The mantle beneath Tibet has been torn into four massive pieces, according to a new computer model that gives an unprecedented glimpse at what’s going on under the surface our planet. Determining exactly what’s happening so far underground isn’t always easy, but can help in everything from predicting earthquakes to understanding how terrain evolves over
Month: July 2018
Australia has nearly five million dogs, with nearly 40 percent of Australian households owning one. But it seems that 40 percent of Australian dogs are not walked enough and that a similar percentage of dogs are overweight or obese. With colleagues at the University of Sydney, we are interested in collecting more recent data on
Elon Musk wants to do it. NASA wants to do it. Heck, Arnold Schwarzenegger did do it (well, in a movie). But can it be done? We’re talking about terraforming Mars: turning the Red Planet back into a blue one, by geoengineering the hostile Martian environment into something hospitable to humans. But according to new
Theoretical research by an international team of physicists has discovered that the Great Pyramid of Giza can concentrate electromagnetic energy in its internal chambers and under its base. And although the ancient Egyptian’s probably weren’t aware of this weird design quirk, the study could be important for nanoparticle research in the future. “Applications of modern
The world’s largest king penguin colony has dramatically collapsed, and as yet scientists just don’t know why. From 2 million members in the 1980s, including 500,000 breeding pairs, the population on the sub-Antarctic Île aux Cochons has shrunk to just 60,000 breeding pairs. Using recent high-resolution satellite data from 2005 onwards, and helicopter and satellite
“The probability that ‘In My Life’ was written by McCartney is .018.” “Which basically means it’s pretty convincingly a Lennon song.” And with that, Harvard researcher and passionate Beatles fan Mark Glickman made his telling contribution to one of the eternal pop music pub arguments – who wrote the Beatles’ best tracks? The difference this
On 8 March, 2014, Zaharie Ahmad Shah radioed air traffic controllers, “Good night, Malaysia,” as the Boeing 777 he was piloting left the country’s airspace. A short time later, he and the 250 foot (67 metre) plane disappeared. By daybreak, Zaharie and the 238 other people on MH370 would be at the center of the
If you’re bluffing your way through a game of high-stakes poker, it’s a good idea to avoid shifty, nervous eye movements, which just might give your hand away. But it’s not just during poker that our eyes can betray us. A recent study suggests the way our eyes move actually reveals a scary amount about
The Large Hadron Collider below Switzerland and France has just accelerated its first atoms to almost the speed of light, and the results have “exceeded predictions“. The test was an exciting proof-of-concept that could lead to a new series of groundbreaking experiments and potentially even new types of matter, such as dark matter. Usually, the
After a long search, a cosmic mystery has an answer. Astronomers have made the very first unambiguous detection of a radioactive molecule in space – an isotope of aluminium, found in the heart of a rare nova. Scientists have long been searching for 26AlF – or Aluminium monofluoride – containing 26Al, but a direct observation has
The headlines in recent months read like an international eco-thriller. At Mauna Loa Observatory, perched high on a Hawaiian volcano, researchers measure unusual levels of CFC-11 in the atmosphere. The measurements baffle the scientific community: CFC-11, a potent ozone-depleting gas, has been carefully monitored since it was banned under the 1987 Montreal Protocol. But the
Tāne Mahuta is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest living being – but the 45 metre tall, 2,500-year-old kauri tree is under severe threat from a devastating disease. Nearly a decade after the discovery of kauri dieback disease, it is continuing to spread largely unchecked through the northern part of the North Island. Thousands of kauri trees
Skin is your largest organ. There are about 2 square metres (22 square feet) of it enveloping you right now, and it’s not the shape we thought it was. In fact, scientists have just discovered an entirely new geometric shape previously unknown to science or mathematics, and it looks like it’s been hiding in your
A little bit of interspecies nookie has resulted in an unusual child that now lives in the waters off the Hawaiian island of Kauai. According to a new genetic analysis, his dad was a rough-toothed dolphin and his mum was a melon-headed whale – the first ever known hybrid of its kind. The cetacean was
During the summer of 2018, the planets of Mars and Saturn (one after the other) have been in opposition. In astronomical terms, opposition refers to when a planet is on the opposite side of the Earth relative to the Sun. This not only means that the planet is closer to Earth in its respective orbit,
Rotten eggs, animal puke, or a bloated dead whale? Smells can be truly awful, but somehow that doesn’t slow us down when we explore the big question – which stench is, objectively, the most disgusting. The science behind what actually makes a smell truly horrific is actually quite complicated. According to a study in The
