discoveries

Read the latest news stories about recent scientific discoveries on Newser.com

Stories 421 - 440 | << Prev   Next >>

New Easter Island Statue, Unseen for Centuries, Emerges
On Easter Island, a Sight
Unseen for Centuries Emerges
in case you missed it
Mar 5, 2023 7:11 AM CST

On Easter Island, a Sight Unseen for Centuries Emerges

A centuries-old statue is revealed when crater lake dries up

(Newser) - For centuries, the Easter Island moai lay hidden in a volcano crater filled with water. Five years ago, that crater lake began to dry up, and last week, the dry lake bed revealed what it had concealed for so long, per AFP . A team of volunteers from three Chilean universities...

&#39;Super-Rare&#39; Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts
'Super-Rare' Bug Found
at Walmart Stuns Experts
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 4, 2023 12:10 PM CST

'Super-Rare' Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts

It's the first giant lacewing recorded in eastern North America in half a century

(Newser) - Michael Skvarla, director of Penn State's Insect Identification Laboratory, was examining an insect in front of students over Zoom in the fall of 2020 when he froze. He'd just been explaining that this insect from his personal collection—plucked from the side of an Arkansas Walmart during a...

We&#39;ve Given Seabirds a New Disease
We've Given Seabirds
a New Disease
new study
Mar 3, 2023 1:07 PM CST

We've Given Seabirds a New Disease

'Plasticosis' is doing serious damage to digestive tracts

(Newser) - Scientists who examined dozens of dead fledgling seabirds have identified a new disease caused by plastic pollution. In a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials , researchers describe "plasticosis" as a "novel, plastic-induced fibrotic disease." Researchers say the disease is caused by ingestion of small pieces...

Scientists Surprised to Learn Whales Use 'Vocal Fry'

The marine mammals use it to help them find prey deep underwater

(Newser) - That low, rattling vocal register known as vocal fry—the Washington Post points to Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry as two examples of celebrities who have such gravelly voices—has proven a polarizing topic, with some insisting it's sexy, while others call it grating. But while the appeal of...

'Aber-clam Lincoln' May Be as Old as Honest Abe

Massive quahog believed to be 4th oldest clam ever found, reports 'Tallahassee Democrat'

(Newser) - Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 and apparently so, too, was Abra-clam Lincoln, believed to be the fourth oldest clam ever discovered. Blaine Parker of Florida was collecting shellfish for chowder when he unearthed the quahog clam , whose shell could've served as a soup bowl. Most quahogs are three...

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First
Mama Orca Adopted Baby
Pilot Whale, a First
new study
Feb 26, 2023 10:10 AM CST

Mama Orca Adopted Baby Pilot Whale, a First

But the story may not be as cuddly as it appears on the surface

(Newser) - Researchers studying killer whales near Iceland spotted an unusual thing: An adult female orca was acting like a mother to a baby pilot whale. In fact, "unusual" is an understatement—it's the first such case on record, reports Insider . The young pilot whale was swimming right along side...

Ancient Empire&#39;s Crown Jewels Found &#39;in the Back of a Car&#39;
Ancient Empire's Crown Jewels
Found 'in the Back of a Car'
in case you missed it
Feb 26, 2023 7:20 AM CST

Ancient Empire's Crown Jewels Found 'in the Back of a Car'

Looted antiquities held by English collector Douglas Latchford returned to Cambodia

(Newser) - The Khmer Empire's crown jewels, held by a suspected antiquities smuggler but largely unknown to experts, have been returned to their homeland. The Cambodian collection, including pieces dating to the seventh century, was once kept by collector Douglas Latchford, an Englishman who spent much of his later life in...

New Yorkers May Want to Take Shoes Off Before Going Inside

Researchers say there's a whole lot of fecal bacteria on the Upper East Side's sidewalks

(Newser) - If you're a resident of New York City and already annoyed by the dog poop you spot on the sidewalks, you're not going to happy about the poop you're not seeing. It's definitely there, though, especially on the Upper East Side, according to Marymount Manhattan College...

Daily Pot Use May Take a Toll on the Heart
Daily Pot Use May Take
a Toll on the Heart
new study
Feb 24, 2023 1:55 PM CST

Daily Pot Use May Take a Toll on the Heart

Study suggests regular marijuana use leads to greater risk of coronary artery disease

(Newser) - A new Stanford study released Friday found evidence that people who smoke or vape cannabis every day could be at higher risk for coronary artery disease than nonusers. CNN quoted study author Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, who said there is "a growing body of evidence" suggesting cannabis is not harmless...

Scientists Figure Out the Naked Mole-Rat's Wild Fertility

They aren't like other mammals

(Newser) - Naked mole-rats are an anomaly in more ways than one, and the author of a new study on the creature, which manages to outlive all other rodents, explains why: "They almost never get cancer, they don't feel pain like other mammals, they live in underground colonies, and only...

