discoveries

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

Stories 861 - 880 | << Prev   Next >>

'MYSTERY SOLVED!' on Origin of Stonehenge's Megaliths

Scientists say most of the giant sandstone slabs came from West Woods in Marlborough Downs

(Newser) - In the 1500s, a British antiquities expert examined Stonehenge's biggest slabs and said he knew where they came from. Now, more than four centuries later, scientists are saying that William Lambarde was right on the money, solving one of the world's great archaeological and geological mysteries. The New ...

Clue to Van Gogh's Final Hours Was Hiding in Plain Sight

Postcard pinpoints the exact place where he painted 'Tree Roots'

(Newser) - The exact location where Vincent van Gogh painted his last work has been pinpointed after being hidden in plain view for years among a tangle of roots next to a rural lane near Paris. Experts say the discovery sheds new light on the anguished painter's mental state on the...

This Shell May Inspire Your Next Bike Lock
Scientists: We Made the First
Material That Can't Be Cut
in case you missed it
Jul 25, 2020 11:30 AM CDT

Scientists: We Made the First Material That Can't Be Cut

Inspired by abalone shells, its first application might be bike locks

(Newser) - Scientists in the UK have bad news for bike thieves: They say they've created the first artificial material that cannot be cut. In fact, the more someone tries to cut it, the more damage they will do to their blade, per a post at Phys.org . The material, dubbed...

DNA Slavery Study Yields Suprises
DNA Slavery Study
Yields Surprises
NEW STUDY
Jul 24, 2020 12:20 PM CDT

DNA Slavery Study Yields Surprises

More enslaved people came to the US from Nigeria than previously thought, researchers say

(Newser) - Using historical records has been the most traditional way to shed light on the dark stain of slavery in the United States. Now, per new research that the Scientist calls "the largest DNA study to examine African ancestry in the Americas," gene analysis is helping put more pieces...

'Dark Fishing Fleets' Blamed for Rise in Ghost Ships

Chinese vessels are forcing North Koreans to fish elsewhere, researchers say

(Newser) - "Ghost ships" carrying the bodies—or skeletons—of North Korean fishermen have been washing up in Japan for years, but there was a massive increase after 2017. A new study links the rise to "dark fishing fleets" of Chinese vessels in North Korean waters in violation of United...

This Is Actually a Map &mdash;the Biggest One Ever
This Is Actually a Map
—the Biggest One Ever
new study
Jul 22, 2020 3:14 PM CDT

This Is Actually a Map —the Biggest One Ever

This view of the universe also looks incredible

(Newser) - Want to get away? Now you can see how far "away" really is. Drawing on 20 years of research, scientists have created a 3D map of the universe that spans 11 billion years and covers more than 2 million quasars and galaxies—while shedding light on a couple of...

This Image Is Unlike Any Taken Before
This Image
Is Unlike Any
Ever Taken
Jul 22, 2020 11:10 AM CDT

This Image Is Unlike Any Ever Taken

Telescope captures family portrait of 2 planets orbiting young sun

(Newser) - For the first time, a telescope has captured a family portrait of another solar system with not just one, but two planets posing directly for the cameras while orbiting a star like our sun. This baby sun and its two giant gas planets are fairly close by galactic standards at...

Archaeologists Bust Myth About Ancient Egypt
Study Suggests an Ancient
Invasion Never Happened
in case you missed it
Jul 19, 2020 2:10 PM CDT

Study Suggests an Ancient Invasion Never Happened

Hyksos weren't foreign invaders of Egypt; they were already living there before rising to power

(Newser) - Archaeologists believe they've uncovered an ancient Egyptian propaganda campaign and in the process busted a millennia-old myth. It centers around the Hyksos , the first known people of foreign origin to rule ancient Egypt. They seized power from the pharaohs around 1638 BCE and ruled for a century. More than...

If We Can't Solve This Problem, Our Species 'Disappears'

Experts predict crash in births will force societal overhaul

(Newser) - Experts say we'll need to "reorganize societies" to respond to a "jaw-dropping" decrease in the number of Earthlings being born. To keep a steady population, a woman needs to have 2.1 children on average so as to account for infant mortality and childless women. Women were...

You Can Open This Window and Still Block the Noise
Bothered by Street Noise?
Open Up This Window
NEW STUDY
Jul 15, 2020 10:30 AM CDT

Bothered by Street Noise? Open Up This Window

But it could be years before the Anti-Noise Control Window is available for sale

(Newser) - City dwellers know just how irritating a jackhammer can be. Now there's a way to drone out the racket without closing your window. Scientists have developed a window system that's a gift for your ears, even if it is a bit of an eyesore. Described in Scientific Reports...

Moon May Be Younger Than We Thought
Researchers Revise
Age of the Moon
new study
Jul 14, 2020 10:40 AM CDT

Researchers Revise Age of the Moon

Study takes 85M years off its age

(Newser) - It's not such a huge change in the cosmic scheme of things, but researchers say the moon is millions of years younger than we thought. Specifically, a new model laid out in Science Advances pegs its creation at 4.425 billion years ago instead of the generally accepted figure...

