A way to grow plants in lunar soil Scientists have discovered a way to turn the moon’s soil into fertile ground for growing plants. Researchers used volcanic material to create simulated lunar regolith and treated the soil with bacteria to increase phosphorus availability, which allowed benth, a relative of tobacco, to grow with healthier stems […]
Jupiter-like planets push Earth-sized planets aside Jupiter-sized gas giant planets can cause chaos in young planetary systems, moving smaller planets out of their orbit and impacting the habitability of those planets. While Jupiter’s gravitational field acts as a shield for Earth, it would harm Earth’s climate if it were located in the middle of our […]
Female chimpanzees go through menopause Some female chimpanzees experience menopause similar to humans, according to a study of wild chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. Researchers analyzed urine samples from 66 female chimps and found that their hormone levels shifted around age 50 similarly to women in middle age and calculated that the female animals […]
The cause of Mars’ strongest quake The strongest quake recorded on Mars, which lasted six hours but left no visible signs on the planet’s surface, was caused by tectonic activity rather than a colliding asteroid. While scientists believe Mars does not have plate tectonics like Earth, the quake was likely caused by the release of […]
Humans hunting lions 48,000 years ago Neanderthals living about 48,000 years ago hunted and carefully butchered a cave lion, an extinct species, according to an analysis of lion remains uncovered in southeastern Germany. The study reveals the “earliest direct evidence of a large predator being hunted and killed in human history,” said Gabriele Russo, author […]
Moons crashing together may have created Saturn’s rings Saturn’s iconic rings may be the result of a collision between two moons made of ice and rocks. Scientists simulated almost 200 collision scenarios and found that the impact of two moons roughly the size of Saturn’s current moons could disperse into icy rings, consistent with the […]
Human bones in Spanish cave were likely used as tools Ancient humans excavated and modified the skeletons of their buried ancestors to possibly use as tools, according to a study from scientists studying remains at the Cueva de los Marmoles cave in southern Spain. Researchers identified the remains of at least 12 people buried between […]
NASA’s MOXIE experiment generates oxygen on Mars NASA’s first mission to generate oxygen on Mars — the “Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment,” or MOXIE — has successfully concluded, the agency announced. The toaster-sized device on the Perseverance rover has produced 122 grams of oxygen that is at least 98% pure, which could be scaled […]
A new type of bird-like dinosaur Scientists have studied a newly discovered fossil of a bird-like dinosaur likely between 148 to 150 million years old that may be the youngest member of the Jurassic avialans. The creature, called Fujianvenator prodigiosus, was about the size of a pheasant, had long legs that were likely used for […]
Human ancestors nearly went extinct a million years ago Humans almost faced extinction between 813,000 and 930,00 years ago when human ancestors’ population fell to about 1,280. Researchers studied the genomes of over 3,150 present-day people and found that human ancestors experienced a bottleneck for about 117,000 years, which may have driven the evolutionary divergence […]