discoveries

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

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Scientists Explain Underwater 'Fairy Rings'

They're caused by tainted mud, not aliens

(Newser) - Scientists have ruined a perfectly good mystery off the coast of Denmark—weird circles spotted on the ocean floor aren't so magical after all, despite their nickname of "fairy rings." Nor are they caused by World War II bombs or aliens, two of the more interesting theories....

Flying Snake's Secret: Its 'UFO Shape'

Researchers use 3D printer to explain mysterious glider

(Newser) - Researchers think they've at long last solved, at least partially, the mystery of so-called "flying snakes." The five species of Chrysopelea don't actually fly, but they're impressive gliders, capable of sailing up to 100 feet through the air. Until now, scientists didn't know how...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including a newly identified part of the brain

(Newser) - A newly found area of the brain related to decision-making and an intriguing discovery about multiple sclerosis make the list:
  • Scientists Discover 'New' Area of Brain : Introducing the lateral frontal pole, located behind your eyebrows. It's a newly identified part of your brain which, scientists believe, helps us
...

Neanderthals &#39;Not Fully Extinct&#39;
 Neanderthals 'Not Fully Extinct' 
new studies
Jan 30, 2014 2:31 PM CST

Neanderthals 'Not Fully Extinct'

Most of us have a speck of caveman, studies show

(Newser) - The latest big finding on Neanderthals : Some 20% of caveman DNA made its way into the human genome thanks to mating between humans and Neanderthals, though people today typically have only 1% or 2% of the stuff. (People have different parts of the DNA, which collectively represent what's left...

Oldest Roman Temple Unearthed ... for 3 Days

Likely dedicated to goddess Fortuna

(Newser) - Archaeologists digging in the heart of Rome unearthed what may be the oldest temple to be built in the Eternal City, but don't get your hopes up about visiting the ancient structure. Its foundation sits well below the water line and was only visible for three days. Archaeologists from...

Monarch Migration in Danger of Dying Out

Gardeners urged to plant milkweed

(Newser) - A stunning phenomenon is in danger of disappearing: The annual migration of millions of monarch butterflies from Canada and the US to Mexico every year has sunk to its lowest level on record and is in grave danger of dying out, researchers warn. This winter, the hibernating butterflies coat 1....

Obesity Sets in by Kindergarten
 Obesity Sets in by Kindergarten 
STUDY SAYS
Jan 30, 2014 2:10 AM CST

Obesity Sets in by Kindergarten

'Horse is out of the barn' by 5, new study suggests

(Newser) - Kids who are obese by the time they start kindergarten are likely to stay that way through childhood and into adulthood, according to a new study that suggests efforts to combat childhood obesity need to start a lot sooner. Kids who are obese at 5 are four times more likely...

Food Poisoning May Trigger Multiple Sclerosis

Study suggests that a toxin plays a role

(Newser) - Scientists still don't know what causes multiple sclerosis, but new research suggests that a particular strain of food poisoning may play a role, reports the BBC . The food bacterium in question is called Clostridium perfringens, which NBC News notes is responsible for millions of cases of foodborne illnesses per...

Scientists Discover 'New' Area of Brain

Region helps us ponder what could have been

(Newser) - Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? If you find yourself plagued by the question, thank the lateral frontal pole behind each of your eyebrows, says Oxford researcher Matthew Rushworth. The lateral frontal pole is a newly identified part of your brain which, scientists believe,...

Scientists Hail 'Revolutionary' Stem Cell Breakthrough

Scientists find they can make them using blood cells, acid

(Newser) - A new discovery promises to make stem cell research cheaper, faster, and less controversial to boot. Scientists in Japan have shown that stem cells can be created in less than 30 minutes by simply dipping blood cells in acid; the new cells have been dubbed stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency, or...

&#39;Short Man Syndrome&#39; Is Real

 'Short Man 
 Syndrome' 
 Is Real 
study says
Jan 29, 2014 8:55 AM CST

'Short Man Syndrome' Is Real

Researchers use virtual reality to shrink subjects

(Newser) - Scientists are lending some support to a persistent stereotype—or, as the Telegraph puts it, "Short-man syndrome really does exist." Researchers exposed subjects to two scenarios on a virtual-reality version of the London Underground. In one, subjects retained their normal heights; in the other, they were 10 inches...

The Hope Diamond Gives Up One of Its Secrets

It was once cut in a way that created a sun image at its center

(Newser) - It's legendary, supposedly cursed , admired daily by thousands, and the star of a video game—and yet we don't know all there is to know about the Hope Diamond, or so a recent discovery indicates. The 45.52-carat diamond has given up one of its secrets to French...

The North Star Is Changing
 The North Star Is Changing 
Jan 28, 2014 12:31 PM CST

The North Star Is Changing

Polaris getting brighter over the centuries

(Newser) - Polaris is famed for its consistency, but the North Star we see today is brighter than it was in the 1800s. In fact, if historical records are correct, the star has gotten about 2.5 times brighter over the course of the past two centuries, researcher Scott Engle tells Space....

Study Finds Link Between Pesticide, Alzheimer's

Higher levels of DDT found in the blood of Alzheimer's patients

(Newser) - The pesticide DDT was banned in the US in 1972, but it's still in use in some locations around the globe, with the World Health Organization continuing to recommend it as a method of controlling malaria. But new research suggests a downright ( and yet another ) unhealthy angle...

Plague, Black Death Were Different, and That's Bad News

A new strain could rise up that's just as deadly: scientists

(Newser) - The Plague of Justinian and the Black Death arose from separate bacteria strains, researchers say—and that's not a good thing, because if distinct plagues have ravaged the human population before, they could come up again, LiveScience reports. A group of researchers came to this conclusion by digging up...

70M Years Old? No, Grand Canyon Mostly Just a Kid

Much of it is just 5M years old, geologists find

(Newser) - The Grand Canyon is nowhere near the grand old age of 70 million years that earlier studies claimed, according to new research. "The Colorado River found a path and carved the entire canyon 5 (million) to 6 million years ago," says a geologist who used data measuring the...

Dogs Pass Oldest-Known Cancer by Having Sex

The venereal tumor dates back 11,000 years, say UK scientists

(Newser) - Scientists have spotted the oldest-known living form of cancer, and it's an odd one—passed sexually from dog to dog over the past 11,000 years, the Smithsonian reports. By decoding the cancer's genome, British researchers found that it dates back to a dog with short, dark fur...

You'll Perform Better If You Think You Slept Well

Sleep is subject to the placebo effect: study

(Newser) - Got a big day ahead? You're better off thinking you slept well, even if you didn't, a study suggests. Researchers told subjects a normal night of sleep consisted of about 20% to 25% REM sleep. Less than 20%, the subjects heard, meant a worse performance on cognitive tests,...

How We Get Maple Syrup May Change in a Huge Way

Think farms, not forests, and much bigger yields

(Newser) - Maple syrup has traditionally been a product of forests, not farms—but a new discovery could change that. Researchers found to their surprise that mature maple trees weren't necessary to generate large volumes of sap. Instead, the stuff can come from saplings with their tops removed, the University of...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including a dwarf planet that seems to have a ton of fresh water

(Newser) - A surprise discovery of water vapor in deep space and some clever detective work about a Monet painting make the list:
  • Sign of Life? Vapor Rises on Dwarf Planet: There may be a new contender for the likeliest place to host life elsewhere in our solar system—and it's
...

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