Study: A Person’s DNA Isn’t Always Identical
Prevailing wisdom holds that every cell in the body contains identical DNA. But Yale researchers say they examined skin stem cells and found a number of genetic variations in a variety of skin tissue. The study, published in Nature, could have profound implications for genetic screening. “We found that humans are made up of a […]
Evidence of ‘God Particle’ Found?
Speculation is mounting that physicists at the world’s largest atom smasher plan to announce Wednesday that they’ve pretty much found the most sought-after particle in modern science. Scientists in Geneva reportedly believe they have enough evidence to confirm the existence of the Higgs boson, an elusive particle believed to give all objects mass. The discovery […]
Stonehenge Mystery Solved?
As crowds converged on Stonehenge last week for the summer solstice, a new study based on 10 years of archaeological investigations revealed the ancient monument was built to unify all of the people of Britain. For years, experts have tried to uncover the many mysteries of Stonehenge, one of the world’s most famous prehistoric sites, […]
Birds Ended Reign of Super-sized Insects
Some 300 million years super-sized insects – some as large as hawks – swarmed the Earth. The largest of these mega-insects was a predatory dragonfly-like creature with a wingspan of up to 75 centimeters. That was during the late Carboniferous– early Permian periods, when the atmosphere was rich with oxygen. But then, 150 million years […]
Took 10 Million Years for Life on Earth to ‘Re-set’ After Mass Extinction
More than 250 million years ago, most life on Earth was wiped out by a catastrophic event called the Permian–Triassic extinction. New research suggests it took our planet 10 million years to recover from what is now known as “The Great Dying.” The Great Dying took place millions of years earlier than the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, […]
Study: Eating Meat Helped Human Species Spread
Vegetarians and animal right groups may take issue with this, but a new study has revealed that when humans started to include meat in their diets, mothers were able to wean their children earlier, which allowed them to have more children, which in turn helped the human species spread throughout the world. Researchers from Lund […]
Science Scanner: Scientists Discover New Type of Planet
Data from the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a new class of planet, one which is water-covered and has a steamy atmosphere. We currently have three types of planets in our Solar System; rocky (Earth, Venus, Mercury and Mars), gas giants (Saturn and Jupiter) and ice giants (Uranus and Neptune). While studying the exoplanet, GJ […]
Science Scanner: Zeroing in on Elusive ‘God Particle’
Scientists might be zeroing in on just where the Higgs boson – the hypothetical sub-atomic particle believed to be a building block of the universe – may be hiding. Many expected CERN scientists to announce the discovery of the mysterious Higgs boson at a Dec. 13 seminar. Observers didn’t hear what they had hoped to […]
Science Scanner: NASA Telescope Spots Earth-like Planet
The scientific community is buzzing after news broke that NASA’s Kepler telescope has honed in on the most Earth-like planet ever seen outside our solar system. The findings suggest it could be a large, rocky planet with a surface temperature of about 72 degrees Fahrenheit, comparable to a comfortable spring day on Earth. It is […]
Hunter-gatherers Stuck Around Longer Than We Thought
Apparently it took a little longer than we thought for humans to transition from hunting and gathering to farming and agriculture for survival. Researchers came to that conclusion after studying the residue found on ancient cooking vessels. In analyzing 133 ceramic vessels from the western Baltic regions of northern Europe, they tried to determine whether […]