There&#39;s Been an &#39;Unprecedented Roadkill Reprieve&#39;
There's Been an
'Unprecedented
Roadkill Reprieve'
new report
Jul 8, 2020 12:25 PM CDT

There's Been an 'Unprecedented Roadkill Reprieve'

Researchers found that when we got off the roads, animals benefited

(Newser) - “From a humanity point of view, it sucks. But from a science point of view, it’s all interesting.” That's the assessment from Fraser Shilling, co-director of the Road Ecology Center at the University of California at Davis, as voiced to the Washington Post . He's behind...

Dogs Might Help Kids Be Better Kids
Dogs May Have Surprising
Benefits for Young Kids
new study
Jul 6, 2020 12:29 PM CDT

Dogs May Have Surprising Benefits for Young Kids

Preschoolers tend to develop better social skills if they have a pooch, say researchers

(Newser) - Parents of preschoolers might want to think about adding a dog to the family. A new study out of Australia suggests that young kids develop better social and emotional skills if they have a dog, reports Yahoo News . The study, which drew on data from a comprehensive survey of Australian...

Welcome to the &#39;Anthropause&#39;
Our Strange Era
Now Has a Name
in case you missed it
Jul 5, 2020 1:50 PM CDT

Our Strange Era Now Has a Name

Scientists say it's time for an in-depth study of animals during the pandemic

(Newser) - Jellyfish gliding through the calm waters of Venice, Italy. Wild mountain goats "running rampant" in a small Welsh town. Deer seen in "usually bustling areas" of Toronto. At least anecdotally, there's evidence of animals advancing during our absence, for which scientists have coined a new term: the...

In Walls of Chapel, a Chilling Find on French Revolution
Archaeologist Makes Chilling
Find in Walls of French Chapel
in case you missed it
Jul 4, 2020 7:00 AM CDT

Archaeologist Makes Chilling Find in Walls of French Chapel

Guillotine victims apparently buried there, not in the catacombs as believed

(Newser) - The administrator of a historic chapel in France noticed the walls were looking odd in places, and he called in an archaeologist to take a professional look. The reason for the anomalies is a dark one, dating back to the French Revolution: It appears that up to 500 victims of...

Big Discovery Near Stonehenge Adds to Site&#39;s Mystique
Scientists Make Big Find
Near Stonehenge
in case you missed it
Jun 27, 2020 10:00 AM CDT

Scientists Make Big Find Near Stonehenge

Giant circle of pits discovered about 2 miles away

(Newser) - The more they look, the more intriguing the area around Stonehenge gets to archaeologists. The latest discovery comes about two miles away: Scientists found what Reuters describes as a "giant circle of pits." And this was no random circle: In the exact center is another ancient monument, previously...

Scientists Have Surprisingly Specific Answer on Alien Life
Scientists Have Surprisingly
Specific Answer on Alien Life
in case you missed it
Jun 20, 2020 7:00 AM CDT

Scientists Have Surprisingly Specific Answer on Alien Life

Study estimates 36 alien civilizations exist in our galaxy capable of communicating with us

(Newser) - Asked the meaning of life, the supercomputer in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy came up with a very specific answer: 42 . Tasked with a different Big Question—how many intelligent alien civilizations exist in our galaxy—real-life scientists have gotten just as specific: 36. That's the estimate...

Blood Type May Affect Severity of COVID
Blood Type May Affect
Severity of COVID
new study
Jun 19, 2020 1:32 PM CDT

Blood Type May Affect Severity of COVID

If true, it's good news for Type O people

(Newser) - A genetic analysis of COVID-19 patients suggests that blood type might influence whether someone develops severe disease, per the AP . Scientists who compared the genes of thousands of patients in Europe found that those who had Type A blood were more likely to have severe disease while those with Type...

Scientists: We&#39;ve Found a Lifesaving COVID Treatment
Scientists: We've Found a
Lifesaving COVID Treatment
NEW STUDY
Jun 16, 2020 10:25 AM CDT

Scientists: We've Found a Lifesaving COVID Treatment

Dexamethasone found to reduce death rates by 1/3 for patients on ventilators

(Newser) - Researchers running the largest randomized, controlled trial of coronavirus treatments are heralding a "major breakthrough": the first drug shown to reduce deaths from COVID-19. Dexamethasone isn't new. Rather, it's a generic steroid widely used to reduce inflammation. But it's "the only drug that's so...

Familiar Image of Great Whites May Be Misleading
Study of Great Whites
Reveals a Diet Surprise
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 13, 2020 7:00 AM CDT

Study of Great Whites Reveals a Diet Surprise

They apparently spend more time than expected foraging near ocean floor

(Newser) - If asked to picture a great white shark on the hunt, you'd probably imagine a dorsal fin slicing through the surface of the ocean and hear the da-dum Jaws theme in your head. A new study, however, suggests that image might be misleading. Researchers say the sharks appear to...

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