For generations, many have dreamed about the day when it would be possible to set foot on Mars – aka. “Earth’s Twin” planet. And in the past few years, multiple orbiters, landers and rovers have revealed evidence of past water on Mars, not to mention the possibility that water still exists underground. These findings have fueled
The Carr Fire tearing through Northern California is so powerful that it’s creating its own weather patterns. The explosive blaze reached the city of Redding on Thursday night. By Saturday morning, the fire grew to 80,906 acres and is only around 5 percent contained, according to officials. The fire has destroyed 500 structures, and officials say 5,000 more are threatened. Around
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished from air traffic control radar screens, never to be seen again – and in the process spawned the most incredible aviation mystery of the 21st century. The 239 people on board were never found, and are presumed dead. Investigations dedicated to finding the plane, the victims,
Caribbean lizards that survived the tough 2017 hurricane season have larger toe pads, on both front and back limbs, report researchers. The work is first to demonstrate the effects of hurricane-induced natural selection. The hyperactive 2017 season was one of the worst that the Atlantic Ocean region ever experienced. Hurricane Harvey hit in mid-August 2017,
The Chinese shipbuilder that’s constructing Beijing’s third aircraft carrier, Type 002, leaked an artist’s impression of that carrier on social media in late June that heightened intrigue about China’s naval ambitions before quickly taking it down. The China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation photo showed the future Type 002 with a large flight deck that featured an
Sometimes, while waiting for quantum computers to become a thing, or complaining that your stupid laptop keeps dying on 5 percent battery, it’s easy to forget just how far technology has come over the past 50 years. Sure, we can all list off a whole bunch of innovations that have changed the way the world
The majority of the world was lucky enough to witness a total lunar eclipse a few hours ago – and not just any lunar eclipse, the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century. Incredibly, the Moon was entirely in Earth’s shadow (totality), turning it a dark blood red, for a full 1 hour and 43
Dark triad personality (DTP) traits are narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. These traits manifest in people as excessive self-love, a manipulative attitude, and a lack of empathy. It’s unclear how many people in the population have these traits, but various studies and estimates put the number somewhere between 1 percent and 10 percent. DTPs are often
Today’s students have access to all kinds of gadgets and apps to aid their learning, but could these electronic devices be doing more harm than good? A new study suggests the very presence of phones in a lecture hall can knock down grades overall. The research found that when phone or laptops were allowed in
One of the biggest ingredients in the creation of a fossil is time. Lots and lots and lots of time – thousands to millions of years. So studying the process in action? That’s a little tricky. But now a team of researchers has figured out a way – by compressing that incredibly lengthy process into
Six years ago, a group of astrophysicists came to the startling realisation that if certain assumptions about the quantum physics of black holes were true, their horizons should be ablaze with high energy particles. This “firewall” would pose a big problem, not just for suicidal space tourists, but for physics itself. It just shouldn’t be
Preparations are already underway for missions that will land humans on Mars in a decade or so. But what would people eat if these missions eventually lead to the permanent colonisation of the red planet? Once (if) humans do make it to Mars, a major challenge for any colony will be to generate a stable
Shark Week, the Discovery Channel’s annual bonanza of shark documentaries, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week. It’s the longest-running series on cable, and that longevity has given it a prime role in pop culture and public understanding of shark science. But its legacy is a mixed bag. As a shark conservation biologist, I both
Archaeologists working in Ukraine have found something they’ve never seen before: the bones of a young woman, buried 4,500 years ago, carefully decorated with black markings before being interred in a burial mound. The bones, of a woman aged 25-30 and excavated by a Polish-Ukrainian team, were actually discovered a few years ago, in a
Samples of permafrost sediment frozen for the past 40,000 years were recently thawed to reveal living nematodes. Within weeks the roundworms began to move and eat, setting a record for the time an animal can survive cryogenic preservation. Aside from revealing new limits of endurance, it just might prove useful when it comes to preserving
The first comprehensive mapping of ocean wilderness revealed that no part of the ocean is untouched by humans, and only 13 percent could be classified as “wilderness.” “Nowhere is safe,” said James Watson of the University of Queensland, an author on the study, in a video abstract for the report. The exhaustive analysis of human
