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Scientists Think Our Ancestors Ate Toxic Plants—And Lived to Tell The Tale
A new study from a 7,000-year-old settlement in North Macedonia reveals evidence that ancient peoples near the Mediterranean processed toxic plants for safe consumption.
Scientists Stunned: Colossal Eggs Discovered 3,500 Meters Beneath an Active Volcano
Beneath an active seafloor volcano off Vancouver Island, researchers have documented a congregation of giant eggs at roughly 3,500 meters, a discovery that reframes how life can flourish under extreme conditions. The eggs belong to the Pacific white skate, an elusive deep‑sea species adapted to cold, crushing pressure and perpetual darkness. What seemed an unlikely nursery is actually a geothermally warmed refuge, where subtle heat helps embryos survive a marathon incubation. The finding links volcanic energy to a quiet engine of biodiversity, turning a hostile landscape into an incubator. A living volcano, a hidden nursery The seamount long assumed dormant now exhales mineral‑rich, shimmering plumes, proof of hydrothermal life at depth. Expedition cameras swept across black basalt and pale bacterial mats, revealing vents that pulse with warmth. That warmth, though modest by human standards, alters the physics of development for cold‑adapted embryos. In a realm where metabolism creeps, even a few degrees can mean faster growth and higher survival. The volcano is not only active; it is ecologically formative, drafting a blueprint for a thriving oasis. Giant eggs and a skate built for the abyss The Pacific white skate, Bathyraja spinosissima, is built for the abyss: broad wings, armored spines, and a life history that trades speed for endurance. Females lay outsized, rectangular “mermaid’s purses,” often 46–50 centimeters long, packed with rich yolk to fuel years of growth. In the frigid deep, embryos can require around four years to hatch, a timeline that magnifies every energetic advantage. The scale is striking—large eggs, large adults, and a textbook case of deep‑sea gigantism. The volcano’s gentle heat may literally shave months or years from the wait. Why heat matters at the bottom of the sea Hydrothermal circulation delivers low‑level warmth without the turbulence that would scatter fragile egg‑cases. Slightly elevated temperatures accelerate enzyme kinetics, nudging development along while keeping embryos within a safe range. Mineral‑laden fluids likely shape local microbiomes, which, in turn, can influence biofilms on egg surfaces. The environment acts like a slow, steady incubator, countering the deep sea’s tyrannies of cold and scarcity. For a species with long maturation and few offspring, every incremental boost compounds across generations. An ecosystem sculpted by fire and water Seafloor volcanoes create steep environmental gradients, stitching together hot vents, cool eddies, and mineral gardens into mosaic habitats. Microbes harvest chemical energy, seeding food webs that support crustaceans, fishes, and skates. Cameras documented egg‑cases nestled among rocky ledges, near communities nourished by vent‑driven chemistry. These islands of productivity behave like deep‑sea oases, sustaining life far beyond the vent orifice’s flickering light. The nursery’s success underscores how geological forces engineer biological opportunity. “Finding a cradle of life tucked beneath a breathing volcano reminds us that the planet’s harshest places can be profoundly generous.” What the discovery could change The nursery reframes conservation priorities in regions where volcanism quietly underwrites reproduction. Protecting hydrothermal corridors could safeguard entire lifecycles, not just charismatic adults spotted during occasional surveys. It also sharpens questions about how climate‑driven shifts in ocean circulation might influence vent activity, temperature fields, and embryo survival. With methodical mapping, time‑series cameras, and environmental DNA, scientists can track whether nurseries remain stable or drift with geologic rhythms. Key implications include: Enhanced understanding of deep‑sea reproduction at hydrothermal sites. New conservation targets centered on geothermal nurseries. Comparative studies with other volcanic regions, from the Galápagos to rift zones. Biotechnological insights from organisms adapted to long, cold development. Better models of how seafloor heat shapes regional biodiversity. Methods behind the revelation Remotely operated vehicles threaded through chimney fields, gathering video, temperatures, and mineral signatures. High‑definition imagery captured the distinctive, horned egg cases, their edges dusted with fine volcanic silt. Geochemical profiles mapped how heat and chemicals disperse, outlining the “thermal lanes” where eggs most cluster. Combined, these datasets reveal a nursery organized by geothermal topography, with egg‑cases concentrated in pockets of gentle, sustained warmth. A fragile boon in a changing ocean Deep‑sea environments feel remote, yet they intersect with global pressures: mining proposals, cable routes, and shifting oxygen levels. The nursery’s resilience hinges on stable heat flow, intact substrates, and minimal disturbance from noise or sediment. Safeguarding such places is not just about protecting novelty; it preserves a slow, ancient strategy that lets large, long‑lived animals endure in the coldest reaches of the Pacific. Where geology and biology meet, the planet’s deep time still writes living stories. This volcano‑warmed nursery adds a vital chapter to that story, revealing how subtle thermal gifts can tip the scales toward life in the abyss. With each dive, researchers trace the contours of an unseen world, where fire feeds water, and water—against all odds—feeds the future.
