Photos: Devastating Caldor wildfire threatens Lake Tahoe

The devastating wildfires are closing in on South Lake Tahoe resort, causing thousands of people to flee.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3DxXusG

Cannibal toads eat so many of their young, they're speeding up evolution

Competition is so fierce Down Under, the invasive cane toad has become a mega-cannibal.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mNwxLL

See Hurricane Ida from 1 million miles away in this NOAA satellite view

The sheer size of Hurricane Ida when it made landfall on Sunday was clearly visible from a NOAA satellite 1 million miles away.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WBNcae

SpaceX's Dragon docks at ISS in time for astronaut's birthday

The robotic Dragon capsule delivered about 4,800 lbs. (2,200 kilograms) of supplies and scientific gear to the orbiting lab.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38yKnsV

Intense exercise could trigger ALS in those with genetic risk

More research needs to be done to confirm the link.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zJe6va

Could a spaceship fly through a gas giant like Jupiter?

These planets are mostly made of gas, but a spaceship would have a rough time trying to get through a giant planet like Jupiter or Saturn.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3t8EbBx

10 of the deadliest snakes

An encounter with one of these venomous snakes could cost you your life.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yySArP

Man can change his pupil size on command, once thought an impossible feat

A 23-year-old student in Germany can shrink and enlarge his pupils on demand, according to a new case report — a feat that was previously thought to be impossible.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zydOrc

What is ESP?

Also known as "the sixth sense" or "psi," extrasensory perception, or ESP, encompasses a wide range of paranormal abilities, including mind reading and predicting the future.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mIoxvD

Why did Hurricane Ida stay so strong for so long?

Coastal Louisiana provided Hurricane Ida with enough fuel to power major hurricane winds for hours.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2Y1tjda

Oranges: Nutrition, health benefits & risks

In addition to being a delicious snack, sweet, juicy oranges contain a multitude of nutrients.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WxOrrk

Newly discovered island is the closest land to the North Pole

In July, a group of scientists accidentally found themselves on a tiny island in northern Greenland made up of mounds of silt and gravel. It turned out to be an unknown island.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38oYYHt

New cracks found on International Space Station

Officials have not reported if the new cracks are causing any air leaks.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yvUXLQ

Alien life could thrive on big 'Hycean' exoplanets

The search for alien life should broaden its horizons a bit, a new study suggests.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WAlhY2

What is the oldest shark?

The Greenland shark is the oldest known shark, with one individual estimated to be 392 years old.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sVTehQ

Transylvanian skeletons found with urns from the afterlife placed on their heads

Further tests of the remains may reveal how the settlers lived and why they died.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38m6NO8

Could climate change make humans go extinct?

Humanity is feeling the effects of climate change around the world, but could climate change make humans go extinct?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2Yb2qDN

Lost monastery led by powerful 8th-century queen discovered in England

She had an unusual amount of power for her time.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zG7uh6

Quantum crystal could reveal the identity of dark matter

By entangling the motion and quantum properties of a beryllium crystal, scientists have achieved unprecedented precision for measuring electromagnetic waves.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3DmYDmS

'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana with 150 mph winds

Hurricane Ida, an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane, made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at 11:55 a.m. local time on Sunday.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gIA1vn

Why do faces become less symmetrical with age?

The aging process doesn't happen equally on both sides, leaving the human face increasingly less symmetrical with age.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mLL62m

Hurricane Ida expected to slam into Louisiana as 'extremely dangerous major hurricane'

Hurricane Ida is barreling across the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of nearly 100 mph (155 km/h). Its eye is trained on Louisiana, where the swirling storm is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3Drx77S

'Murder hornet' nest leads to discovery of 180 adults, 1,500 larvae

A "murder hornet" nest in Washington had 113 adults and 1,500 developing Asian giant hornets inside.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jm8T71

What is the fastest animal on Earth?

