discoveries

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

Stories 3981 - 4000 | << Prev   Next >>

Got a Hangover? Blame Your Genes
 Got a Hangover? 
 Blame Your Genes 
study says
Aug 31, 2014 8:21 AM CDT

Got a Hangover? Blame Your Genes

Researchers base finding on study of twins

(Newser) - When it comes to a bad reaction to alcohol, it seems not everyone is created equal. Genetics, researchers suggest, could be to blame for almost half the difference among people in whether we suffer the day after drinking. In a survey, study authors asked some 4,000 people on the...

Why You Should Nap After Coffee

 Why You 
 Should Nap 
 After Coffee 
in case you missed it
Aug 31, 2014 6:35 AM CDT

Why You Should Nap After Coffee

'Coffee naps' produce maximum alertness, scientists say

(Newser) - Debating between a cup of joe or a short nap to make it through the day? Perhaps you should try both. Scientists say a "coffee nap"—having a cup of coffee and then a 20-minute nap—will allow for maximum alertness when you wake, Vox reports. Yes, caffeine...

This Tiny Copper Awl Is Rewriting History
This Tiny Copper Awl
Is Rewriting History
in case you missed it
Aug 30, 2014 7:00 PM CDT

This Tiny Copper Awl Is Rewriting History

Awl is oldest metal object ever found in Middle East

(Newser) - A small copper awl found in a woman's ancient grave in Israel is rewriting history. It's the oldest metal object ever found in the Middle East, and was probably owned by the apparently important 40-year-old woman buried with it in an extravagant Tel Tsaf grave, LiveScience reports. The...

1 in 7 &#39;Sleep Drunk&#39; After Waking

 1 in 7 'Sleep Drunk' 
 After Waking 
in case you missed it
Aug 30, 2014 7:00 AM CDT

1 in 7 'Sleep Drunk' After Waking

And you know you who are

(Newser) - Have you ever woken up so confused you've mistaken a water bottle for a telephone, or the closet for a toilet? If so, you might be among the one in seven people estimated to suffer from a sleep disorder called "confusional arousal," reports MedPage Today . Or to...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including the mother of all wasps' nests found in a UK bedroom

(Newser) - A Death Valley mystery potentially solved and a strange revelation about Hello Kitty make the list:
  • Death Valley's Moving Rock Puzzle Finally Cracked : For at least a century, the "slithering stones" of Death Valley—rocks, some of them boulders weighing more than 600 pounds, that move across the
...

Man Finds Giant Wasps' Nest in Bed

Swarm took over spare bedroom in British home

(Newser) - A British man visiting his mother discovered her spare bedroom was already in use—by thousands of wasps that had chewed up the mattress and pillows to make a 3-foot-wide nest on the bed. Pest controller John Birkett says a small window in the bedroom had been left open and...

Science Explains Why Mozzarella Is Best for Pizza

It both bubbles and browns better than other cheese

(Newser) - In what sounds like the best middle school science project ever, mozzarella has been put to the test against several other cheeses on pizza and declared the best. But scientists in New Zealand got to work with more than just poster board; they used fancy cameras and software to study...

Wait, You Thought Hello Kitty Was a Cat?

 Hello Kitty 
 Isn't Exactly 
 a Cat 
UPDATED
Aug 28, 2014 11:25 AM CDT

Hello Kitty Isn't Exactly a Cat

Her name is Kitty White and she's a 3rd-grader from outside London

(Newser) - She may sport what appear to be whisker lines across her expressionless face, but the iconic Hello Kitty may not be a cat. In fact, the cartoon character created 40 years ago has a whole backstory that will soon be on display at an exhibit at the Japanese American National...

Scientists Turn Bad Memories to Happy Ones

Research could mean more effective treatment for human disorders

(Newser) - Scared to death of spiders after you found one crawling in your bed? Scientists may have discovered a way for you to find them positively cuddly. After identifying the neurons powered by positive and negative memories in mice, MIT neuroscientists found a way to use light to essentially rewrite a...

Death Valley's Moving Rock Puzzle Finally Cracked

It's not UFOs moving those boulders

(Newser) - For at least a century, the "slithering stones" of Death Valley—rocks, some of them boulders weighing more than 600 pounds, that move across the desert floor and leave long trails behind them—have presented a puzzle, and researchers have been trying to solve it since 1948. Explanations including...