Mysterious Ancient Culture Forged a Weapon From a Fallen Star
A treasure beyond treasures.
Scientists testing new scanning technology discover mysterious structure beneath an ancient Egyptian city
Archaeologists working in Egypt's Nile Delta may have discovered a tomb or temple dating back around 2,600 years while testing a new technology designed to locate structures buried deep beneath the surface. ...
'Major disruption in Neanderthal history': 65,000 years ago, all Neanderthals in Europe died out except for one lineage
The last Neanderthals to survive in Europe came from a single lineage that survived the worst period of the ice age, ancient DNA reveals.
New studies of old dogs help scientists understand where they came from
Using the oldest dog genes studied so far, scientists are finding more evidence that our furry friends have been our companions for thousands of years. Scientists think dogs descended from an ancient...
Humans Had Dogs Before They Had Farming, Ancient DNA Confirms
New research pushes the first genetic evidence of dogs back by 5,000 years and suggests that hunter-gatherer groups may have acquired dogs from one another.
Scientists Sequenced the DNA of the ‘Last Neanderthal’—and It Alters Human History
Discover new clues about how our ancient relatives disappeared from time.
Earth’s Strangest Magnetic Era: Scientists Decode the Ediacaran Mystery
Ancient rocks reveal that Earth’s magnetic field during the Ediacaran may not have been chaotic after all.
Scientists Say Surprising Smells Are Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Mummies
Analyzing samples of mummies from different dynastic periods showed how the mixtures of substances used in mummification became more complex with time.
Webb Telescope spots “impossible” atmosphere on ancient super Earth
Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence of a thick atmosphere surrounding TOI-561 b, a scorching, fast-orbiting rocky planet once thought too extreme to hold onto any gas. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found the planet is far cooler than expected for a bare rock, hinting at a heat-distributing atmosphere above a churning magma ocean. This strange world—where a year lasts just over 10 hours and one side is locked in eternal daylight—may even be rich in volatile materials, behaving like a “wet lava ball.”
Ancient DNA reveals a farming shift that pushed a society to the brink
A new study reveals that farming in Argentina’s Uspallata Valley was adopted by local hunter-gatherers rather than introduced by outside populations. Centuries later, a stressed group of maize-heavy farmers migrated into the region, facing climate instability, disease, and declining numbers. Despite these pressures, there’s no sign of violence—instead, families stayed connected across generations, using kinship networks to survive. The research shows how cooperation, not conflict, helped communities navigate crisis.
Tectonic shift: Earth was already moving 3.5 billion years ago
Scientists have uncovered the oldest direct evidence yet that Earth’s tectonic plates were on the move 3.5 billion years ago. By analyzing magnetic fingerprints in ancient rocks, they reconstructed how parts of the planet slowly drifted and even rotated over time. This challenges long-standing ideas that early Earth may have had a rigid, unmoving surface. Instead, it suggests the planet was already dynamic—and possibly setting the stage for life—much earlier than expected.
Scientists Are Using Tiny Pockets of Gas to Reveal the History of the Earth
A new study focuses on krypton gas in the hopes of understanding how ancient coastlines and landscapes change in Earth’s past.
Earth Is Missing a Billion Years of History. We Finally Know Why
We thought global ice erased a billion years of history but new evidence points to ancient supercontinents.
Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS May Be Far More Ancient Than We Thought
The team attempted to pin down the visitor's origins, finding it is "unlike any Solar System body" and came from a different part of our galaxy altogether.
Scientists Discovered Orbs of Glass from an Ancient Asteroid Impact. The Crater Is Nowhere to Be Found.
The discovery of a new tektite-strewn field in northeastern Brazil points to a large meteorite impact—but geologists have yet to find the crater.
If students want to understand politics, they should start with Ancient Rome
The Roman Republic fell roughly 2,000 years ago — the culmination of a series of events including Julius Caesar’s assassination 2,069 years ago today. Yet the republic’s ruin still infl…
Scientists discover hidden water beneath Mars that could have supported life
New research suggests Mars may have remained habitable much longer than scientists once thought. Ancient sand dunes in Gale Crater appear to have been soaked by underground water billions of years ago, leaving behind minerals that can preserve signs of life. Even after surface water disappeared, subsurface flows may have created protected environments for microbes. These hidden habitats could be key targets in the ongoing search for past life on Mars.
Scientists Discover Ice Age Forests in the North Sea’s Sunken “Lost World”
Ancient DNA preserved in seabed sediments suggests Doggerland hosted temperate forests far earlier than expected.
The delicate, ever-changing dance between politics and religion
The dance, really a marathon that brings to mind the classic movie “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”, has been going on as long as there have been governments and organized religion. That is to say that this delicate tango has been with us since time immemorial. In ancient times, the state and the state religion […]
The ancient Romans knew the power of entertainment as propaganda
In ancient Rome, putting on theatrical plays was not just a form of entertainment – it became a powerful tool of propaganda
Scientists discover ancient DNA “switches” hidden in plants for 400 million years
Scientists have uncovered an enormous hidden archive of plant DNA that has endured for more than 400 million years. By comparing hundreds of plant genomes, researchers identified more than 2.3 million regulatory DNA sequences that act like genetic switches, controlling when and how genes are activated. These sequences, known as conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs), were detected using a new computational tool called Conservatory.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
In Ancient Peru, a Parrot Trade That Crossed the Andes
Scientists studied centuries-old bird feathers from an ancient tomb on the coast, and then traced the origins back to the Amazon.
Scientists looked beneath one of oldest trees on Earth. What they found is astounding
The researchers discovered a hidden world of life among the roots of Chile's ancient alerce trees. Here's why that's important.
Gemstone-filled river and striped mountain ridge form massive 'Y' in China's revitalized desert
A 2025 satellite photo shows a giant "Y" in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert, where a verdant river and a lengthy "red-white mountain" meet. The intersecting features are also home to an eighth-century fort that was chock-full of ancient artifacts.
Traditional Pacific navigators bring the intricate science of wayfinding to the Bay Area
Organized by Sophia Perez, Indigenous Technology Coordinator for the Berkeley Center for New Media, a weeklong series of public workshops beginning March 9 will feature master navigators teaching everything from traditional canoe technology to ancient star-mapping.
Scientists may have discovered a brand-new mineral on Mars
Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry.
'More advanced' farming women married hunter-gatherer men in Europe thousands of years ago, ancient DNA reveals
Two researchers discuss how ancient DNA is used to track how people moved and lived during Britain's bronze age.
Scientists stunned to find signs of ancient life in a place no one expected
While exploring ancient seabeds in Morocco, scientists discovered strange wrinkle-like textures in deep-water sediments that shouldn’t have been there. These structures are usually made by sunlight-loving microbial mats in shallow waters. But the rocks formed far below the reach of light, suggesting a different explanation. Evidence points to chemosynthetic microbes—organisms powered by chemical reactions—creating the mats in the dark depths of an ancient ocean.
'Cikai Korran came here and saw': Visitors from India graffitied dozens of Egyptian tombs 2,000 years ago
Ancient inscriptions written in Indian languages have been discovered on Egyptian tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Historian Finds Scribbles in 500-Year-Old Book, Showing Galileo Galilei’s Slow and Steady Rejection of the Geocentric World
A discovery inside an ancient astronomy manual reveals the surprising roots of Galileo's cosmic rebellion.
Antarctica Looks Like It’s Bleeding. Scientists Finally Figured Out Why.
The Blood Falls is the result of a complicated interaction in which overlying ice, underlying rock, and an ancient lake bed form a pretty unsettling natural display.
Scientists Are Trying to Resurrect Ancient Forests to Battle Climate Change
A 25-year-long study shows just how important those ancient forests are to the planet’s health.
Research roundup: Six cool science stories we almost missed
Smart underwear measures farts, brain cells play Doom, and AI discovers rules of an ancient game.
Scientists Discovered an Ancient Egyptian Tool 2,000 Years Ahead of Its Time
The copper and leather device represents the first evidence of mechanical tools from Egypt’s pre-Pharaonic history.
The ancient human ancestor ‘Little Foot’ gets a new face
A new digital reconstruction of the face of an early Australopithecus specimen helps add details about the origins of our own species.
Ancient Microbes Fused Into Earth’s First Complex Cells. Scientists Just Learned What Made It Possible.
Around 1.7 billion years ago, eukaryotes—the building blocks of complex life—first appeared on Earth, and now scientists have solved a longstanding riddle about their origin.
Massive asteroid impact 6.3 million years ago left giant glass field in Brazil
For the first time ever, scientists have uncovered a vast field of tektites in Brazil — mysterious glassy fragments forged when a powerful extraterrestrial object slammed into Earth about 6.3 million years ago. Named “geraisites” after Minas Gerais, where they were first found, these dark, aerodynamic droplets of natural glass stretch across more than 900 kilometers and may mark one of South America’s most significant ancient impact events.
Scientists Found 6,000-Year-Old Human Remains. No Other People Share Their DNA.
An analysis of bones from ancient people has discovered DNA that does not directly connect them to any other ancient or modern population.
The first animals on Earth had no skeletons and that changes everything
Sponges may be ancient, but their timeline has been murky. New research suggests the earliest sponges were soft and skeleton-free, explaining why their fossils don’t appear until much later. By analyzing hundreds of genes and modeling how skeletons evolved, scientists found that mineralized spicules arose separately in different sponge lineages. The discovery rewrites the story of how the first reef-building animals—and possibly the first animals of all—emerged.
T rex breath and Queen Elizabeth’s car: scientists creating ‘time machine for the nose’
Researchers are recreating ancient odours for museumgoers as interest in the archaeology of smell grows
Old Apollo rocks reveal new clues about the moon's ancient magnetic field
Their study challenges the longtime belief that the moon's magnetic field remained strong for long stretches of time.
What Your DNA Reveals About the Sex Life of Neanderthals
Most people alive today carry fragments of Neanderthal DNA in their genome. Now scientists are gaining a more intimate understanding of the ancient encounters that put it there.
A genetic analysis reveals new details on ancient couplings between humans and Neanderthals
Ancient linkups may have happened more frequently between female humans and male Neanderthals, according to an new genetic analysis.
Neanderthal males and human females had babies together, ancient DNA reveals
When ancient humans mated, dad was a Neanderthal, mom was Homo sapiens.
Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Gaining Resistance to Antibiotics, Scientists Warn
This is a global problem.
'A place of extremes': Scientists unveil the largest-ever map of the galaxy's chaotic center
Scientists using the ALMA telescope have created the most-detailed-ever map of the Milky Way's chaotic center. The observations could open a window to the ancient universe as it appeared shortly after the Big Bang.
NASA study finds ancient life could survive 50 million years in Martian ice
Mars’ frozen ice caps may be time capsules for ancient life. Lab experiments show that key building blocks of proteins can survive tens of millions of years in pure ice, even under relentless cosmic radiation. Ice mixed with Martian-like soil, however, destroys organic material far more quickly. The findings point future missions toward drilling into clean, buried ice rather than studying rocks or dirt.
Italy throws farewell party, passes torch to France
The Milan Cortina Olympics ended Sunday with a closing ceremony paying tribute to Italian dance and music inside the ancient Verona Arena.
Organic molecules found in a 500-million-year-old fossil, upending the science of paleontology
Biological polymer chitin survives 500 million years in fossils, revealing carbon conservation and ancient chemistry.
