discoveries

Read the latest news stories about recent scientific discoveries on Newser.com

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Archaeologists Hit a Funerary Mother Lode

Near Egypt's Luxor, ancient rock-cut tombs, burial shafts dating back 3.6K years are found

(Newser) - Egypt unveiled several discoveries near the famed city of Luxor on Wednesday, including ancient rock-cut tombs and burial shafts dating back 3,600 years. They were unearthed at the causeway of Queen Hatshepsut's funerary temple at Deir al-Bahari on the Nile's West Bank, the Zahi Hawass Foundation for...

1 in 4 Freshwater Species at Risk of Extinction
24% of Freshwater Species
at Risk of Extinction
new study
Jan 8, 2025 1:54 PM CST

24% of Freshwater Species at Risk of Extinction

Study sees a wide range of culprits, including pollution and invasive species

(Newser) - Nearly a quarter of animals living in rivers, lakes, and other freshwater sources are threatened with extinction, according to new research published Wednesday. "Huge rivers like the Amazon can appear mighty, but at the same time freshwater environments are very fragile," said study co-author Patricia Charvet, a biologist...

It's Better to Be Fit Than Thin
If You're Obese but
Fit, Some Good News
NEW STUDY
Jan 8, 2025 1:26 PM CST

If You're Obese but Fit, Some Good News

Being aerobically fit cancels early death risk from excess weight, researchers say

(Newser) - More than 40% of US adults are obese . If you're one of them and struggling to lose weight, this is your sign to step off the scale and get moving. Prior studies have found obesity boosts one's risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and premature death. However,...

'Dinosaur Highway' Sheds Light on Ancient Creatures

Discovery of hundreds of tracks dating back 166M years is made in Oxfordshire, England

(Newser) - A worker digging up clay in a southern England limestone quarry noticed unusual bumps that led to the discovery of a "dinosaur highway" and nearly 200 tracks that date back 166 million years, researchers said Thursday. The extraordinary find, made after a team of more than 100 excavated Oxfordshire'...

Having to Drive Everywhere Is Linked to Unhappiness

Study on car dependency finds a 'tipping point' at which it becomes too much

(Newser) - A new study out of Arizona State University finds that Americans have a tricky line to navigate when it comes to cars: Being able to get in one and drive somewhere tends to increase life satisfaction. But having to get in one too often can have the opposite effect. The...

One Danger of Walmart: 'Monopsony'
One Danger of Walmart:
'Monopsony'
new studies
Dec 29, 2024 9:30 AM CST

One Danger of Walmart: 'Monopsony'

Research suggests company pays workers lower wages because they have few local alternatives

(Newser) - Two new studies suggest that having a Walmart in a particular neighborhood makes that neighborhood poorer, reports the Atlantic . The company and its advocates have long argued that Walmart's cheap prices provide an overall benefit to poor or middle-class families by saving them money on their grocery bills. But...

A Graveyard Find Alters a Narrative of Christianity
A Graveyard Find Alters
a Narrative of Christianity
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Dec 28, 2024 12:00 PM CST

A Graveyard Find Alters a Narrative of Christianity

Silver amulet suggests it spread in Europe north of the Alps earlier than thought

(Newser) - A man who died in what is now Germany about 1,800 years ago went to his grave wearing a religious amulet around his neck that may change what we know about the spread of Christianity, reports Live Science . Details:
  • Archaeologists found the 1.4-inch-long amulet on a skeleton in
...

'Adorable, Fluffy' Predator Is Decimating a Habitat's Invaders

Surging population of native sea otters has almost wiped out invasive green crabs in one California ecosystem

(Newser) - The West Coast has been plagued by an invasive crab species for decades—but scientists now say a native resident is helping to remedy the issue, at least in one California ecosystem. That helper is an "adorable, fluffy, and hungry friend," per USA Today —the resident southern...

Taxi, Ambulance Drivers Fare Better With Alzheimer's

Study suggests all that real-time navigating keeps their brains sharp

(Newser) - A new study suggests that turning off GPS in the car and instead navigating by your own wits may help stave off Alzheimer's. The study in the British Medical Journal found that taxi drivers and ambulance drivers died of the ailment less than people in other professions, reports HealthDay...

That's No Elephant. That's a Mammoth.

50K-year-old juvenile mammoth carcass discovered in Russia's thawing permafrost

(Newser) - Russian scientists have unveiled what they say is the best-preserved mammoth carcass ever discovered—that of a juvenile dubbed "Yana." The female mammoth, believed to have been about a year old when she died an estimated 50,000 years ago, was discovered this summer in thawing permafrost in...