Fluoride Levels in Our Water Could Be Making Us Dumber

Private wells in Maine may have far too much

(Newser) - The CDC applauds the adding of fluoride to our water supply as one of the biggest public health triumphs of the 20th century. But it seems too much fluoride can do a lot of damage. Not only can it actually damage our teeth and weaken our bones—studies in China...

Earth&#39;s &#39;Missing Heat&#39; Found in Atlantic
 Earth's 'Missing Heat' 
 Found in Atlantic 
STUDY SAYS
Aug 24, 2014 12:48 PM CDT

Earth's 'Missing Heat' Found in Atlantic

Researchers say it's behind global warming pause, which is only temporary

(Newser) - One odd thing not in dispute about global warming is that it's actually been paused for about 15 years now. Though a number of theories have been batted around, a new study thinks it's found the true culprit—the Atlantic Ocean has been absorbing heat that would normally...

Cavemen First Ate Snails 30K Years Ago
 Cavemen First 
 Ate Snails 
 30K Years Ago 
study says
Aug 24, 2014 6:40 AM CDT

Cavemen First Ate Snails 30K Years Ago

They even roasted them at site in modern-day Spain

(Newser) - The delicacy of escargot is by no means a modern one: It seems cavemen were munching on snails between 26,000 and 31,000 years ago. That's the age of an Iberian Peninsula site found by archaeologists and described in a new paper, Haaretz reports. Remains of Iberus alonensis...

&#39;Hallucigenia&#39; Fossil Mystery Cracked

 'Hallucigenia' Fossil 
 Mystery Cracked 
in case you missed it
Aug 23, 2014 4:00 PM CDT

'Hallucigenia' Fossil Mystery Cracked

Surreal Cambrian creature has modern relatives

(Newser) - After four decades of confusion, scientists have finally figured out how to classify a creature so surreal it was given the name Hallucigenia. The tiny creature, found in fossils from the "Cambrian Explosion" of diverse life 500 million years ago, has 14 to 16 legs and large spikes on...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including how spiders in the city outgrow their country cousins

(Newser) - A strange effect of the drought in the West and a reason to hang on to Junior's kindergarten doodles make the list:
  • Drought Lifts Western US—Literally : If you're in the western US, the ground you're standing on may be a little higher than it was a
...

Explorer Finds Lost 'Monster Mouth' City

Slovenian archaeologist finds Mayan city of Lagunita

(Newser) - Archaeologists have long known of a "lost" Mayan city boasting an incredible "earth monster" facade—and now someone has found it. Slovenian explorer Ivan Sprajc came out of the Yucatan jungle in Mexico with photos of the city, Lagunita, and a second, previously unknown city he's calling...

Why Planes Could Someday Get 'Human-Like' Skin

BAE is developing microsensors that act like skin to detect trouble

(Newser) - Good news for those who are terrified of flying. Aircraft may be a whole lot smarter soon, thanks to a human-like skin developed by BAE Systems in the UK. The smart skin is really a layer of microsensors capable of detecting, the way human skin can, things like external temperatures,...

Drought Lifts Western US —Literally

California mountains half an inch higher these days

(Newser) - If you're in the western US, the ground you're standing on may be a little higher than it was a few years ago. The drought that's been plaguing the West has resulted in an "uplift effect," scientists find. The "growing, broad-scale loss of water"...

TB&#39;s Arrival in New World: Blame Seals
 TB's Arrival 
 in New World: 
 Blame Seals 
STUDY SAYS
Aug 21, 2014 1:01 PM CDT

TB's Arrival in New World: Blame Seals

New study also suggests TB is only 6K years old

(Newser) - Tuberculosis may have reached the New World long before Christopher Columbus ever sailed the ocean blue, a new study suggests. Scientists have examined 1,000-year-old Peruvian bones mysteriously infected with TB—500 years before the arrival of Spaniards, who are historically blamed for bringing TB to the New World, Nature ...

Spiders Prefer City Living
 Spiders Prefer City Living 
study says
Aug 21, 2014 9:13 AM CDT

Spiders Prefer City Living

Study finds that those in urban areas tend to grow bigger, have more babies

(Newser) - Though they've got more feet to avoid, spiders in the city seem to thrive in comparison to their counterparts in the country, a new study in PloS One suggests. Researchers in Australia studied golden orb weaver spiders and found that they grew bigger and reproduced more in urban environments....

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