discoveries

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

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Take Lots of Photos? You May Remember Less

But zooming in may boost your memory: study

(Newser) - If you're busy snapping photos of an experience, you may not remember it well. So suggests a new study , which compared groups of museum tourists, one with cameras, the other without, the Guardian reports. Scientists found that those who took pictures of "each object as a whole" recalled...

No. 1 Way to Lower Dementia Risk: Exercise
No. 1 Way to Lower
Dementia Risk: Exercise
new study
Dec 10, 2013 7:00 AM CST

No. 1 Way to Lower Dementia Risk: Exercise

Other healthy lifestyle choices also have big impact: study

(Newser) - A 35-year study of 2,235 men in the UK finds that exercise is the biggest factor when it comes to reducing the risk of dementia, the BBC reports. People who practiced four of the following five lifestyle choices saw their dementia risk reduced 60%, and were 70% less likely...

Satellite Spies Coldest Spot on Earth
 Found: Coldest Spot on Earth 
Dec 10, 2013 5:00 AM CST

Found: Coldest Spot on Earth

'Soul-crushing' -136F recorded in Antarctica

(Newser) - If you're reading this in a spot just below the crest of an ice ridge on the East Antarctic Plateau, you're probably frozen solid by now. Researchers using satellite data say the area is the coldest place on Earth, with a record low of -136 Fahrenheit (-93.2...

Organic Milk Really Is Better for You
 Organic Milk Really 
 Is Better for You 
STUDY SAYS
Dec 10, 2013 3:44 AM CST

Organic Milk Really Is Better for You

Grass diet boosts heart-friendly acids, researchers say

(Newser) - The jury is still out on the health benefits of organic food, but organic milk appears to have some genuine advantages over conventional milk, according to new research. Almost 400 samples of both kinds of milk found that the organic stuff, from cows grazed in grassy pastures, was richer in...

Mars Rover Finds Evidence of 'Very Earth-Like' Lake

It might have supported life for millions of years

(Newser) - The Curiosity rover has discovered evidence of an ancient freshwater lake on Mars that was brimming with the key chemicals necessary to support microbial life, and its findings suggest that it could have held that life more recently than we thought—and possibly for millions of years before that. "...

New York's New Pest: Cold-Weather Roaches

Hardy Asian species found in US for first time

(Newser) - Sharp-eyed New Yorkers may spot a new winter sight this year: cockroaches scurrying around outside. Periplaneta japonica, a hardy Asian roach that can withstand harsh winter cold, has been found in the city for the first time. Scientists believe the roaches—which have never been spotted in the US before—...

To Give Birth, Sharks Return to Own Birthplace

Even if they're away for years: study

(Newser) - A mother shark can be away from her birthplace for years—but she'll still return there when it's time for her to have babies, scientists have found in a 17-year-study. Researchers suspected as much, but to confirm their suspicions, they decided to follow individual lemon sharks starting in...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Freshwater beneath seabeds and inherited fears make the cut

(Newser) - The discovery of freshwater in an unusual spot and an intriguing study about parental fears highlight this week's discoveries:
  • New Water Source: Under the Sea? Under trillions of tons of water might not be the most obvious place to look for ... more water, but that's where scientists have
...

Crocodiles, Alligators Trick Prey With Sticks

New study finds they use twigs to lure in birds

(Newser) - For the first time, scientists have documented examples of reptiles using tools. Specifically, researchers found that some species of the order Crocodylia (which includes crocs and alligators) use sticks to trick their prey, CNN reports. They collect sticks on their snouts and position themselves in the water so the sticks...

New Water Source: Under the Sea?

Vast reserves found beneath coastal shelves

(Newser) - Under trillions of tons of water might not be the most obvious place to look for ... more water, but that's where scientists have found vast reserves of freshwater that could sustain future generations as aquifers run dry. Water resources under seabeds were once thought to be rare, but researchers...

'Pit of Bones' Yields Oldest Human DNA —and a Mystery

Bones in Spain linked to distant Asian population

(Newser) - Technological breakthroughs have allowed scientists to sequence human DNA from an astonishing 400,000 years ago—but analysis of an ancient leg bone has raised more questions than answers, the BBC reports. Researchers were surprised to find that the early human whose remains were unearthed in Spain's "Pit...

Hubble Finds Water on 5 Distant Planets

Vapor detected in atmosphere, but none of the planets could support life

(Newser) - It's seen as more of a confirmation of theory than a startling discovery, but scientists have found water in the atmosphere of five huge planets outside our solar system. A potential sign of life? Not quite, explains the LA Times . These five gas giants (or "hot Jupiters")...

Surprise: Neanderthals Were Fine Housekeepers

Study finds they organized domestic space much like humans

(Newser) - Archeologists have unearthed more evidence that Neanderthals weren't the brutes their name suggests. Turns out, they kept well-organized caves, reports Phys.Org . Researchers working in Italy say the caves were separated into distinct areas—one at the rear used for butchering and preparing game, one near the middle with...

Mice Point Way to Male Birth Control Pill

Researcher: pill could arrive in 10 years

(Newser) - Researchers have discovered a way to block male mice from fatherhood—with minimal side effects. The technique, which could help lead to a male birth control pill, doesn't mess with hormones or with sperm itself, AFP reports. Instead, it affects sperm's ability to travel through the male body....

Energy Drinks Change Your Heartbeat
 Energy Drinks 
 Change Your 
 Heartbeat 
STUDY SAYS
Dec 3, 2013 7:33 AM CST

Energy Drinks Change Your Heartbeat

Not a problem, says energy drink maker

(Newser) - Downing energy drinks packed with caffeine actually causes your heart to pump more forcefully, according to researchers who are pretty sure that isn't a good thing. The heart researchers, who were trying to determine why the drinks are linked to tens of thousands of emergency room visits annually, gave...

Romans Map 'Secret' Tunnels to Fend Off Collapse

Underground maze swallows more streets, buildings every year

(Newser) - Welcome to Rome, where every year more streets and parts of buildings are collapsing into ancient passages that lurk half-forgotten underground. The city's proposed fix: map the labyrinth, detect the weakest spots with 3D scanning, and seal off the worst offenders, LiveScience reports. Successful or not, it may improve...

Parents May Pass Memories to Their Kids

Learned fears can continue through generations: mouse study

(Newser) - It may be possible to learn your parents' fears—without ever experiencing the relevant threat. Researchers taught mice to fear a cherry blossom smell, then looked at the creatures' sperm. A portion of DNA tied to the scent was particularly active, and two generations of descendants were found to be...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

From Buddha to space blasts

(Newser) - "It's a pretty scary statue," says an archaeologist of one of the week's big finds: the three-headed watchdog of hell.
  1. Guardians of 'Hell's Gate' Unearthed in Turkey : What's a "Gate to Hell" without a couple of scary guardians lurking outside? Appropriately, archaeologists
...

Sneaky Seahorse Creates Own No-Wake Zone

Ingenious snout makes it one of the deep's most lethal hunters, relatively speaking

(Newser) - The seahorse is one of the lousiest, slowest swimmers in the ocean, and yet it manages to catch one of the fastest-swimming creatures of the deep with an astonishing success rate of 90%, reports the BBC . What gives? Thank that ingenious snout. Researchers discovered that it's shaped in such...

New Zealand Quakes Made Earth's Crust Weaker

Geologists find weakening for 3 miles around crust

(Newser) - How nasty were the deadly quakes that hit New Zealand one after another in 2010 and 2011? So bad that they appear to have seriously weakened the Earth's crust, scientists reveal in a new study. Geologists had previously believed that the strength of the Earth's crust was more...

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