discoveries

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

Stories 1001 - 1020 | << Prev   Next >>

Anthropologists Recount Grisly Tale of Conquistador Era

One mass atrocity was answered with another in Tecoaque

(Newser) - It's a particularly gruesome page of history. New research suggests Spanish conquistadores butchered at least a dozen women and their children in an Aztec-allied town in an act of revenge, per the AP . It seems the inhabitants had sacrificed and eaten a detachment of Spaniards they'd captured months...

Goo Beetles Put on Carcasses Does More Than Thought

It slows the decay of the bird or mouse, but that's not all, study finds

(Newser) - Some beetles go to great—and disgusting—lengths for their children. They scout for a dead mouse or bird, dig a hole and bury it, pluck its fur or feathers, roll its flesh into a ball and cover it in goop, all to feed their future offspring. Now scientists think...

Researchers Make Surprise Discovery About Electric Eels

Volta's electric eels join the relatively small number of fish that hunt in packs

(Newser) - A new study has revealed a big surprise about electric eels—they hunt in packs. Prior to the study published in Ecology and Evolution , scientists thought the creatures hunted on their own, zapping and then eating fish solo, reports the BBC . But in a Brazilian river in the Amazon, researchers...

Experiment Reveals Possible Telltale Sign of Lying
Experiment Reveals Possible
Telltale Sign of Lying
new study
Jan 14, 2021 1:41 PM CST

Experiment Reveals Possible Telltale Sign of Lying

But it's not one that's visible to the naked eye

(Newser) - How can you spot a liar? After conducting experiments with college students, researchers suggest you look at body movements. Their study published in Royal Society Open Science explains: Nearly 50 male students (females were excluded to "avoid the impact that sex may have on coordination") were paired with...

This Might Be the Oldest Drawing of an Animal, Ever
This Drawing of a Pig
Might Be Historic
new study
Jan 14, 2021 10:55 AM CST

This Drawing of a Pig Might Be Historic

Study suggests image in Indonesian cave is oldest known depiction of an animal

(Newser) - An ancient artist ventured into an Indonesian cave 45,000 years ago and used primitive paint to sketch pigs on the ceiling. In a study at Science Advances , archaeologists have now declared the painting to be the oldest depiction of animals known in history, reports Smithsonian Magazine . The scene depicts...

Different Vaccine Is Making Headlines, This One for MS

BioNTech vaccine reduces severity of symptoms and delays progression, study suggests

(Newser) - BioNTech has a second vaccine making headlines, but this one has nothing to do with COVID. Instead, it shows promise against multiple sclerosis. In a study at Science , researchers say the vaccine reduced the severity of symptoms in lab mice, delayed the disease's progression in mice with early signs...

These Baby Sharks Were Anything but Cute
These Baby Sharks Were
Anything but Cute
new study
Jan 11, 2021 9:55 AM CST

These Baby Sharks Were Anything but Cute

Megalodons were born more than 6 feet long, and they were cannibals

(Newser) - You'd need a whole new song to describe these baby sharks, and it wouldn't be cute. Scientists studying long-extinct megalodons estimate they were born 6.5 feet long, reports the Guardian . And one reason they emerged so large was that they likely snacked on their unhatched siblings while...

One Symptom More Common in Those With Mild COVID


One Symptom
More Common
in Those With
Mild COVID
in case you missed it
Jan 10, 2021 7:30 AM CST

One Symptom More Common in Those With Mild COVID

Patients reported smell loss in 86% of mild cases

(Newser) - A lost sense of smell is one of the odder symptoms of COVID-19. How often does it really happen? A new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine puts some numbers to it. The study is based on a review of 2,581 patients seen at 18 hospitals in...

America&#39;s Rivers Are Changing Colors
America's Rivers
Are Changing Colors
in case you missed it
Jan 9, 2021 11:20 AM CST

America's Rivers Are Changing Colors

About a third have gone from blue to yellow or green over last 3 decades

(Newser) - A bird's-eye view of American rivers shows that roughly 1 in 3 have changed colors over the last three decades, reports Live Science . Specifically, they've gone from blue to shades of yellow or green since 1984, according to a comprehensive analysis of satellite images laid out in a...

She Used It as a Step to Mount Horses, Then Took Closer Look

Ancient Greek inscription results in rock going up for auction

(Newser) - For years, a UK woman used the same rock in her stable as a stepping stone while mounting her horses. Then she happened to notice laurel wreaths and some kind of inscription carved into it, reports CNET . Turns out, that humble rock is a Roman marble slab dating back to...

