Farmers in India cut their carbon footprint with trees and solar power

In 2007, 22-year-old P. Ramesh’s groundnut farm was losing money. As was the norm in most of India (and still is), Ramesh was using a cocktail of pesticides and fertilizers…

A special brew may have calmed Inca children headed for sacrifice

Two Inca children slated for ritual sacrifice more than 500 years ago quaffed a special soothing concoction that has gone undetected until now. Those young victims, most likely a girl…

A special brew may have calmed Inca children headed for sacrifice

Two Inca children slated for ritual sacrifice more than 500 years ago quaffed a special soothing concoction that has gone undetected until now. Those young victims, most likely a girl…

NASA’s InSight lander has recorded the largest Marsquake yet

Any Martians out there should learn to duck and cover. On May 4, the Red Planet was rocked by a roughly magnitude 5 temblor, the largest Marsquake detected to date,…

Experiments hint at why bird nests are so sturdy

To build its nest, a bird won’t go for any old twig. Somehow, birds pick and choose material that will create a cozy, sturdy nest. “That’s just totally mystifying to…

Experiments hint at why bird nests are so sturdy

To build its nest, a bird won’t go for any old twig. Somehow, birds pick and choose material that will create a cozy, sturdy nest. “That’s just totally mystifying to…

Prehistoric people may have used light from fires to create dynamic art

Prehistoric people may have used firelight to create the illusion of movement in their art. An analysis of 50 engraved stones excavated in France suggests that when the stones were…

We finally have an image of the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way

There’s a new addition to astronomers’ portrait gallery of black holes.  Astronomers announced May 12 that they have finally assembled an image of the supermassive black hole at the center…

Here’s the latest good and bad news about COVID-19 drugs

Maybe you’ve heard that the pandemic is over in the United States. (It’s not.) Masks are no longer required in most places and large gatherings are becoming commonplace again. Most…

Baby marmosets may practice their first distinctive cries in the womb

Cradled inside the hushed world of the womb, fetuses might be preparing to come out howling. In the same way newborn humans can cry as soon as they’re born, common…