discoveries

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

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Native Americans Had Horses Long Before Europeans Came
Narrative of Early Horses
in America Just Changed
new study
Apr 1, 2023 9:30 AM CDT

Narrative of Early Horses in America Just Changed

Study suggests they were here with Native Americans much earlier than thought

(Newser) - Horses evolved then went extinct in the Americas 4 million years ago, but not before they crossed the Bering Land Bridge to Eurasia, were they were domesticated. Then in 1519 the Spanish brought them to Mexico—and from there, a new study suggests horses arrived in North America earlier than...

Old Masters' Paint Contained Protein—Likely Intentionally

Researchers evaluate the benefits of adding egg yolk to oil paint

(Newser) - If Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt were alive today, they'd likely be wringing their hands over egg prices with the rest of us. That's because they may have intentionally added egg yolk to their oil paints, and a new study published Tuesday in Nature Communications tries to get...

There&#39;s Water All Over the Moon
There's Water
All Over the Moon
NEW STUDY
Mar 28, 2023 12:03 PM CDT

There's Water All Over the Moon

Researchers in China find H2O can be pulled from heated impact beads

(Newser) - New research suggests trillions of gallons of water are spread across the moon—which should be great news for those planning a lunar colony. Though NASA plans to search for water ice at the lunar south pole, there are signs that water isn't restricted to the poles but is...

With Locks of Hair, Scientists Solve a Beethoven Mystery
With Locks of Hair, Scientists
Solve a Beethoven Mystery
in case you missed it
Mar 26, 2023 7:15 AM CDT

With Locks of Hair, Scientists Solve a Beethoven Mystery

DNA indicates the contributing factors of the liver disease thought to have killed him

(Newser) - With one Ludwig van Beethoven mystery likely solved , it's on to another one: why he spent his life in so much pain. It's a quest that led scientists to sequence his genome in a search for answers as to what may have caused his hearing loss, days-long bouts...

Otter-Killing Parasite Also Possible Human Threat

After four sea otters died from a rare form of toxoplasmosis, scientists are warning of a threat to humans

(Newser) - After discovering four sea otters died due to infection by what a UC Davis press release termed an "unusually severe" form of toxoplasmosis, scientists are sounding an alarm. Science reports that veterinary pathologist Melissa Miller first noted the infection in a dead otter in 2020. It wasn't that...

Walking-and-Talking Gets Harder in Middle Age
Walking-and-Talking
Gets Harder in Middle Age
new study
Mar 23, 2023 6:35 PM CDT

Walking-and-Talking Gets Harder in Middle Age

Researchers spot 'subtle' changes in gait if people are multitasking starting at age 55

(Newser) - For those 55 and over who have discovered that sometimes things just don't click like they used to, researchers have news: It's not just you. A new study suggests the feeling that it's not as easy to multitask while walking once you reach your mid-50s is real...

Scientists Do 180 Away From 'Weird' Theories on 'Oumuamua

They're going back to positing that interstellar visitor was a comet, albeit with gas, dust trapped

(Newser) - Was it an asteroid , a comet , a chunk of a distant planet , or an alien artifact ? All of these possibilities have been floated since the mysterious 'Oumuamua, our first known interstellar visitor, sped through our solar system in 2017. A 2021 study suggested what was previously thought to...

Endangered Tortoise Fathers Triplets at Age 90

In a surprise, Houston Zoo now has a family of 5 radiated tortoises

(Newser) - The Houston Zoo has revealed a happy surprise: three baby tortoises that belong to a critically endangered species. As NPR reports, the triplets' arrival is particularly noteworthy because the father is the zoo's oldest resident—90-year-old Mr. Pickles. He has been partnered with 53-year-old Mrs. Pickles since 1996. Radiated...

'Truly Extraordinary Dig' Offers Glimpse at Mysterious Period

Cemetery in northern England used through transition from Roman to Anglo-Saxon control

(Newser) - Archaeologists say they've made a "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery in uncovering an ancient cemetery used by two cultures in northern England. They were called to the site in Leeds last year ahead of a commercial development. As structures from the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods had been found nearby, they thought...

The Quartz Seemed Extra Shiny. It Wasn't Quartz

Tennessee's David Anderson finds 3.29-carat 'Big, Ugly Diamond' in Arkansas state park

(Newser) - More than 75,000 diamonds have been found at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park over the past century or so, with more than 120 emerging from the earth this year alone. Park regular David Anderson just added one more to the mix, and he's already got a name...