Politics and sport, connected since ancient times
The fact is that we can no more remove politics from athletics than we can remove athletics from humanity, R. Bruce Anderson writes.
Ancient bacteria found frozen in ice may help scientists in fight against superbugs
In a cave in Romania, scientists found a bacterial strain entombed in ice that is resistant to 10 modern antibiotics. But it may also help fight superbugs.
Scientists Discovered the Ancient, Unassuming Creature That Invented Salads
The 300 million-year-old Tyrannoroter heberti had an extra set of conical-shaped teeth, indicating it likely ate plants. It’s one of the earliest species to do so.
Scientists uncover oxygen-loving ancestor of all complex life
For decades, scientists have believed that complex life began when two very different microbes joined forces, eventually giving rise to plants, animals, and fungi. But one major puzzle remained: how could these organisms have met if one depended on oxygen and the other supposedly lived without it? New research suggests the answer lies in ancient microbes called Asgard archaea.
Even the best writing about science recalls ancient myths
The essays in a new anthology offer two distinct ways of interpreting the Promethean legacy of scientific progress.
'Absolute surprise': Homo erectus skulls found in China are almost 1.8 million years old — the oldest evidence of the ancient human relatives in East Asia
A new date for Homo erectus skulls found in central China provides new insight into how and when ancient human relatives reached eastern Asia.
Scientists Find Key Building Block of Life in 500-Million-Year-Old Fossils
Ancient fossils are revealing unexpected chemical survivors, challenging long-held assumptions about how biological carbon is preserved over Earth’s history.
Ancient DNA solves 12,000-year-old mystery of rare genetic growth disorder
An Ice Age double burial in Italy has yielded a stunning genetic revelation. DNA from a mother and daughter who lived over 12,000 years ago shows that the younger had a rare inherited growth disorder, confirmed through mutations in a key bone-growth gene. Her mother carried a milder version of the same mutation. The finding not only solves a long-standing mystery but also proves that rare genetic diseases stretch far back into prehistory.
Secrets Behind Rome's Self-Healing Concrete Leads Scientist to Launch Roman-Style Concrete Business
A scientist who figured out the secret behind ancient Rome's self-repairing concrete has recently confirmed his theory at a Pompeii building site
Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster ‘Alchemist Introduction’ trailer
Inti Creates has released a new trailer for hybrid 2D action and strategy game Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster introducing the Alchemist class.
Ancient fingerprint found on 2,400-year-old Danish war boat
More than a century after its discovery, Scandinavia’s oldest plank boat is finally giving up new secrets. By analyzing ancient caulking and cords from the Hjortspring boat, researchers uncovered traces of pine pitch and animal fat — materials that likely came from pine-rich regions east of Denmark along the Baltic Sea. This suggests the vessel, used by a band of Iron Age warriors who attacked the island of Als over 2,000 years ago, may have sailed across open waters on a long, carefully planned mission.
What are ghost lineages, remnants of the past that still exist in our DNA today?
Ghost lineages reveal themselves through ancient genes that still exist in living beings today.
Snowball Earth was not completely frozen, new study reveals
Even when Earth was locked in its most extreme deep freeze, the planet’s climate may not have been as silent and still as once believed. New research from ancient Scottish rocks reveals that during Snowball Earth — when ice sheets reached the tropics and the planet resembled a giant snowball from space — climate rhythms similar to today’s seasons, solar cycles, and even El Niño–like patterns were still pulsing beneath the ice.
Rain Annihilation in Reign of the Warlock
Play the newest class in Diablo: II Resurrected. Fight your way through Terror Zones, face Colossal Ancients, and more.
Rules of mysterious ancient board game decoded by AI, scientists say
Scientists find genes that existed before all life on Earth
Life’s story may stretch further back than scientists once thought. Some genes found in nearly every organism today were already duplicated before all life shared a common ancestor. By tracking these rare genes, researchers can investigate how early cells worked and what features of life emerged first. New computational tools are now helping scientists unlock this hidden chapter of evolution.
Dueling AIs Reconstruct Rules of Mysterious Roman-Era Board Game
Seems like Europeans were playing blocking games centuries earlier than previously thought.