George Washington Letter Sees Him Pressed for Cash

Previously unknown 1787 letter about land for sale expected to fetch $50K at auction

(Newser) - A previously unknown letter from George Washington in which the first US president hints at financial troubles is ironically expected to fetch $50,000 at auction, CNN reports. Raab Collection, an auction house with a focus on historical documents, revealed the discovery of the 1787 letter "unknown to scholars"...

Highest-Paid Aren&#39;t Necessarily the Smartest
Highest-Paid Aren't
Necessarily the Smartest
new study
Feb 21, 2023 1:28 PM CST

Highest-Paid Aren't Necessarily the Smartest

Study suggests that highest earners aren't as bright as those below them

(Newser) - In the debate over income inequality, one view is that people who make the most earn it by being the smartest people in the room. A new study out of Sweden, however, casts doubt on that, reports Fortune . Researchers looked at about 60,000 men who took standardized intelligence tests...

His HIV Was Cured. That Makes Him No. 5

The 'Dusseldorf patient' was cured thanks to a stem cell transplant

(Newser) - The "Dusseldorf patient," as a 53-year-old German man is being identified, has been confirmed as the fifth person to have been cured of HIV. "It’s really cure, and not just, you know, long-term remission," says Dr. Bjorn-Erik Ole Jensen, who detailed the case in Nature ...

There's a Reason Why You May Need to Sleep Longer in Winter

Scientists say people get more REM sleep in colder months, might need to adjust sleep habits

(Newser) - If you're annoyed at how much sleep you seem to need in the winter, you're not alone—and scientists think they're closer to understanding why. The Guardian cites new research out of a sleep clinic in Berlin, where scientists examined nearly 190 patients who were there for...

Possums Provide Way to Catch Pythons. The Hard Way
Possums Provide Way to Catch
Pythons. The Hard Way
new study
Feb 13, 2023 11:03 AM CST

Possums Provide Way to Catch Pythons. The Hard Way

Snake ate one with a GPS collar, and researchers were able to track and kill it

(Newser) - Researchers didn't set out to turn possums into python meals, but their study nevertheless suggests a novel way to curb the invasive snake population in Florida. As the Tampa Bay Times explains, wildlife researchers fitted possums and raccoons with GPS collars to study their populations near the Crocodile Lake...

They Were Looking for Coded Letters, Found the Extraordinary
They Were Looking for Coded
Letters, Found the Extraordinary
in case you missed it
Feb 12, 2023 7:20 AM CST

They Were Looking for Coded Letters, Found the Extraordinary

Researchers find 57 coded letters written by Mary, Queen of Scots

(Newser) - Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded on this day in 1587 after 19 years of imprisonment ordered by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, and experts say a new discovery concerning her is the most significant we've had in at least a century: a secret correspondence that was thought to...

Mysterious Ring Spotted Around Minor Planet

Ring around Quaoar 'should not be possible'

(Newser) - Astronomers have made a puzzling discovery in the deep reaches of the solar system, far beyond Neptune. Quaoar, a minor planet in the Kuiper belt, has a ring like those around Saturn, but it is further from the planet than the zone where current models say rings are possible. The...

Male Orcas Need Their Moms Well Into Adulthood
Orca Moms Pay Steep
Price for Their Adult Sons
new study
Feb 9, 2023 12:08 PM CST

Orca Moms Pay Steep Price for Their Adult Sons

They continue to provide food all through life, and the behavior takes a toll on the mothers

(Newser) - Researchers studying orcas have made a remarkable discovery about the relationship between females and their male offspring. It seems that mother orcas continue to feed their sons well into adulthood to help them survive, and the mothers do this at great sacrifice to themselves, reports the BBC . The study in...

Piece of Ancient Object Found, but Romans Left No Clues

Experts still are trying to learn the purpose of dodecahedrons

(Newser) - Experts are certain that an amateur archaeologist and his metal detector found a piece of a dodecahedron in northern Belgium, but no one is quite sure what that means. A dodecahedron is a 12-sided Roman object, and this one is probably more than 1,600 years old, Smithsonian Magazine reports....

Finding Puts 'Extra Nail in the Coffin' on Neanderthal Theory

Prehistoric humans loved a good roasted crab, dispelling notion they didn't enjoy seafood

(Newser) - Prehistoric humans may not have had Red Lobster or Long John Silver's, but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy a good seafood sit-down as much as their modern-day relatives. In fact, scientists have determined that Neanderthals quite enjoyed crab, which they caught by the shore, then roasted...

Stories 421 - 440 | << Prev   Next >>