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Behold The Most Up-to-Date Scientific Reconstruction of a Prehistoric Ichthyosaur

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A thorough review of 300 years of research, and an exceptionally preserved fossil, have given us what paleontologists say is the most up-to-date reconstruction yet of an ancient beast.   Living alongside dinosaurs during the Mesozoic Era, ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles that swam and hunted in Earth’s oceans. Resembling reptilian dolphins, these fascinating animals thrived … Read more

‘Weird’, Long Lost Rocks Could Explain How a Hellish Earth Became Habitable

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Early Earth is often described as ‘Hadean’ for good reason. Arising from the ashes of a collision that gave us our Moon, the primordial eon was characterized by hellish heat trapped beneath a thick blanket of carbon dioxide and water vapor.    Strangely those conditions should have been inhospitable for far longer than they were. … Read more

What an Unplanned Rocket Crash on The Moon Can Teach Us About Impact Physics in Space

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On March 4, 2022, a lonely, spent rocket booster will smack into the surface of the Moon at nearly 6,000 mph. Once the dust has settled, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will move into position to get an up-close view of the smoldering crater and hopefully shed some light on the mysterious physics of planetary impacts. … Read more

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

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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

Mystery Rocket Will Crash Into The Moon Tomorrow, And Scientists Are Watching Closely

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On 4 March 2022, a lonely, spent rocket booster will smack into the surface of the Moon at nearly 6,000 mph (9,656 km/h). Once the dust has settled, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will move into position to get an up-close view of the smoldering crater and hopefully shed some light on the mysterious physics of … Read more

Russia Just Ceased Joint Experiments on The International Space Station

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Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, will no longer cooperate with Germany on science experiments aboard the Russian side of the International Space Station (ISS), it said in a tweet Thursday.    “The Russian space program will be adjusted against the backdrop of sanctions, the priority will be the creation of satellites in the interests of defense,” Roscosmos … Read more

Scientists Can Now Trace Earth’s History in Individual Grains of Sand

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Grains of sand on a beach can tell us more than you might think about the history of the planet, new research reveals – something to think about the next time you’re heading to the coast for a swim or splash around.   Scientists have developed a new metric to determine what they call the … Read more

The ‘Powerhouse of The Cell’ Could Be Secretly Helping Mammal Eyes Process Light

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For you to read this article, the eyes have to perform quite the task – light enters the cornea and travels through the pupil and lens to the retina at the back, where light-sensitive cells such as cones and rods then pass things on to the brain via electrical signals in the optic nerve.   … Read more

Vaccinating Pregnant Women For COVID Seems to Give Future Protection to Their Babies

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If a pregnant woman catches COVID, it’s very rare for the virus to be passed through the placenta to the fetus. But it’s long been known that a mother’s antibodies can cross the placental barrier to the baby and can also be transferred via breast milk after the baby is born. This is why it’s … Read more