On July 27th, 2018 most of the world will be treated to an extraordinary evening of activity in the sky. First, there will be a total lunar eclipse and although uncommon, this one is special because it’s going to last a lot longer than usual – in fact the longest this century. But that’s not
If you’re out to start a religion, it might be more important to aim high rather than wide and sign up the big names first. That’s the take-home message from a study on the history of Christianity, which found its reach across the globe had less to do with the hoi polloi spreading the word,
Scientists have long understood that in the course of cosmic evolution, galaxies become larger by consuming smaller galaxies. The evidence of this can be seen by observing galactic halos, where the stars of cannibalized galaxies still remain. This is certainly true of the Andromeda Galaxy (aka. M31, Earth’s closest neighbor) which has a massive and nearly-invisible
Conditions on Mars are not forgiving. Just ask the Opportunity rover. Oh, you can’t. It’s been forced into a drastic hibernation by deadly dust storms so intense they’ve engulfed the entire planet. During the intrepid explorer’s shutdown, scientists announced the discovery of something amazing: a massive water lake hidden under the Martian ice. But across
For the first time, Einstein’s theory of general relativity has been confirmed in a new context: in the most extreme gravitational field in the Milky Way, created by Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Bringing 26 years of observations to an amazing climax, a star named S2 in orbit
His formal title is His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, Akihito, who succeeded to Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father in 1989. Now, the 84-year-old Akihito is giving up that noble seat, officially abdicating in 2019. When he goes, it won’t just signal the end of a decades-long reign, and the first time
Around 500 or 600 years ago, two young girls, aged roughly 9 and 18 years, were buried in the finest of Incan style in Northern Chile. Their grave goods were rich and abundant; their burial clothes coloured the deepest red – and a heavy sprinkling, researchers have now found, of the toxic pigment cinnabar. It’s
Yellowstone National Park’s supervolcano could be the result of rubbing tectonic plates after all, a new study suggest – challenging the favoured explanation which pins it on heat billowing up from deep beneath the crust. Virginia Tech geoscientist Ying Zhou has identified anomalies in the crust that suggest sliding layers of rock are responsible for
Amelia Earhart waded into the Pacific Ocean and climbed into her downed and disabled Lockheed Electra. She started the engine, turned on the two-way radio and sent out a plea for help, one more desperate than previous messages. The high tide was getting higher, she had realized. Soon it would suck the plane into deeper
Two of the most bizarre phenomena in quantum physics have been brought together in a single experiment for the first time – and scientists are already using the set-up to probe the very limits of reality. With the aid of two wires placed in very close proximity on a microchip, both the very weird Casimir effect
We finally know where all that Martian water has been hiding! This latest epic discovery was achieved using a radar instrument on a Mars orbiter, with Italian scientists finding a huge liquid reservoir hidden 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) under the southern polar ice cap, extending 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) across. The researchers say it’s a
Why do batteries die? And, why can they only be recharged so many times before they won’t hold a useful amount of charge? My young son asked me about that years ago when his battery-powered toy car stopped moving, wondering about what he called an “everlasting battery”. And this same question has probably crossed the
“Dozens of raccoons die from viral ‘zombie’ outbreak” scream the headlines. That sounds pretty terrifying. Grab your emergency supply kit and your dog and head for the hills. Actually, maybe not. As far as we know, there is no ‘zombie’ outbreak or zombie virus on the loose, but what’s actually going on is a serious
There’s something just so incredibly satisfying about the idea of the Kármán line – the invisible boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space. Situated at an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles), it represents the point at which aeronautics end, and astronautics take over. But maybe it’s a little too neat, according to a new paper that seeks to
Earlier this month, a small island village in remote northwestern Greenland slipped into the shadow of an epic, monstrous iceberg. Living just north of the Upernavik Ice Fjord, the people of Innaarsuit are used to seeing large icebergs drift by. But in recent memory, there has never been a visitor quite this big. Weighing in
It turns out Lassie might not be such an outlier: dogs with strong bonds to their owners will hurry to their aid if they know a way to help, a new study suggests. In an experiment run with a variety of breeds, around half the dogs involved tried to push through a door to get
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