discoveries

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

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After 50 Years, Mysterious Ocean Quack Identified

'Bio-duck' is actually minke whale

(Newser) - A mysterious quacking noise in the ocean that has baffled scientists for decades has finally been identified, researchers say. Acoustic recorders placed on Antarctic minke whales have produced what NOAA experts say is "conclusive evidence" that the sound is their chatter, the BBC reports. The sound was dubbed the...

'Paradox' of MIA Atmospheric Gas Solved

Xenon likely packed in the Earth's core: researchers

(Newser) - Levels of the gas xenon in the Earth's atmosphere are way lower—to the tune of 90%—than scientists believe they should be, prompting a mystery one calls "the missing xenon paradox." While some believe the gas escaped into space, many have argued it's in the...

The Key to Killing Lyme Disease: Mice?

Biologist develops vaccine-packed, edible pellets

(Newser) - A Tennessee scientist has developed a novel way to fight Lyme disease—and it starts with your local mice. Mice can carry the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme, so molecular biologist Maria Gomes-Solecki decided to target the furry creatures rather than taking direct aim at the ticks that suck...

Meet Peggy, New Saturn Moon
 Meet Peggy, New Saturn Moon 
in case you missed it
Apr 19, 2014 7:00 PM CDT

Meet Peggy, New Saturn Moon

Scientists think they've spotted a tiny one being formed

(Newser) - Astronomers think they're seeing a first—the birth of a Saturn moon. NASA's Cassini spacecraft spotted what the LA Times describes as a "fuzzy blob" near one of the planet's rings, though astronomers may not know for sure whether the maybe-moon they've nicknamed "Peggy"...

Discovered: Sperm's Docking Station

Protein allows sperm to link with egg

(Newser) - Scientists are announcing a breakthrough in the study of fertility. They've learned more about how a sperm cell links to an egg cell, offering hope for future treatments—for both fertility and contraception, Nature reports. Scientists already knew of a protein on the surface of a sperm cell that...

Artists&#39; Brains Are Different
 Artists' Brains 
 Are Different 
study says
Apr 19, 2014 6:40 AM CDT

Artists' Brains Are Different

Researchers find structural differences in art students

(Newser) - The mind of an artist, it seems, is no figure of speech: The brains of skilled visual artists are actually physically different from others, a study based on brain scans suggests. "The people who are better at drawing really seem to have more developed structures in regions of the...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including a study suggesting that we peak at age 24

(Newser) - The most Earth-like planet discovered yet, and a bizarre finding in the insect world make the list:
  • Astronomers Find Earth's 'Cousin' : Other "Earth-like" planets have been discovered before, but a new one is generating excitement in astronomy circles because of how very Earth-like it actually is. Introducing
...

Effects of Bullying Last Into Middle Age

Researchers say bullied kids more likely to be depressed adults

(Newser) - It's not a revelation that bullying takes a toll—mental, physical, or both—on kids who are victims. But a major new British study suggests that the ill effects are still evident right through age 50, reports Reuters . Middle-aged adults who were bullied as kids tend to be in...

Under Greenland's Ice: Soil Older Than Mankind

Land mass once home to forests

(Newser) - The soil under the highest point of the Greenland Ice Sheet, scientists have learned, is 2.7 million years old, LiveScience reports. In other words, the silt buried under thousands of feet of ice "has been preserved from beyond the dawn of humankind," says Paul Bierman, who determined...

Team Clones Stem Cells From 75-Year-Old's Skin

Technique could be used to produce tissue perfectly suited to patients

(Newser) - A team of researchers has made a sure-to-be controversial breakthrough in both stem cell and cloning research, creating stem cells from two adults using cloning techniques. The researchers took DNA from skin cells from two men, aged 35 and 75, and injected it into unfertilized eggs whose DNA had been...

Wild Discovery: Insects With Female Penises

Tiny creatures have sex for 40 to 70 hours

(Newser) - For the first time, scientists have discovered animals whose genitalia seem to be swapped: The female has a penis-like structure while the male has an organ akin to a vagina, LiveScience reports. The animals in question are four species of flea-sized insects from the genus Neotrogla, found in Brazilian caves....

Astronomers Find Earth's 'Cousin'

Kepler-186f is called the best bet yet to hold alien life

(Newser) - Other "Earth-like" planets have been discovered before, but a new one is generating a lot of excitement in astronomy circles because of how very Earth-like it actually is. Introducing Kepler-186f, which is maybe 10% bigger than our planet and thought to be in the not-too-hot and not-too-cold range that...

Study: Cherokee's Struggles Visible in Their Skulls

Researchers review changes in skulls' measurements during stressful times

(Newser) - It turns out the Trail of Tears didn't just affect the Cherokee people's spirits. A new study by North Carolina State University and University of Tennessee researchers has found that their struggles actually reshaped their skulls. The research was reliant on research done long before the present day,...

Happy Couples Sleep Very, Very Close Together
Happy Couples Sleep Very, Very Close Together
study says
Apr 16, 2014 2:05 PM CDT

Happy Couples Sleep Very, Very Close Together

As in, less than an inch apart: study

(Newser) - It may be better for your health to sleep in a separate bed than your partner—but a new study finds that the happiest couples are those who sleep close together. Very close together, as in less than an inch apart. A survey of 1,000 people found that those...

Study: Men Get Grumpy at Age 70

After reporting that things started improving around 50

(Newser) - If you're a male who's approaching 50, good news: A recent study found that 80% of the 1,315 men surveyed found that life improved around 50, as opposed to the 20% who said life didn't get easier until retirement age. But the good times apparently have...

Casual Pot Use Changes Young Brains
 Casual Pot Use 
 Changes Young Brains 
STUDY SAYS
Apr 16, 2014 4:04 AM CDT

Casual Pot Use Changes Young Brains

Abnormalities seen in 'parts you don't want to mess with'

(Newser) - Even casual use of marijuana could be messing up young people's brains at a time of life when they need to make major decisions, a new study finds. Researchers say that people aged 18 to 25 who used marijuana at least once a week were found to have abnormalities...

Many Vegetative People Are Actually Conscious

Scans detect which patients have hope of recovery

(Newser) - Many patients labeled vegetative actually have some degree of consciousness and a good chance of improving with treatment, a new study finds. Researchers tracked more than 100 patients with severe brain injuries for a year and discovered that PET scans were 74% accurate in predicting which patients would show signs...

Our Brutal Winter 2014? Thank Asia's Smog

Study says air pollution in China makes storms more intense in US

(Newser) - Next time there's a story about how horrifically bad the smog is in China or India, don't pity only the residents of Beijing or New Delhi. A new study suggests that air pollution in Asia results in more erratic, intense winter storms over North America, reports CNN . The...

Study: We Peak at Age 24
 Study: We Peak at Age 24 
Apr 15, 2014 8:17 AM CDT

Study: We Peak at Age 24

In terms of our cognitive motor performance

(Newser) - If you're over the age of 24, brace yourself before reading on: Simon Fraser University researchers have some gloomy news for you. As the Canadian school's press release puts it, "Study says we're over the hill at 24." The statement spins from a new study...

Scientists: We Can Make Ethanol Without Corn



 Scientists: We Can 
 Make Ethanol 
 Without Corn 
in case you missed it
Apr 13, 2014 7:00 PM CDT

Scientists: We Can Make Ethanol Without Corn

New process should be significantly more efficient, too

(Newser) - Could ethanol someday essentially be produced out of thin air? A group of scientists has published research in Nature detailing a new method of making ethanol out of carbon monoxide gas, instead of corn or sugarcane, Reuters reports. Researchers saturated water with the gas, then zapped it with a novel...

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