Category archives: Weekly Selection

Astronomers spy most distant galaxy cluster ever observed A young galaxy cluster 11.1 billion light-years from Earth is the most distant ever observed, astronomers say. Multiple space telescopes were used to spot CL J1001+0220, where nine of its 11 galaxies are furiously giving birth to stars. Space.com Dawn images, data locate ice volcano on Ceres […]

Faraway galaxy made mostly of dark matter A Milky Way-sized galaxy made up almost entirely of dark matter has been spotted 300 million light years away, and now researchers are looking for one similar to Dragonfly 44 that’s closer to the Milky Way so they might be able to finally detect the mysterious matter. “We […]

Zika could also target adult brains, study of mice suggests The Zika virus may be even more harmful than once thought, and it may attack adult brains, according to a study of mice brains. Researchers found that adult mice infected with Zika suffered significant damage to the forebrain and hippocampus, where nerve cells were killed […]

Canyons on Titan carved by rivers of methane Canyons on Saturn’s moon Titan were carved by rivers of methane in much the same way that water carved the Grand Canyon on Earth. Scientists examined radar images taken by the Cassini space probe and say that some liquid hydrocarbons may still exist in Titan’s canyons. The […]

Evidence of ancient flood uncovered in China Scientists have uncovered evidence that the myth that an enormous flood spawned China’s Xia dynasty isn’t just legend. Geologists, historians and archaeologists worked together to determine a massive flood occurred around 1,922 B.C., around the time Emperor Yu is said to have founded civilization in China. The Washington […]

Cancer found in bone of ancient human ancestor Evidence of cancer has been found in the toe bone of an ancient human ancestor who died 1.6 million to 1.8 million years ago, suggesting the deadly disease isn’t just caused by lifestyle factors. Researchers examining the bone using 3D imaging identified a malignant osteosarcoma tumor. National […]

Ultra-sensitive detector fails to find sign of dark matter The most sensitive search yet for dark matter has failed to turn up a signal from the elusive material believed to make up most of the universe’s mass, according to findings presented at the 11th Identification of Dark Matter Conference in the UK. The experiment pushed […]

Agriculture may have had many roots, DNA study suggests The skeletons of four ancient farmers have been found in Iran, and DNA tests indicate they have no genetic links to Aegeans, long thought to be the first farmers in Europe, which suggests that agriculture may have been developed more than once. DNA analysis of the […]

Cannabis use spread throughout Eurasia as Bronze Age dawned Ancient humans in both Asia and Europe started using cannabis as early as the end of the last ice age. Researchers say the use of cannabis intensified in East Asia around the beginning of the Bronze Age, then spread throughout Eurasia. New Scientist AI technique developed […]

Studies shed new light on Zika virus brain damage in infants Nearly 20% of babies infected with the Zika virus had normal head circumferences, which researchers said indicates a focus on microcephaly screening alone is too narrow, according to a study of about 1,500 newborns. Another study showed that brain tissues of infants with Zika […]