. Jokes can help ease tension in a conversation, make people feel more comfortable and engaged, and can even make you seem more trustworthy. Humor is something comedians and politicians alike have been using to connect with and captivate their audiences.However, this technique has not often been used by scientists and science communicators for fear that the audience will not take the scientific information seriously, leading some to have a ...read more
Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults and quadrupled in adolescents since 1990, making it a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, and digestive disorders. This growing global health crisis calls for effective obesity treatments to reduce the burden on healthcare systems.Semaglutide, the weekly injectable drug better known by its brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, was initially ...read more
Both the deep sea and space are difficult to reach and even more difficult to explore. You can’t breathe the air, temperatures are extreme, gravity varies, and atmospheric pressure makes survival impossible without protective vehicles. It’s part of the reason that these remote terrains are largely left unexplored. Only around 5 percent of the universe and 26 percent of the ocean floor have been visited. Both deep sea travel and deep space travel come with a lot of risks and a lot of prepa ...read more
We’re gonna need a bigger shark size estimate. Researchers had based some informed guesses about just how massive the megalodon — a prehistoric giant fish that hunted the oceans 13 million years to 15 million years ago — was by comparing existing fossils of the extinct species to bones of the present-day great white shark.Formally called Otodus megalodon, the prehistoric predator is known not just for its size but for its distinctive serrated teeth. Because the much smaller modern-day grea ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine