Cartwheeling seems like it should require both arms and legs. But some itty-bitty snakes in Southeast Asia manage it without either. Scientists first shared snapshots of a dwarf reed snake…
Author: ID
The science and politics behind the panic over ultraprocessed foods
Ultraprocessed foods have a terrible reputation. Studies have linked them with multiple chronic diseases. Journalists and health influencers characterize them as poison. Some public health experts call for a global…
IPCC scientists vow to press on with climate reports despite political deadlock
Scientists have vowed to keep working on the next flagship set of reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), after a political row over the timeline for their…
Fingerprints reveal who may have built China’s Terracotta Army
A new study of ancient fingerprints preserved on China’s Terracotta Army suggests that women and juveniles participated alongside adult men in the production of the famous ceramic figures. Researchers analysed…
Returning samples from a Martian moon: Inside the science of Japan’s bold MMX mission to Mars
Japan’s mission to Mars is one of the most ambitious in spaceflight history. It aims to become the first spacecraft to return to Earth from Mars orbit, carrying with it…
On this day in space! Oct. 17, 2016: Private Antares rocket returns to flight after catastrophic launch explosion
On Oct. 17, 2016, Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Space Systems) returned to flight, successfully launching a cargo shipment to the International Space Station (ISS) after its previous cargo mission…
Resetting Interneuron Timing Rescues Memory in Alzheimer’s
Summary: Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have decoded how parvalbumin (PV) interneurons generate gamma oscillations—the fast brain waves essential for attention and memory—by firing in precise, successive waves rather than all…
7,600-year-old stone fish found in Neolithic burial at Lake Baikal
Archaeologists have conducted a study of an Early Neolithic burial near Lake Baikal, revealing a miniature stone fish among a collection of grave goods dating from approximately 7,600 years ago.…
Rare Moche ritual artefacts discovered in Peru’s Chicama Valley
Archaeologists excavating an ancient ceremonial complex in northern Peru have discovered ulluchu seeds, ten painted clay faces and unusual ceramics associated with ritual practices of the Moche culture. The discoveries…
When not to watch a meteor shower — why I’m not staying up for the Orionids
I used to think being interested in the night sky meant I had to try every meteor shower. If a calendar said “peak,” I interpreted that as an instruction. I’d…
