discoveries

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

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Astronomers Spot Oldest Star Yet

13.6B-year-old star is in our galaxy

(Newser) - At 13.6 billion years old, a star spotted by Australian astronomers is the oldest yet found, they say. It's about 6,000 light years away from our planet—which is fairly close, the Wall Street Journal reports, and it's in our Milky Way galaxy. How do the...

Did a Flower Shortage Kill the Woolly Mammoth?

Or did a mammoth shortage kill the flowers?

(Newser) - Scary as they might have looked, woolly mammoths had a decidedly non-threatening diet: They feasted on small flowers, according to a new theory. And the decline of these once-abundant plants, called forbs, may explain the disappearance of the mammoths themselves, NPR reports. Experts had believed woolly mammoths ate grass, but...

Her Nightmares Dwell on Conflict, His on Calamity
Study: Men, Women Have Very Different Nightmares
in case you missed it
Feb 8, 2014 7:08 AM CST

Study: Men, Women Have Very Different Nightmares

But they're not always fear-filled: study

(Newser) - Men and women needn't be awake to experience the world differently, a study suggests: Even our bad dreams are quite different. A study of the dream journals of 572 people found that women's disturbing dreams tend to focus on social conflicts—friendships and romances gone south, for instance....

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including an archaeological milestone in Miami

(Newser) - Evidence of our forebears found in modern-day Miami and Britain highlight the list:
  • Ancient Village Found ... in Downtown Miami : Archeologists say they have unearthed what is probably one of the most important prehistoric sites in America—on land in downtown Miami earmarked for a huge entertainment complex.
  • Historic Find in
...

Historic Find in Europe: Human Footprints 800K Years Old

Tracks in Britain are the oldest found outside Africa

(Newser) - Walking along a beach in Norfolk, England, last May, scientists spotted indents at low tide that had been washed clear of sand by a recent storm. They thought the marks might be animal prints, but on closer inspection discovered something much cooler: nearly million-year-old human footprints—the oldest ones ever...

Could a Diuretic Reverse Autism in Some Cases?
Could a Diuretic Reverse Autism in Some Cases?
new study
Feb 7, 2014 12:15 PM CST

Could a Diuretic Reverse Autism in Some Cases?

Results of rodent tests released

(Newser) - French researchers have been testing a diuretic on kids with autism, and in a study released yesterday in Science, they explain why they think the drug, a version of bumetanide they have patented, has so much promise: because of their experiments with mice. As USA Today explains, a chemical switch...

Camel Bones Challenge the Bible's Timeline

Study: It was written much later than the events it describes

(Newser) - A set of bones—and not human ones, at that—is "challenging the Bible's historicity," say two Tel-Aviv University researchers. Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef and Dr. Lidar Sapir-Hen have carbon-dated the oldest known domesticated camel bones found in the southern Levant, where Israel sits, and what they discovered...

In Indian Ocean's Oldest Shipwreck, a Clue to Rome?

Archaeologists hope to learn more about a Rome-to-Asia trade route

(Newser) - A 2,000-year-old shipwreck will soon slumber silently no more: This month, archaeologists are set to scuba-dive 110 feet down into the Indian Ocean to explore what is that ocean's oldest known shipwreck. It sits off Sri Lanka's southeast coast, and its story has only begun to be...

You Only Have 4 Emotions
 You Have Only 
 4 Emotions 
STUDY SAYS
Feb 5, 2014 10:39 AM CST

You Have Only 4 Emotions

Subtler distinctions more social than biological

(Newser) - Scientists have traditionally held that people have six basic emotions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, afraid, and disgusted. But a new study reduces that number to just four by combining "angry" with "disgusted" and "surprised" with "afraid." Those pairings share the same biological roots, the Glasgow...

Pompeii-Like Eruption Froze Ancient Animals in Place

Researchers come up with explanation for 125M-year-old fossil bed in China

(Newser) - Scientists have long been captivated by the fossil beds of China's Liaoning province, where an incredibly diverse and well-preserved collection of animals was fossilized about 125 million years ago in a mysterious mass death. Now, they think they finally have an explanation for the ecosystem that became known as...