The cheetah is often called the world's fastest animal. But is that true?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3kDoBdw

Storm Ida could slam into Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane

The Governor of Louisiana has declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sQMQZl

Earthquake swarm rocks the ground at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

A swarm of more than 140 earthquakes at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano caused the U.S. Geological Survey to raise the alert level for a potential eruption, but it seems to have been a false alarm.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38jY3rS

Rogue black holes could be wandering at the edges of the Milky Way

A new simulation predicts that the lost giants were dislodged by gigantic collisions and have wandered the outskirts of galaxies ever since.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sTr0nT

Scientists detected the radio 'colors' of an FRB for the first time

Astronomers detected the radio 'colors' of a fast radio burst (FRB) for the first time, proving that the source was not a binary star system.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mCtJ41

Ancient monument linked to King Arthur is older than Stonehenge, research finds

The stone structure was part of a ceremonial landscape.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3knyvja

Satellite images show crowds at Kabul airport before two reported explosions

Massive crowds converged at Hamid Karzai International Airport before explosions there killed and injured dozens on Thursday (Aug. 26).

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2UXsGAo

6 mysterious structures hidden beneath the Greenland ice sheet

The Greenland ice sheet, nearly 2 miles thick in places, hides a landscape of canyons, mountains, fjords and gem-like lakes.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2UQ6FDk

Interstellar comets visit our solar system more frequently than thought

Comets from other star systems, such as 2019 Borisov, visit the sun's neighborhood more frequently than scientists had thought, a new study suggests.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gFIsr0

Martian 'blueberries' may hold signs of ancient water, new study suggests

Martian 'blueberry' stones may hold evidence of the planet's watery past, a new study of similar minerals on Earth suggests.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yp9skJ

What chronic fatigue syndrome can teach us about 'long COVID'

Existing knowledge about ME/CFS might be able to help some long COVID patients, and vice versa.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ykgPd1

This deworming drug won't treat COVID-19, but it might kill you, CDC warns

Ivermectin does not treat or prevent COVID-19, and it can cause deadly side effects.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mC8BuQ

Moon-in-a-jar recreates the hazy atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon

A new experiment recreated Titan in small glass cylinders.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3Df2IJX

A billion years of geologic history is missing from the Grand Canyon

About a billion years of rock went missing at the Grand Canyon, and scientists now think they know why.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gxDi0s

Italian shark has 'virgin birth' after 10 years in all-female shark tank

A female smoothhound shark recently gave birth in an Italian aquarium without having mated with another shark, in what may be a first-of-its-kind "virgin birth."

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mBzcbw

Alien 'Dyson spheres' could be harvesting the power of black holes

Researchers show how intelligent aliens might draw nearly-limitless power from a black hole using a Dyson sphere.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2UNfz4u

Why all the hate? Looking at what makes Blue Origin's presence in space so different

These days, it feels as though billionaire-backed space companies are launching off Earth all the time. So why does Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin seem to be in the hot seat?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jkh2J4

Massive iceberg narrowly avoided collision with Antarctic ice shelf

A-74 nearly collided with the ice shelf it split from last February. Such a strong impact may have released an even larger iceberg.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2UPFYih

Venus and a newly discovered comet will cross paths in December. Will sparks fly?

Venus is Earth's twisted twin in so many ways, what about on the skywatching front?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2Ws4arJ

SpaceX Starship: Key milestones for the world's most powerful rocket

SpaceX's Starship system is the most powerful rocket yet. Here are some of the key moments in its history as the rocket and spacecraft get ready for the first orbital test.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sMkjEe

Ancient remains found in Indonesia belong to a vanished human lineage

Ancient DNA from a woman who lived 7,200 years ago reveal she belongs to a vanished human lineage.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sOnafZ

What is a galaxy?

Learn all about different types of galaxies in the universe and how they came together.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3kmn6Qx

Hubble captures gorgeous image of 'Einstein ring' from warped quasar light

Astronomers use the rings to study remote galaxies and to measure the masses of the objects that create them.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3BbfTJR

Johnson & Johnson booster shot increases antibodies to coronavirus nine-fold, company says

People who received a booster Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine six to eight months after their initial dose had a nine-fold increase in antibodies, according to clinical trial results.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WsVhhv

Hubble telescope spies a stellar nursery through clouds in stunning image

New stars are born! NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of bright, baby stars peeking out of a "stellar nursery" — a cloud of dust where stars are born.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3B9E8Iv