Ancient Chinese medicine may hold the key to hair regrowth
A centuries-old Chinese medicinal root is getting new scientific attention as a potential game-changer for common hair loss. Polygonum multiflorum, long believed to restore dark, healthy hair, appears to work on multiple fronts at once—blocking hair-shrinking hormones, protecting follicles from damage, activating natural regrowth signals, and boosting blood flow to the scalp.
Chang’e-6 lunar samples reveal a giant impact reshaped the Moon’s interior
A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface.
Ancient bones reveal chilling victory rituals after Europe’s earliest wars
New evidence from Neolithic mass graves in northeastern France suggests that some of Europe’s earliest violent encounters were not random acts of brutality, but carefully staged displays of power. By analyzing chemical clues locked in ancient bones and teeth, researchers found that many victims were outsiders who suffered extreme, ritualized violence after conflict. Severed arms appear to have been taken from local enemies killed in battle, while captives from farther away were executed in a grim form of public spectacle.
These 773,000-year-old fossils may reveal our shared human ancestor
Fossils from a Moroccan cave have been dated with remarkable accuracy to about 773,000 years ago, thanks to a magnetic signature locked into the surrounding sediments. The hominin remains show a blend of ancient and more modern features, placing them near a pivotal branching point in human evolution. These individuals likely represent an African population close to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neandertals, and Denisovans.
Scientist accidentally stumbles across bizarre ancient ‘wrinkle structures’ in Morocco that shouldn't be there
Ancient fossil structures imprinted on rocks that were once deep beneath the ocean suggest the search for the first life on Earth needs to be broadened.
Scientists want you to smell ancient Egyptian mummies
A mixture of archeology and chemistry brings the aroma of mummification to museums.
Scientists discover hidden deep-Earth structures shaping the magnetic field
Deep inside Earth, two massive hot rock structures have been quietly shaping the planet’s magnetic field for millions of years. Using ancient magnetic records and advanced simulations, scientists discovered that these formations influence the movement of liquid iron in Earth’s core. Some parts of the magnetic field remained stable over vast stretches of time, while others changed dramatically.
750-year-old Indian poems reveal a landscape scientists got wrong
Old Indian poems and folk songs are revealing a surprising truth about the land. Scientists found that descriptions of thorny trees and open grasslands in texts written as far back as the 1200s closely match today’s savannas in western India. This suggests these landscapes are ancient and natural—not ruined forests. The discovery could reshape how conservation and tree-planting efforts are planned.
Ancient tools in China are forcing scientists to rethink early humans
Archaeologists in central China have uncovered evidence that early humans were far more inventive than long assumed. Excavations at the Xigou site reveal advanced stone tools, including the earliest known examples of tools fitted with handles in East Asia, dating back as far as 160,000 years. These discoveries show that ancient populations in the region carefully planned, crafted, and adapted their tools to meet changing environments.
Gray wolves are hunting sea otters and no one knows how
On a remote Alaskan island, gray wolves are rewriting the rulebook by hunting sea otters — a behavior few scientists ever expected to see. Researchers are now uncovering how these coastal wolves adapted to marine hunting, what it means for land–sea ecosystems, and whether this ancient predator–prey relationship is re-emerging as sea otters recover.
Apple patches ancient iOS versions to keep iMessage, FaceTime, other services working
Apple renews certificates for old iOS versions to keep the lights on longer.
Scientists finally explain Earth’s strangest fossils
The Ediacara Biota are some of the strangest fossils ever found—soft-bodied organisms preserved in remarkable detail where preservation shouldn’t be possible. Scientists now think their survival in sandstone came from unusual ancient seawater chemistry that created clay “cements” around their bodies after burial. This process captured delicate shapes that would normally vanish. The finding helps clarify how complex life emerged before the Cambrian Explosion.
“Stars like the Sun don’t just stop shining,” but this one did
A distant Sun-like star suddenly went dark for months, stunning astronomers who quickly realized something massive was passing in front of it. Observations revealed a gigantic disk of gas and dust filled with vaporized metals, swirling around an unseen companion object. For the first time, scientists directly measured the motion of these metallic winds inside such a disk. The findings suggest that even ancient star systems can still experience catastrophic planetary smashups.