Want to Relieve Stress? Breathe This Way
Want to Relieve Stress?
Breathe This Way
NEW STUDY
Mar 13, 2023 8:03 AM CDT

Want to Relieve Stress? Breathe This Way

Research shows that sighing can help

(Newser) - If you've ever let out a big old sigh during a frustrating or exasperating situation, there's now science behind why you might have felt even slightly better. New research out of Stanford shows that just five minutes a day of breathing that way can be an effective stress...

New Easter Island Statue, Unseen for Centuries, Emerges
On Easter Island, a Sight
Unseen for Centuries Emerges
in case you missed it
Mar 5, 2023 7:11 AM CST

On Easter Island, a Sight Unseen for Centuries Emerges

A centuries-old statue is revealed when crater lake dries up

(Newser) - For centuries, the Easter Island moai lay hidden in a volcano crater filled with water. Five years ago, that crater lake began to dry up, and last week, the dry lake bed revealed what it had concealed for so long, per AFP . A team of volunteers from three Chilean universities...

&#39;Super-Rare&#39; Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts
'Super-Rare' Bug Found
at Walmart Stuns Experts
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 4, 2023 12:10 PM CST

'Super-Rare' Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts

It's the first giant lacewing recorded in eastern North America in half a century

(Newser) - Michael Skvarla, director of Penn State's Insect Identification Laboratory, was examining an insect in front of students over Zoom in the fall of 2020 when he froze. He'd just been explaining that this insect from his personal collection—plucked from the side of an Arkansas Walmart during a...

We&#39;ve Given Seabirds a New Disease
We've Given Seabirds
a New Disease
new study
Mar 3, 2023 1:07 PM CST

We've Given Seabirds a New Disease

'Plasticosis' is doing serious damage to digestive tracts

(Newser) - Scientists who examined dozens of dead fledgling seabirds have identified a new disease caused by plastic pollution. In a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials , researchers describe "plasticosis" as a "novel, plastic-induced fibrotic disease." Researchers say the disease is caused by ingestion of small pieces...

Scientists Surprised to Learn Whales Use 'Vocal Fry'

The marine mammals use it to help them find prey deep underwater

(Newser) - That low, rattling vocal register known as vocal fry—the Washington Post points to Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry as two examples of celebrities who have such gravelly voices—has proven a polarizing topic, with some insisting it's sexy, while others call it grating. But while the appeal of...

'Aber-clam Lincoln' May Be as Old as Honest Abe

Massive quahog believed to be 4th oldest clam ever found, reports 'Tallahassee Democrat'

(Newser) - Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 and apparently so, too, was Abra-clam Lincoln, believed to be the fourth oldest clam ever discovered. Blaine Parker of Florida was collecting shellfish for chowder when he unearthed the quahog clam , whose shell could've served as a soup bowl. Most quahogs are three...

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First
Mama Orca Adopted Baby
Pilot Whale, a First
new study
Feb 26, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First

But the story may not be as cuddly as it appears on the surface

(Newser) - Researchers studying killer whales near Iceland spotted an unusual thing: An adult female orca was acting like a mother to a baby pilot whale. In fact, "unusual" is an understatement—it's the first such case on record, reports Insider . The young pilot whale was swimming right along side...

Ancient Empire&#39;s Crown Jewels Found &#39;in the Back of a Car&#39;
Ancient Empire's Crown Jewels
Found 'in the Back of a Car'
in case you missed it
Feb 26, 2023 7:20 AM CST

Ancient Empire's Crown Jewels Found 'in the Back of a Car'

Looted antiquities held by English collector Douglas Latchford returned to Cambodia

(Newser) - The Khmer Empire's crown jewels, held by a suspected antiquities smuggler but largely unknown to experts, have been returned to their homeland. The Cambodian collection, including pieces dating to the seventh century, was once kept by collector Douglas Latchford, an Englishman who spent much of his later life in...

New Yorkers May Want to Take Shoes Off Before Going Inside

Researchers say there's a whole lot of fecal bacteria on the Upper East Side's sidewalks

(Newser) - If you're a resident of New York City and already annoyed by the dog poop you spot on the sidewalks, you're not going to happy about the poop you're not seeing. It's definitely there, though, especially on the Upper East Side, according to Marymount Manhattan College...

Daily Pot Use May Take a Toll on the Heart
Daily Pot Use May Take
a Toll on the Heart
new study
Feb 24, 2023 1:55 PM CST

Daily Pot Use May Take a Toll on the Heart

Study suggests regular marijuana use leads to greater risk of coronary artery disease

(Newser) - A new Stanford study released Friday found evidence that people who smoke or vape cannabis every day could be at higher risk for coronary artery disease than nonusers. CNN quoted study author Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, who said there is "a growing body of evidence" suggesting cannabis is not harmless...

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