This New Record in Laser Beam Stability Could Help Answer Physics’ Biggest Questions

Scientists are on a mission to create a global network of atomic clocks that will enable us to, among other things, better understand the fundamental laws of physics, investigate dark matter, and navigate across Earth and space more precisely.   However, to be at their most effective, these clocks will need to be reliably and … Read more

Dive Into a Writhing Swarm of Sardines With This Astounding Penguin Footage

Sardines scatter wildly as a smooth penguin head zooms through their tight swirling mass within blue-green waters of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s footage. One of those silver sardines becomes the penguin’s dinner on the second swoop through.   Taken in the Beagle Channel off Isla Martillo, Argentina, the penguin bodycam footage helped clarify the bird’s … Read more

These Ornate 3-Foot-Long Tubes May Be The Oldest Known Straws

Slender gold and silver tubes crafted during the Bronze Age are the world’s oldest drinking straws, a new study finds.  Archaeologists found the 3-foot-long (1 meter) metal tubes in 1897 while excavating a burial mound known as a kurgan from the ancient Maikop (also spelled Maykop) culture in the northwestern Caucasus, which primarily includes modern-day … Read more

Antarctic ‘Megaberg’ Released 152 Billion Tons of Freshwater Just Before Melting

Scientists have been keeping a close eye on the ‘megaberg’ designated as A68a since it split off from Antarctica back in July 2017 – and new research highlights just how much freshwater it’s released into the ocean during its late melting process.   Satellite monitoring systems indicate that for three months at the end of its … Read more

Even in The Depths of Sleep, Our Brains Are Alert to Stranger Danger, Says New Study

Even as we slumber, our industrious brains continue working to keep us alive. They ensure our heartbeats and breathing remain on track, wash off the waste they’ve accumulated throughout the day, and sort and file our memories. Now it seems they achieve all this and more while also monitoring our surroundings for stranger danger, a new … Read more

Watch an Orca Pod Free a Humpback Whale From a Coil of Rope, Possibly Saving Its Life

In a strange encounter off the coast of western Australia, a pod of orcas seems to free a humpback whale from a rope entangling its tail. But were they really trying to rescue it?   It isn’t clear whether the orcas (Orcinus orca) were trying to manipulate the rope or why they approached the humpback in the … Read more

Special Phage Therapy Clears a Patient’s Resistant Infection After 798 Days

After 700 days of antibiotic treatment, the infection of a 30-year-old bombing attack victim still raged. Tragically, the patient had suffered life-threatening injuries during the attacks at Brussels airport on 22 March 2016. Over the next three years, she faced numerous medical complications, as her fracture-related wound became infected with pan-drug-resistant bacteria, or what we … Read more

This Is How Toddlers Know if People Share a Special Bond, And It’s Gross

The thought of sharing an ice cream cone with a stranger can trigger feelings of disgust – however that’s often not the case with someone close to us, such as a romantic partner or child.   A new study in the journal Science on Thursday shows that children are aware of this dynamic from a … Read more

The World’s Massive Need For More Solar Panels Has One Shiny Catch

There’s a major catch to the world’s need for solar panels, a new analysis suggests. The booming solar panel market – which is critical for a clean energy future – could demand close to half the world’s aluminum by 2050. Thankfully, there are ways we can mitigate this.    Unlike more precious metals, such as … Read more

We May Finally Know Why Whales Don’t Drown When They Gulp Down Krill

Baleen whales are heavy drinkers. In just ten seconds, these giant mammals can down over five hundred bathtubs of ocean water, filtering out roughly 10 kilograms of krill in a single swig.   All they have to do is open their mouths and lunge forward at roughly 10 kilometers an hour (6 miles per hour). The … Read more