Stanford Scientists Reveal Oldest Map of the Night Sky, Previously Lost to Time
SLAC researchers used X-ray beams and the particle accelerator to recover the work of an ancient astronomer, who made the earliest known attempt to log the stars.
Ancient giant kangaroos could hop after all
Giant kangaroos that lived during the Ice Age may not have been as slow and grounded as once believed. A new study finds their leg bones and tendons were likely strong enough to support hopping, despite their massive size. Rather than traveling this way all the time, these animals may have relied on short bursts of hopping. This ability could have played a key role in escaping predators.
Forensic science meets ancient art—inside the quest for Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA
Researchers are using cutting‑edge DNA techniques to hunt for genetic evidence in centuries‑old artworks in an effort to better understand the genius of Leonardo da Vinci
Strange Metal From Beyond Our Planet Spotted in Ancient Treasure Stash
More precious than gold.
Faded hand shape in Indonesian cave may be world’s oldest rock art
A hand stencil left on an Indonesian cave wall at least 67,800 years ago may reveal how and when ancient humans reached a lost continent known as Sahul that once linked Australia with southeast Asia.
A Bite-Size Column About Delight and Wonder in Science
In Trilobites, reporters aim to share new findings in the science world, be it interspecies friendships or discoveries of ancient fossils.
Scientists “resurrect” ancient cannabis enzymes with medical promise
Scientists have uncovered how cannabis evolved the ability to make its most famous compounds—THC, CBD, and CBC—by recreating ancient enzymes that existed millions of years ago. These early enzymes were multitaskers, capable of producing several cannabinoids at once, before evolution fine-tuned them into today’s highly specialized forms. By “resurrecting” these long-lost enzymes in the lab, researchers showed how cannabis chemistry became more precise over time—and discovered something unexpected: the ancient versions are often more robust and easier to work with.
Iron Age teeth reveal the hidden lives of ancient Italians
Their teeth hold tales of childhood nutritional stress.
Secrets Of Ancient Concrete, And... Data Centers In Space?
What can we learn from a Pompeii construction site preserved in ash? Plus, tech companies look to build solar-powered data centers in space.
Scientists Solve Mars Water Mystery With a Thin Layer of Ice
New climate modeling suggests that small lakes on ancient Mars could have stayed liquid for decades, even in a generally cold environment. Small lakes on early Mars may have stayed in liquid form for many years, despite average temperatures that were far below freezing. Researchers at Rice Uni
When the oceans died and life changed forever
A rapid climate collapse during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction devastated ocean life and reshuffled Earth’s ecosystems. In the aftermath, jawed vertebrates gained an unexpected edge by surviving in isolated marine refuges. Over millions of years, they diversified into many forms while competitors faded away. This ancient reset helped determine which creatures would dominate the planet ever after.
Tiny bump on 7 million-year-old fossil suggests ancient ape walked upright — and might even be a human ancestor
The way Sahaleanthropus tchadensis moved has long been debated. The discovery of a small bump on the front of the thigh bone is "beyond convincing" evidence this ape was bipedal.
AMD Stock Slips After Intel (INTC) Said It Sells ‘Ancient Silicon’
AMD stock slipped after Intel insulted the company’s products.
AMD claps back at Intel claims that it uses 'ancient silicon' in PC gaming handhelds
Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 'Panther Lake' CPUs pack shocking graphical prowess, and it's led to a war of the words with AMD about the chips powering PC gaming handhelds.
Intel Jabs AMD With New Panther Lake Chips, Claiming Team Red Is Selling ‘Ancient Silicon’ in the Handheld Market
Intel appears confident in its new Panther Lake chips, as the company refers to chips from AMD as "ancient silicon."
Earth's early sponges were soft: Scientists close fossil record gap
Sponges are among Earth's most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, suggest ...
'How can all of this be happening?': Scientists spot massive group of ancient galaxies so hot they shouldn't exist
An inexplicably hot, fast-growing cluster of galaxies in the early universe has scientists questioning theories of galactic evolution.