Underground blobs may have triggered plate tectonics Giant blobs deep underground, left by Earth’s collision with the planet Theia 4.5 billion years ago, led to Earth’s first subduction about 200 million years later, which in turn triggered surface breaks that became tectonic-plate borders, according to computer modeling. Seismologists and geologists used existing data on the […]
High level of invisible auroras on Mars due to solar cycle The sun’s solar maximum, which happens once in its approximately 11-year cycle, has caused unprecedented global auroras on Mars, according to data from NASA. The proton auroras on Mars aren’t visible to the naked eye, but NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft have […]
Corals may have illuminated seas 540M years ago Deep-sea corals may have emitted the first bioluminescence 540 million years ago, about 270 million years before prehistoric shrimp that were previously thought to be the first light-producing animals. Researchers built an evolutionary tree based on 185 coral species to find one common ancestor of all living […]
Cells in upper airway may trigger coughs to block water When a drink goes down the wrong way or reflux gurgles up, neuroendocrine cells in the upper airway set off coughing or other reflexes by telling the nervous system to expel the water or acid. Full Story: Live Science Sinking cities put millions of people […]
Blind quantum computing promises widespread access A breakthrough method to securely connect a quantum computing server to an independent computer over existing fiber optic networks could allow home or office computers to access quantum computing through the cloud,. The method dubbed blind quantum computing uses unique combinations of quantum memory and photons to ensure data […]
Fossils of 2 new mammal species clarify evolution’s path Teeth, ears and jaws of two newly identified mammal species could help scientists understand mammals’ evolution from crocodilians, dinosaurs and lizards. Specimens of Feredocodon chowi, mouse-size members of the family shuotheriids from the Jurassic period, have molars more like reptiles than modern mammals, and the middle […]
Scientists sketch face of 1,500-year-old Chinese emperor DNA analysis, an almost complete skull and open-source software have enabled scientists to reconstruct the face of Emperor Wu, who ruled China’s Northern Zhou dynasty around 1,500 years ago and whose remains were found in 1996. Scientists have extracted more than a million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or differences in […]
Human migration received help from Toba eruption A study on an archaeological site in Ethiopia has added to evidence that indicates the eruption of Mount Toba in Indonesia 74,000 years ago might not have been apocalyptic. The study shows humans adjusted to arid conditions after the eruption in a way that might have aided migration […]
Europe’s heat waves may start with Arctic melting Meltwater from Arctic ice could be setting off recent hot, dry summers in Europe by changing ocean currents and air circulation. A resulting “cold blob” of water in the North Atlantic Ocean could intensify European winter storms and their westerly winds, creating a barrier of warm ocean […]
Amphibian feeds its babies milk-like liquid A legless amphibian, called a caecilian, produces a liquid for its babies that provides lipids and sugars, similar to mammalian milk. Siphonops annulatus babies also eat their mother’s skin once a week, and the team discovered the nutritive fluid after wondering how they could be so active and eat […]