discoveries

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

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A More Common Mosquito May Carry Zika Virus

But it's not clear whether it can transmit the virus to humans

(Newser) - The news about Zika virus just got a bit worse: Researchers in Brazil have found that a more common mosquito than previously thought can carry the virus, which may hamper efforts to stop its spread. The primary transmitter of Zika, which has been linked to birth defects and other maladies,...

At Ocean's Deepest Point, You Might Expect Silence. Not So

Researchers surprised by 'almost constant noise'

(Newser) - "You would think that the deepest part of the ocean would be one of the quietest places on Earth," says NOAA research oceanographer Robert Dziak, but it's not so. NOAA, with the help of partner scientists, recently listened in on the deepest point of the ocean and...

Astronaut Scott Kelly Grew 2 Inches in Space

But the effect is temporary

(Newser) - NASA will be studying how Scott Kelly's body reacted to almost a year in space, using his twin brother Mark Kelly, who stayed on Earth, as a control. One big difference to note right away: The brothers will no longer be the same height, as they were before Scott...

Unlikely Cause of &#39;Broken Heart&#39; Syndrome: Happiness
Unlikely Cause of 'Broken Heart' Syndrome: Happiness
STUDY SAYS
Mar 3, 2016 12:47 PM CST

Unlikely Cause of 'Broken Heart' Syndrome: Happiness

It's not just sadness, grief, fear that can bring on takotsubo syndrome: scientists

(Newser) - Since at least 1990, scientists have known humans can die of a " broken heart ." And while most of the stress that brings on this rare condition, known as takotsubo syndrome (TTS) or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, are heartbreaking—the death of a loved one, divorce, even natural disasters —researchers...

Geographic Profiling Backs Theory on Identity of Banksy

Robin Gunningham appears to be artist's real name

(Newser) - His name is Robin Gunningham. That's the finding of British scientists who think they've confirmed the identity of Banksy using geographic profiling, the BBC reports. In the study published in the Journal of Spatial Science (one that was temporarily delayed by the artist's lawyers because he apparently...

Great-Grandpa's Old Paper Bag Hid $1M Find

7 rare Ty Cobb baseball cards were inside

(Newser) - Relatives considered tossing the torn paper bag they found in the southern home of their late great-grandfather earlier this year. It's a good thing they didn't: Buried beneath old postcards and papers was one of the biggest discoveries of rare baseball cards ever. On Wednesday, memorabilia expert Joe...

World's Longest-Distance Flier Is Identified

Tiny dragonfly covers 4.4K miles between continents

(Newser) - The world's longest-distance flier is a fly—a dragonfly to be exact. That's what scientists at Rutgers University-Newark claim in a new genetic study of Pantala flavescens, also known as the wandering glider, per Discovery News . Populations of the dragonfly, which is only 1.5 inches long, have...

Girl Blows Nose, Solves 6-Month Mystery

The 5-year-old forgot to tell her mom about that sandcastle of safety pins

(Newser) - A California family has finally solved the six-month mystery of what was causing 5-year-old Khloe Russell's nose to constantly exude thick, green, stinky snot—a mystery that even stumped several doctors they visited. It turns out the reason the multiple rounds of antibiotics prescribed for what appeared to be...

The 10 Best US Cities to Call Home

There are some surprises

(Newser) - Looking for a fresh start somewhere? US News & World Report just released its first list of the best places to live in America. The publication used data from the US Census Bureau, FBI, and more; its own rankings of high schools and hospitals; and a survey of thousands of...

Plumbers Find Lost Gold During Bathroom Remodel

'We were pumped when we found it, of course'

(Newser) - Plumbers haven't found this much gold since the last time King Koopa kidnapped Princess Toadstool. But this is no Mario Bros. plot: Alif Babul and his apprentice of two days, Dean Materi, were tearing apart a residential bathroom in Calgary last month when Materi made an unusual discovery, the...

Likely Piece of MH370 Washes Up Almost Exactly 2 Years Later

It would be second part from Malaysian Airline airliner

(Newser) - Another piece from the world's only missing Boeing 777 appears to have washed up in the Indian Ocean. An object believed to be part of the Malaysian Airlines jet's horizontal stabilizer came ashore in Mozambique, reports NBC News . The piece is on its way to Malaysia for confirmation,...

It's Astounding What Another Glass of Water Can Do

Upping your plain water consumption the tiniest amount can have an effect

(Newser) - It's a frequent entrant on New Year's resolutions lists: Drink more water. Now, research out of the University of Illinois provides some compelling reasons to make the Herculean effort to pick up another glass. Researchers found that upping the proportion of plain water consumed by one percentage point—...

Top 10 States for Retirement
 Top 10 States for Retirement 
Mar 2, 2016 8:58 AM CST

Top 10 States for Retirement

Wyoming is No. 1

(Newser) - Any guesses on the best state for retirees? Nope, not Florida, which isn't even close, geographically speaking. After crunching data on factors such as cost of living, taxes, health care, weather, and well-being, Bankrate has anointed Wyoming the nation's best choice for retirees. In fact, the East Coast...

Vast Unknown Archive of Bob Dylan Material Emerges

Sells for up to $20M, will be made available to music scholars

(Newser) - Big news for Bob Dylan fans: A massive "secret" archive of his work—old notebooks with lyrics, letters, photos, tape reels, recordings, etc—has been sold for about $20 million and will eventually be made available to music scholars and less formal "Dylanologists," reports the New York ...

Hospitals Toss $3B a Year in Cancer Drugs

Non-cancer drugs can be culprits, too

(Newser) - Some cancer drugs are barely wasted at all. Teva Pharmaceuticals' Treanda, used to treat leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, comes in four separate dosage packages, so only 1% of the drug is typically thrown away. But with 18 of the top 20 cancer drugs sold in only one or two...

Being Tired May Make You Snack Like a Pot Smoker

When sleep-deprived, brain may release more of chemical that keeps you snacking

(Newser) - If you've wondered why you nosh like crazy after a night of tossing and turning, scientists think they've figured it out: Your brain may compensate for the lack of sleep by releasing chemicals similar to those that pot smokers breathe in, resulting in the tired person's version...

Scientists Find Gene Linked to Gray Hair

It's the first time one has been found in humans

(Newser) - Those unhappy with their gray hair now have to turn to a bottle of dye to cover it up, but a new study raises the possibility of being able to prevent hair from going gray in the first place. London researchers have identified a gene that causes hair to lose...

Chimps Are Inexplicably Hurling Rocks at Trees

There are theories, of course—including that it might be part of a 'sacred' ritual

(Newser) - Chimpanzees in West Africa are throwing rocks at trees, and why they're doing it remains a mystery, Discovery reports. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology say this chimp behavior has never before been documented and that it may shed some light on the species' cultural customs—...

What Astronaut Scott Kelly Will Do as Soon as He Lands

His record-breaking trip was amazing

(Newser) - Scott Kelly has been hurtling through the cosmos on the International Space Station for nearly a year (340 days to be exact—a record), but on Tuesday, the NASA astronaut and his partner, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, will finally head home. ScienceAlert has the emotional video of Kelly handing the...

Plastic-Laden Plankton Poop Polluting the Ocean Depths
Plankton Poop Could Now
Do Harm Instead of Good
NEW STUDY
Mar 1, 2016 7:00 AM CST

Plankton Poop Could Now Do Harm Instead of Good

Plastic is moving around ocean waters via feces

(Newser) - The amount of plastic in our oceans is now popping up as gigantic islands and set to outpace the global fish population by 2050. But it's also settling ever so slowly on the ocean floor in the form of plankton poop. And because plastic-laden poop is lighter and falls...

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