discoveries

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

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The Higgs Bison Solves a Few Ancient Mysteries

The ancient animal was the rare hybrid mammal

(Newser) - Approximately 120,000 years ago, the now-extinct Ice Age steppe bison got it on with the aurochs, the ancient ancestor of cows, and created a rare hybrid mammal. Then ancient humans drew it. NPR reports research published Tuesday in Nature Communications solves a number of ancient mysteries in one go....

Chill Your Tomatoes, Kill Their Flavor


Keeping Tomatoes
in Fridge May
Mar Flavor
Forever
STUDY SAYS
Oct 18, 2016 8:27 AM CDT

Keeping Tomatoes in Fridge May Mar Flavor Forever

Flavor alteration takes place in the genes, making it irreversible

(Newser) - It may seem practical to keep fruits and veggies from spoiling by storing them in the fridge, but there's one variety that should stay out on the counter. The New York Times reports on new research out of the University of Florida that finds when tomatoes are harbored in...

How Empathetic Are Americans? Meh
How Empathetic
Are Americans? Meh
Oct 17, 2016 7:33 AM CDT

How Empathetic Are Americans? Meh

US ranks 7th of 63 countries in first-time ranking

(Newser) - Americans aren't the worst by far, but we could use some help in the empathy department, a new study finds. A ranking of "the ability to understand and share the feelings of others" in 63 countries found the US in seventh place, Science Daily reports, behind Saudi Arabia....

90 Rocks in Australia Could Rank Up There With Stonehenge

Wurdi Youang formation could hold clues to Aboriginal life, origins of agriculture

(Newser) - An ancient Aboriginal site in Australia could be the world's oldest astronomical observatory, and it's a finding that has the potential to adjust our understanding of the dawn of agriculture, the Guardian reports. Researchers trying to determine the age of the Wurdi Youang arrangement say it could date...

Clay Revelation: 5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Also, a word of warning about when not to exercise

(Newser) - A revision for the history books when it comes to China and a surprise find about spiders were among the intriguing discoveries of the week:
  • China's Terracotta Army May Rewrite History : Archaeologists studying a famous trove of terracotta figures dug up in China think they reveal that the Chinese
...

Universe Has Way, Way More Galaxies Than We Thought

And that means a better chance of intelligent life somewhere out there

(Newser) - And you thought the universe made you feel small and insignificant before. Popular Science reports astronomers working with data from Hubble now say there are at least 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. That's at least 10 times as many as the 100 billion to 200 billion estimated back...

Spiders Can Hear You &#39;Walking and Talking&#39;
Spiders Can
Hear You
'Walking and
Talking'
New Study
Oct 13, 2016 5:30 PM CDT

Spiders Can Hear You 'Walking and Talking'

Researchers find spiders can sense sound from up to 16 feet away

(Newser) - If you're already scared of spiders, you're not going to like this next part. A new study published Thursday in Current Biology found that spiders—specifically a species of jumping spider—can hear sounds from further than 10 feet away. Previously, scientists believed spiders, which lack eardrums, could...

China's Ancient Terracotta Army May Rewrite History

Researchers say they prove that contact with West occurred far earlier than thought

(Newser) - Marco Polo's travels to China in the 13th century are the first well documented record of a European reaching the empire. But archaeologists studying a famous trove of terracotta figures dug up in China now suggest that the first contact with the West occurred much earlier than thought—some...

Pokemon Go Could Help You Live Longer
Pokemon Go
Could Help You
Live Longer
STUDY SAYS
Oct 12, 2016 10:11 AM CDT

Pokemon Go Could Help You Live Longer

All those additional steps could boost longevity, scientists say

(Newser) - More people than ever are squeezing in some light cardio on the streets of America thanks to Pokemon Go, and that game play may also have a side benefit that could increase users' life spans—to the tune of 2.83 million combined years for the estimated 25 million US...

Why Mice Are Nature&#39;s Jet Engines
Why Mice
Are Nature's
Jet Engines
Oct 11, 2016 1:48 PM CDT

Why Mice Are Nature's Jet Engines

The tiny animals use a very rare method to sing high-pitched songs

(Newser) - Wondering what animal might have the most in common with a jet engine? Prepare to be surprised. Elena Mahrt, author of a study published Monday in Current Biology , says mice sing ultrasonic songs using a method "never found before in any animal," according to a press release . It...

