Lost Photos Suggest Europeans Were Mummifying Their Dead Far Earlier Than We Thought

Archaeologists may have just uncovered evidence for the oldest known practice of mummification. Human remains interred 8,000 years ago in the Sado Valley in Portugal, during the Mesolithic, appear to have been deliberately treated for mummification prior to burial. This is the first evidence for Mesolithic mummification in Europe.   It’s also possibly the oldest … Read more

Mountain Glaciers Have Less Ice than Previously Thought

Many of the world’s glaciers contain significantly less ice than scientists previously estimated. That means some mountain communities that rely on melting ice may run out of fresh water faster, according to new research. Glaciers in the Andes Mountains of South America, in particular, may contain far less ice than previous studies suggested. That means … Read more

Meteorite Fragment Reveals an Extreme Asteroid Impact Hidden in Mars’ Ancient Past

Evidence for an intense asteroid impact on Mars has been found in a Martian meteorite, which could alter the timeline for when the red planet might have been habitable. In a famous meteorite named NWA 7034, or ‘Black Beauty’, scientists discovered a shocked crystal of the mineral zircon, showing a feature only seen on Earth … Read more

Gas Stoves Leak More Methane than Previously Thought

A new study is reporting a larger climate impact from gas stoves than previously thought, stoking a debate about one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: buildings. Published by a team of four Stanford University Earth-system scientists today in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology, the study concluded that U.S. gas stoves could … Read more

Scientists Identify a Previously Unknown Type of Storm, Called an ‘Atmospheric Lake’

A new type of weather condition has been observed, existing primarily in one particular part of the world: compact, slow-moving, moisture-rich pools. Researchers are calling these ‘atmospheric lakes’.   This unique type of storm occurs over the western Indian Ocean and moves towards Africa. Unlike most storms – created by a vortex – the lakes … Read more

Remote North Atlantic Islands Were Inhabited Centuries Earlier Than Previously Thought

The picturesque and remote Faroe Islands sit in the North Atlantic, between Norway and Iceland, around 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Scotland. Today, almost 54,000 people live on the archipelago, but it seems the first inhabitants arrived a lot earlier than previously thought.   From the earliest archaeological structures on the Faroes, we know … Read more