Scientists' 1st-ever view of sun's middle corona could sharpen space weather forecasts

Recent telescope views shed new light on the sun's elusive middle corona that could prove beneficial to space weather forecasts.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zhaG2T

Lost 'Heisenberg cubes' tied to Nazi bomb plot could finally be identified

Hundreds of the cubes were lost in the chaotic aftermath of World War II. Now, the new technique could help to find them.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jfAff3

Eerie albino alligator babies hatched at Florida animal park

Two rare albino alligators have hatched at a Florida safari park.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jbRZIa

Walking whale ancestor named after Egyptian god of death

Meet Phiomicetus anubis, a semiaquatic whale that lived in what is now Egypt 43 million years ago.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jbjilP

These delta variant mutations may explain its scary power

These mutations may make delta the most transmissible coronavirus variant yet. Here's how the variant became so formidable.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38btft9

Every year, billions of black ice worms crawl from the ice on Mount Rainier. We have no idea why.

Every summer, billions of ice worms emerge from the ice. As for what they are doing there, scientists really don't know.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WpogTf

8 ways we know that black holes really do exist

Black holes may sound like science fiction, but there is significant evidence to prove they are real.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gwiWVi

Strange wasp nests glow neon green under UV light

With UV flashlights, researchers could spot the nests dozens of yards away.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gxz8FA

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness dropped to 66% against delta, CDC finds

The findings should be interpreted with caution.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3DeeyDU

'Shredder' enzyme might tear cells apart in severe COVID-19

The enzyme could be a helpful target for future treatments, the study authors suggest.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yiAKsW

'Unimaginable' video shows great white sharks ripping humpback whale carcass to shreds

NOAA researchers stumbled upon a gang of great white sharks scavenging a dead humpback whale calf off the coast of Boston. Now, they're sharing the footage.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3kpeUz9

1,500-year-old burial in China holds lovers locked in eternal embrace

Two lovers, locked in an eternal embrace, were found in a 1,500-year-old burial in northern China.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sLfUBb

2,000-year-old flower offerings found under Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico

Ancient bouquets found under Teotihuacan pyramid in Mexico may have been offerings to a fertility god.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gMxv7p

10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane

The U.S. military has an uncrewed mini-shuttle called the X-37B. Here's what we know about this secret space plane.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jdfvo9

Fastest-orbiting asteroid in solar system discovered

The newfound asteroid 2021 PH27 completes one lap around our star every 113 Earth days. That's the shortest orbital period of any known solar system object except the planet Mercury.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yaen8Z

Most of Earth's carbon may be locked in our planet's outer core

Scientists now understand the composition of Earth a little better thanks to new study.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/38dDrBi

Thousands of sand dollars mysteriously wash ashore in Oregon in 'mass die-off'

The sand dollars were alive when they washed in during high tides and became stranded.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3kiWrUH

5 gruesome killer whale attacks

Killer whales hunt in packs, play with their food and sometimes commit murder.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3D96zZ3

What is multiverse theory?

Multiverse theory suggests we live in one of an infinite number of universes.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/387NM20

FDA grants full approval for Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Aug.23). It's the first COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. to be fully approved.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3kfi7RD

California family found dead on trail had 'no obvious cause of death.' Could toxic algae be responsible?

Investigators are considering the possibility that the couple, their one-year-old daughter and their dog were exposed to toxic algae.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mwdUvT

Tortoise hunts baby bird in slow-motion, crushes its skull in shocking video

This is the first video evidence of a tortoise hunting anything.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3klMBl9

Megalodon's mortal attack on sperm whale revealed in ancient tooth

An ancient sperm whale tooth has gouge marks on it that may have come from an megalodon attack.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3j9k9nh

Is the ancient Egyptian 'mummy's curse' real?