Hey, Athletes: Don't Feel Guilty About Sex Before the Game

Italian researchers say sexual activity may even enhance sports performance

(Newser) - It's a line of thought that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome and has been handed down to the athletes of today: For peak performance, abstain from sex before the big event. Or maybe not. Italian researchers have done some digging, and they report in the journal Frontiers ...

Einstein's Fond Letter to Son Up for Auction

He discusses life's work in 1929 missive

(Newser) - Albert Einstein thought he had made the breakthrough of his career and wrote a letter to his son sharing the news. It turned out not to be so. But in his letter, the physicist took a rare moment to reflect on his life's work and offered a glimpse into...

Bumble Bees Learn Trick, Surprise Researchers

Most figured out how to pull string for reward after seeing how it's done

(Newser) - Ever wondered how tiny a bumble bee's brain is? Imagine a sesame seed clinging to a burger bun, reports the Washington Post —in other words, it's about 0.0002% the volume of a human brain, as calculated by Science . But that doesn't mean you can't...

This Is What an Iceman Sounded Like
This Is What an
Iceman Sounded Like
in case you missed it
Oct 8, 2016 2:34 PM CDT

This Is What an Iceman Sounded Like

Scientists recreate voice of Otzi

(Newser) - He is arguably the world's most famous Iceman, and now we have a general idea of what he sounded like. Italian researchers used a CT scan to measure the vocal tract and vocal chords of a 5,300-year-old mummy known as Otzi the Iceman, and produced this video to...

College Student Finds Forgotten 1599 Bible

Geneva Bible sat in a box in college library

(Newser) - A curious college student has rediscovered a copy of what the Oregonian calls "one of the most historically significant Bibles ever published." Junior Sam Bussan had only been working as an archival assistant at Lewis & Clark College's Watzek Library in Portland for less than a month...

Limit on Longevity: 5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Also: a potential game-changer on HIV

(Newser) - Some sobering news about human mortality and happier news about a not-so-extinct tree were among the discoveries that made headlines this week:
  • Human Lifespan Has Likely Maxed Out : Bad news if you're hoping to live to be older than Dumbledore . Even with advances in health care, no human is
...

In Ancient Grave, 13 Well-Kept Pot Plants

Man was buried with them about 2.5K years ago

(Newser) - You probably wouldn't want to smoke the stuff, but archaeologists have discovered the most well-preserved cannabis plants one could hope for in an ancient Chinese burial. The first discovery of its kind comes from the grave of a man aged about 35—possibly a shaman, reports Discover —buried...

Early Hitler Biography Likely Had Surprise Author: Hitler

Historian says he wrote 1923 book praising himself as a savior

(Newser) - Adolf Hitler's manipulation of the German people may have begun long before he came to power. Back in 1923, when he was the leader of a fledgling Nazi party, a biography surfaced calling him Germany's savior and comparing him to Jesus. Adolf Hitler: His Life and His Speeches...

Eating Cinnamon May Cool Off Your Stomach
Eating Cinnamon May
Cool Off Your Stomach
new study
Oct 7, 2016 7:33 AM CDT

Eating Cinnamon May Cool Off Your Stomach

And that's good news for your health, says study

(Newser) - A possible unexpected benefit of cinnamon: A study in Scientific Reports suggests it can lower stomach temperature by up to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, Live Science reports. While the study used pigs, researchers say the same should hold true for humans. Eating cinnamon with meals seemed to lowered carbon dioxide...

Boys Conceived via Fertility Treatment May Inherit Dad's Poor Sperm

The findings are no reason for prospective parents to avoid ICSI, scientists say

(Newser) - Men conceived using a common fertility treatment appear to pass lower-than-average fertility onto their sons, reports New Scientist . Researchers found that the first generation of male babies conceived via a technique called intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection had lower sperm counts when they reached adulthood. ICSI injects sperm directly into an egg...

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