Identical Twins Not as Identical As We Thought
Identical Twins Have
Telltale Genetic Differences
new study
Jan 7, 2021 4:40 PM CST

Identical Twins Have Telltale Genetic Differences

Study of sequenced DNA reveals genetic differences

(Newser) - If you’re an identical twin who’s always resisted being called a clone of your sibling, scientists say you have a point. Identical twins are not exactly genetically the same, new research shows, per the AP . Scientists in Iceland sequenced DNA from 387 pairs of identical twins—those derived...

For Some COVID Patients, This Is Liquid Gold
For Some 
COVID Patients,
This Is Liquid Gold
NEW STUDY
Jan 7, 2021 1:13 PM CST

For Some COVID Patients, This Is Liquid Gold

Convalescent plasma reduces risk of severe illness in small study

(Newser) - The FDA gave "investigational" approval for COVID-19 patients to receive blood plasma from recovered patients in the spring, then expanded that approval in the summer. Now results from a clinical trial are in, and they "conclusively point toward … beneficial effects" if administered early on, reports the New ...

Pastor Finds 500-Year-Old Church Bell Taken by Nazis

BBC reports it will be returned to its former home in Poland

(Newser) - A 500-year-old church bell will be returned to its former home in Poland some 77 years after it was stolen by the Nazis. Nazis made off with an estimated 80,000 bells, most of which were melted down for their metal and used to make weapons and ammunition during World...

Octopuses Seem to Enjoy Randomly Punching Fish
On the Ocean Floor,
Surprising Sucker Punches
new study
Dec 28, 2020 10:35 AM CST

On the Ocean Floor, Surprising Sucker Punches

'I laughed out loud,' says researcher who documented behavior of octopuses toward fish

(Newser) - "This was probably the most fun I had writing a paper," writes Eduardo Sampaio of the University of Lisbon. And the study in the journal Ecology is indeed a weird one: Sampaio and his team observed that octopuses appear to sucker punch fishes, reports Gizmodo . You can see...

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Pompeii Street Food

Snacks included pork, fish, snails, beef

(Newser) - Archaeologists continue to unearth new findings in the long-buried city of Pompeii and their latest discovery reveals how the doomed ancients liked to snack. Per CNN , an extraordinarily well-preserved hot food and drinks counter called a termopolium has been unearthed in the city, which was buried by an infamous volcanic...

Unique Song Reveals New Population of Blue Whales
Never-Before-Heard Song
Leads to Ocean Discovery
in case you missed it
Dec 27, 2020 8:00 AM CST

Never-Before-Heard Song Leads to Ocean Discovery

Researchers find new population of blue whales in Indian Ocean

(Newser) - Researchers studying whales in the western Indian Ocean were stumped. They recorded a whale song never heard before, one described as a "slow, bellowing ballad" by the New York Times . After some underwater sleuthing, they report a happy discovery in the journal Endangered Species Research: The song belongs to...

Organic Meat Production Is No Better for the Planet
Study: Meat Prices
Should Jump 146%
new research
Dec 23, 2020 12:31 PM CST

Study: Meat Prices Should Jump 146%

If they're to cover their associated climate costs, that is

(Newser) - You're doing the planet no favors by eating meat that was produced organically, at least when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions—and whatever meat you're eating, it should cost much, much more than it currently does. That's the determination of a new analysis based on German...

'Incredible' Finds on Wolf Pup That Died 57K Years Ago

How this mummified Ice Age pup died, her last meal, and more

(Newser) - We now know a lot more about the 57,000-year-old wolf pup who still looks cute enough to pet . The mummified gray wolf discovered in Canada's Yukon territory in 2016 is the subject of a new study, revealing the female pup's internal organs are as well-preserved as her...

Early Humans May Have Acted Like Bears During Winter
Our Ancestors May Have
Slept Through Winter
new study
Dec 21, 2020 8:45 AM CST

Our Ancestors May Have Slept Through Winter

Study suggests early humans hibernated

(Newser) - It's a provocative theory, one that the researchers themselves admit sounds farfetched. But their analysis of ancient bones from a cave in Spain suggests that early humans hibernated—or something close to it—through the winter, reports the Guardian . Scientists poring over skeletal remains dating back 430,000 years...

Kangaroos Can Communicate With People
Kangaroos Are Like Dogs
in One Important Way
NEW STUDY
Dec 18, 2020 11:43 AM CST

Kangaroos Are Like Dogs in One Important Way

Study shows they can communicate with people, possibly a first in undomesticated animals

(Newser) - It's not just domesticated animals that can communicate with people. A first-of-its-kind study shows kangaroos can do the same thing. Researchers from the University of Roehampton in England and the University of Sydney in Australia presented 11 kangaroos from a variety of Australian zoos with an "unsolvable problem...

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