Ancient star yields new idea about origin of heavy elements A magnetorotational hypernova explosion, rather than a neutron star merger, probably created SMSS J2003-1142, an ancient star in the halo of the Milky Way, according to David Yong and Gary Da Costa, who published their team’s findings in Nature. “[N]eutron star mergers, together with magnetorotational […]
Deep Space Atomic Clock aces test Researchers say the Deep Space Atomic Clock has outpaced other kinds of space clocks, heralding what it could do for the future of navigation in space. The atomic clock, which has been orbiting Earth in a satellite for about two years in its first test run, uses ions to […]
Gene found in gecko may have link to melanoma SPINT1, a gene responsible for the skin coloring of Lemon Frost geckos, may play a role in the lizards’ propensity to develop tumors and has also been linked to the development of melanoma in humans, a study in PLOS Genetics suggests. “Studying a gecko is not […]
Coelacanth scales reveal 100-year lifespan Coelacanths, bizarre fish that reside in the deepest ocean depths, can live as long as 100 years, aren’t even mature until they reach about 45 and remain pregnant for as long as five years. Researchers used polarized light to examine the scales of about 30 different coelacanth specimens, finding rings […]
Exoplanet’s atmosphere may contain water clouds The exoplanet TOI-1231 b, about 90 light-years away, may contain water clouds in its atmosphere. Researchers say the exoplanet’s relatively cool temperature hints at the water cloud possibility. CNN Humans may have arrived in Americas even earlier Animal remains dating as far back as 33,000 years ago found in […]
The perplexing ancient shark die-off Sharks have experienced several mass extinctions over their 450 million years on Earth, but one that occurred about 19 million years ago was particularly devastating and scientists aren’t sure how or why it happened. Most sharks didn’t survive the event, causing the extinction of several species. Ars Technica Thick gold […]
Black hole may not be at galaxy’s center There may be a fuzzy clump of dark matter, not a supermassive black hole, in the center of the Milky Way. Researchers say the dark matter could be made of fermions known as darkinos, which would possess milder gravitational forces that allow gas clouds like G2 to […]
Scientists create beating heart organoids in lab Researchers have grown heart organoids in the lab using stem cells, and the small structures appear to beat. The organoids will be used to study how hearts develop and how defects might form. Live Science How brains could adapt to prostheses Researchers developed a third robotic thumb that […]
Paralyzed man writes on screen with his mind A man paralyzed from his neck down was able to imagine writing words and have them appear on a screen. Researchers attached a pair of electrodes to an area of the man’s brain associated with finger and hand movement, and after he imagined he was writing the […]
Cerebellum may have been key to human evolution Researchers have found differences between the human cerebellum and those of chimpanzees and rhesus macaques that may have been fundamental to human evolution. Scientists examined DNA from the prefrontal cortices and cerebellums of all three and found that methylation patterns were different in humans, especially in the […]