How long ago were Denisovans on the Tibetan Plateau? Denisovans were present on the Tibetan Plateau as far back as 100,000 years ago, according to mitochondrial DNA found in layers of cave sediment. Other sediment samples dating back approximately 60,000 to possibly 30,000 years ago could suggest the Denisovans were in the region when humans […]
Need a particle accelerator? How about a black hole? Researchers have figured out a way it would be possible for black holes to act as particle accelerators. Previously, it was thought that only theoretical “extremal” black holes would be able to allow fast-moving particles to get near enough to the event horizon without falling in […]
Humans may pose SARS-CoV-2 risk to wildlife There is a significant risk that SARS-CoV-2 will be transmitted by people to wildlife populations, where it could spread and imperil already endangered species. The virus could persist in short-lived species, such as mice, and it could mutate in wild animal populations and be reintroduced into human populations […]
Well-preserved, ancient dunes spotted on Mars Scientists have discovered well-preserved paleo-dunes dating back a billion years in Mars’ Valles Marineris region. The dunes, found using data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey Orbiter, are helping researchers learn more about the consistency of Mars’ geologic history. EarthSky Ants’ sophisticated brain power Ants have been […]
Time-lapse video highlights supernova flare NASA and the European Space Agency have released a time-lapse video of a supernova flaring culled from Hubble Space Telescope observations. The video, created from about a year’s worth of Hubble observations, shows a white dwarf exploding then fading away in the NGC 2525 galaxy about 70 million light-years from […]
Mouse mom’s microbiome may affect her young A mouse mother’s gut microbes may play an important role in offspring’s brain development, according to findings published in Nature. Particular gut microbes produce metabolites that travel to the fetuses’ brains, affecting the growth of axons, which act as nerve cell signal transmitters. Science News Homo sapiens Y […]
High-resolution images offer detailed look at stellar winds Astronomers used Chile’s ALMA Observatory to take high-resolution images of stellar winds around dying red giant stars, showcasing the winds’ unusual shapes. “Some stellar winds were disk-shaped, others contained spirals, and in a third group, we identified cones,” says Leen Decin, co-author of a study on the […]
Oldest Neanderthal DNA found in Europe holds clues to Neanderthal life Mitochondrial DNA taken from a Neanderthal tooth found in a cave in Poland is giving researchers new clues about Neanderthal life in the region about 80,000 years ago. Tools found in the cave known as Micoquian give clues to the ways Neanderthals were adapting […]
Faraway star trio surrounded by 3 rings of dust and gas Three unusual rings of planet-forming gas and dust have been detected circling a trio of stars in the Orion constellation, about 1,300 light-years away, according to studies in Science and Astrophysical Journal Letters that have differing views on how the configuration came to be […]
Telescope captures image of exoplanets orbiting star The Very Large Telescope in Chile has captured a direct image of a pair of exoplanets orbiting a star that’s similar to our own sun. “Even though astronomers have indirectly detected thousands of planets in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction of these exoplanets have been directly imaged,” […]