Scientists Have Likely Found Charlemagne's Skeleton

Researchers have been studying bones for 26 years

(Newser) - After 26 years of research, scientists finally announced last week that the bones interred at Charlemagne's supposed resting place at Aachen Cathedral probably do belong to the emperor, The Local reports. The German researchers say the 94 bones and bone fragments are from a tall, thin, older man, and...

Ancient Village Found ... in Downtown Miami

Developer wants to build on prehistoric site

(Newser) - Archeologists say they have unearthed what is probably one of the most important prehistoric sites in America—on land in downtown Miami earmarked for a huge entertainment complex. The researchers confirm that after months of work they have found evidence of an extensive Tequesta Indian village dating back up to...

4,600-Year-Old 'Mystery' Pyramid Excavated

Fallen structure may reveal ancient power shift in Egypt

(Newser) - Archaeologists have excavated a 4,600-year-old pyramid in southern Egypt that was hidden under a pile of sand, waste, and its own remains, and come to a simple conclusion: They don't know what it's for. They do know the Edfu pyramid once stood 43 feet high and was...

In Antarctica, a Waterfall Runs Red

Inside the wonders of Blood Falls

(Newser) - It's as eerie as it is breathtaking and surprising: a waterfall in Antarctica that runs blood-red. The appropriately named Blood Falls drops five stories from the Taylor Glacier and into Lake Bonney, its bright red hue like a wound through the glacier. The Smithsonian digs into the story behind...

Eyes of the Dead Could Help Living See

Cell transplants restore brain, eye connection

(Newser) - A new technique could dramatically improve the ways in which the eyes of the dead can help restore sight to the blind, according to research published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine . Researchers extracted a type of adult stem cell from the back of donated eyes and found that...

To Scratch That Itch, Get a ... Mirror?
 To Scratch That Itch, 
 Get a ... Mirror? 
STUDY SAYS
Feb 2, 2014 10:45 AM CST

To Scratch That Itch, Get a ... Mirror?

Scientists hit upon unusual solution for hard-to-reach itches

(Newser) - Scientists have come upon a trick to battle hard-to-reach itches—and it doesn't require any medical gear. All you need is a mirror. The researchers in Germany injected 26 men's right arms with histamine, which causes an itch and a red mark. They then painted a similar mark...

Scientists Explain Underwater 'Fairy Rings'

They're caused by tainted mud, not aliens

(Newser) - Scientists have ruined a perfectly good mystery off the coast of Denmark—weird circles spotted on the ocean floor aren't so magical after all, despite their nickname of "fairy rings." Nor are they caused by World War II bombs or aliens, two of the more interesting theories....

Flying Snake's Secret: Its 'UFO Shape'

Researchers use 3D printer to explain mysterious glider

(Newser) - Researchers think they've at long last solved, at least partially, the mystery of so-called "flying snakes." The five species of Chrysopelea don't actually fly, but they're impressive gliders, capable of sailing up to 100 feet through the air. Until now, scientists didn't know how...

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including a newly identified part of the brain

(Newser) - A newly found area of the brain related to decision-making and an intriguing discovery about multiple sclerosis make the list:
  • Scientists Discover 'New' Area of Brain : Introducing the lateral frontal pole, located behind your eyebrows. It's a newly identified part of your brain which, scientists believe, helps us
...

Neanderthals &#39;Not Fully Extinct&#39;
 Neanderthals 'Not Fully Extinct' 
new studies
Jan 30, 2014 2:31 PM CST

Neanderthals 'Not Fully Extinct'

Most of us have a speck of caveman, studies show

(Newser) - The latest big finding on Neanderthals : Some 20% of caveman DNA made its way into the human genome thanks to mating between humans and Neanderthals, though people today typically have only 1% or 2% of the stuff. (People have different parts of the DNA, which collectively represent what's left...

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