Uncategorized
-
Archaeology
The oldest known abrading tool was used around 350,000 years ago
A flat-ended rock found in an Israeli cave marks an early technological shift by human ancestors to make stone tools for grinding rather than cutting.
By Bruce Bower -
Physics
Explore every gravitational wave event spotted so far
This interactive visualization reveals the diversity of smashups that generate gravitational waves.
By Emily Conover and Nadieh Bremer -
Science & Society
Biden administration outlines its ambitious plan to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, an adviser to the Biden transition team, talks about the plans to tackle the public health crisis COVID-19 created.
-
Animals
Some bacteria are suffocating sea stars, turning the animals to goo
For years, researchers thought an infectious pathogen was behind sea star wasting disease. Instead, bacteria deplete the starfishes’ oxygen.
-
Astronomy
Astronomers spotted a rare galaxy shutting down star formation
A distant galaxy harbors an active black hole and active star formation at the same time – an unusual coincidence.
-
Space
The first magnetar flare detected from another galaxy was tracked to its home
An outburst from the super magnetic remains of a star suggests similar eruptions are behind some of the most powerful explosions in the universe.
-
Life
Monitor lizards’ huge burrow systems can shelter hundreds of small animals
Two species of Australian monitor lizards dig nests four meters deep. Now scientists reveal that the burrows are home to far more than their creators.
By Jake Buehler -
Space
The most ancient supermassive black hole is bafflingly big
The farthest known quasar challenges ideas about how the first supermassive black holes in the universe formed.
-
Health & Medicine
The more contagious coronavirus variant may soon be the U.S.’s dominant strain
More rigorous efforts to vaccinate, wear masks and social distance are needed to curb the variant’s spread, CDC says.
-
Space
The Parker Solar Probe will have company on its next pass by the sun
The probe is about to make another close pass of the sun. This time, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo and others will be watching too.
-
Climate
‘The New Climate War’ exposes tactics of climate change ‘inactivists’
In his new book, climate scientist Michael Mann draws the battle lines for a new phase of the struggle against climate change denialism.
-
Climate
2020 and 2016 tie for the hottest years on record
Ocean temperature data as well as temperatures measured over land at weather stations around the globe revealed the extent of the warming.