She Sang on One of the Most Famous Disco Songs Ever

Alfa Anderson of Chic has died at age 78

(Newser) - The name Alfa Anderson may not be of the household variety, but it's a safe bet most people have heard her sing. Anderson—who has died at age 78—can be heard on "Le Freak," a song by the group Chic that is one of the most...

Squirrels Turn Out to Be Murderous Carnivores
Squirrels Turn Out to Be
Murderous Carnivores
in case you missed it
Dec 22, 2024 11:00 AM CST

Squirrels Turn Out to Be Murderous Carnivores

For first time, the rodents have been caught hunting, killing, and eating meat in California

(Newser) - Squirrels noshing on nuts is a common sight, but don't be fooled—they're apparently no vegans. Scientists looking into the habits of the California ground squirrel have discovered that the species is actually a bona fide meat eater, "killing and decapitating en masse," as SFGate puts...

Microplastics Could Become 'One of the Great Human Crises'

Review of human, animal studies suggests link to certain cancers, infertility

(Newser) - Microplastics thrown into the air from degrading tires, clothing, and other items may be contributing to cases of lung and colon cancer, as well as male and female reproductive issues, new research suggests. Researchers at UC San Francisco reviewed some 3,000 studies of humans and animals, largely mice, to...

Mastodon Jaw Found After Homeowner Spots Teeth

Researchers unearthed complete jaw, bone fragments from NY resident's backyard

(Newser) - A complete mastodon jaw was found in a backyard in New York's Orange County after a homeowner spotted a couple of teeth protruding from the ground, concealed by the fronds of a plant. The homeowner in Scotchtown, around 70 miles north of New York City, contacted experts after finding...

Panel: Calcium, Vitamin D Won't Stop Grandma From Falling

Independent task force recommends against such supplements for older adults

(Newser) - Don't start pushing calcium and vitamin D pills on your older family members for bone strength just yet—at least not if you're trying to prevent falls and fractures. That's because an independent panel of health experts on Tuesday said there's not enough evidence that such...

Bones Reveal a Brutal Bronze Age Anomaly
Bones Reveal a Brutal
Bronze Age Anomaly
new study
Dec 16, 2024 9:57 AM CST

Bones Reveal a Brutal Bronze Age Anomaly

Study suggests entire community in what is now Britain were murdered and cannibalized 4K years ago

(Newser) - The ancient bones were found decades ago in a cave in what is now Somerset, England, but scientists have only now pieced together the "exceptionally violent" story behind them, reports the BBC . In their study published in the journal Antiquity , researchers say at least 37 men, women, and children...

For Modern Humans, Neanderthals Were a Lifeline
For Modern Humans,
Neanderthals Were a Lifeline
NEW STUDY
Dec 13, 2024 12:13 PM CST

For Modern Humans, Neanderthals Were a Lifeline

We might not have survived without them, genomes reveal

(Newser) - Modern humans didn't physically overcome Neanderthals to emerge as the dominant human species. Instead, Homo sapiens mated with Neanderthals, and new research suggests it was only due to interbreeding between the two species that Homo sapiens—now with inherited genes that helped them adapt to life in Eurasia—found...

Google Claims 'Mind-Boggling' Advance in Computing

Company says its 'Willow' chip is major breakthrough in quantum computing

(Newser) - Google is staking claim to breakthrough in the experimental field of quantum computing that might challenge mere laymen. The New York Times (which uses the phrase "mind-bending" twice in its coverage), lays out the most tangible comparison to the real world:
  • "Google said its quantum computer, based on
...

Handwriting Expert Solves a Medieval Art Mystery

Manuel Panselinos was likely a nickname for Byzantine painter Ioannis Astrapas, experts say

(Newser) - Crime-solving techniques applied to a medieval illuminated manuscript in Paris may have solved a centuries-old puzzle—the true identity of a leading Byzantine painter who injected humanity into the rigid sanctity of Orthodox religious art. A contemporary of Giotto, considered the father of Western painting, the artist conventionally known as...

Early Americans Essentially Ignored Small Game
Early Americans Essentially
Ignored Small Game
NEW STUDY
Dec 5, 2024 12:05 PM CST

Early Americans Essentially Ignored Small Game

For the Clovis people, it was all about megafauna, particularly mammoths

(Newser) - Prehistoric inhabitants of North America were expert mammoth hunters and based their diet on the massive beast, new research suggests, upending assumptions that they mainly hunted small game. The findings emerged from the bones of an 18-month-old boy who lived nearly 13,000 years ago in what is now Montana....

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