Here's how the idea of a "mummy's curse" got started.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zamvrz

Mystery object in space could be a new arm of the Milky Way

A telescope in China has mapped out what may be a totally new arm of our home galaxy.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3AVuAki

Traversable wormholes are possible under certain gravity conditions

Certain weird gravity conditions would make it possible to travel through a wormhole and back.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2Wah2Tq

How a Salmonella outbreak ravaged a Michigan restaurant for 11 years

Despite several remodels and deep cleanings, the building continued to harbor the bacteria.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3zcUxey

Astronauts and satellites watch Hurricane Henri from space as US Northeast braces for storm

As parts of New England brace for Hurricane Henri to make landfall in New York Sunday (Aug. 22), astronauts and satellites are tracking the historic storm from space.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/384BuHq

These flesh-eating centipedes hunt and eat baby birds alive. Here's why.

The centipedes hunt at night, striking young, defenceless petrel chicks in their nests and devouring them alive after injecting paralyzing venom.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3mp71fM

What color is the universe?

Scientists have figured out the average color of the universe by recording visible light from more than 200,000 galaxies.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yiFJKp

What can we do with a captured asteroid?

Asteroids are packed with gold and other valuable resources. And the best way to harvest those metals may be to bring space rocks to Earth.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ycx2Rr

Why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?

Why do people sometimes gain weight after they start to exercise regularly?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sBF4SW

NASA halts human moon lander work with SpaceX amid Blue Origin lawsuit

NASA must again stop work on its human moon lander partnership with SpaceX due to a Blue Origin lawsuit, further risking the agency's tight timeline to return astronauts to the moon.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37YonaS

What is the hippocampus?

The hippocampus is a small region of our brain responsible for memory, learning and navigation.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xZkvko

Rain falls on Greenland's summit for first time in recorded history

Scientists attribute the unprecedented event to an unusually long lasting atmospheric event, driven in part by climate change.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sATC5p

Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is fighting an invisible battle against the inner Earth, new study finds

Researchers studied geothermal heat flow below West Antarctica, and found that the infamous Thwaites Glacier is being disproportionately cooked from below.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CZXbH7

Metal detectorist finds sword pyramid from time of mysterious Sutton Hoo burial

A metal detectorist found a 1,400-year-old sword pyramid in England, which was likely a status symbol for an elite warrior.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3sAcEbZ

Why this weekend's Blue Moon is extra rare (and how to see it)

August's full Blue Moon shines on Sunday, but it will be a "full moon weekend."

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3z3bUhS

Rattlesnake rattles use auditory illusion to trick human brains

Snakes use an audio trick to cause approaching mammals to underestimate their distance to the snakes, creating a safety buffer region between themselves and a potential threat.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2W8kWLY

Sexually frustrated sea snakes mistake scuba divers for potential mates

Sea snakes, particularly males, are more likely to interact with scuba divers during mating season because the snakes can't distinguish the divers from potential mates, a new study has found.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yXAX5Y

400-year-old 'Muga dhambi' is one of the largest and oldest corals in the Great Barrier Reef

Australian researchers have discovered the widest, and quite possibly the oldest, coral colony in the Great Barrier Reef, which they have named "Muga dhambi."

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37YngYM

Chinese astronomers eye Tibetan Plateau site for observatory project

Chinese astronomers hope to establish a major observatory program on the roof of the world, the Tibetan Plateau, with new research arguing for pristine observing conditions nestled in the uplands.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3k75zvD

SpaceX Starlink satellites responsible for over half of close encounters in orbit, scientist says

SpaceX's Starlink satellites are involved in about 1,600 close encounters between two spacecraft in low Earth orbit every week, according to available data. That’s about 50% of all such incidents.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3stPyDI

Milky Way has a 3,000-light-year-long splinter in its arm, and astronomers don’t know why

Astronomers discovered a 3,000-light-year-long 'break' in the Milky Way's Sagittarius spiral arm, jutting out at a wild angle.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3z08H2M

World's most elusive giant squid could be monogamous, female corpse hints

A female giant squid caught off the coast of Japan mated with a single male in her lifetime, a surprising finding given what little is known about these creatures' reproduction.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3gh6uZd

What is RSV?

In healthy children and adults, the virus typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms; but it can cause more serious disease in infants and the elderly.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xXqwxZ

Fusion experiment breaks record, blasts out 10 quadrillion watts of energy

Scientists used an unconventional method of creating nuclear fusion to yield a record-breaking burst of energy of more than 10 quadrillion watts, by firing intense beams of light from the world's largest lasers at a tiny pellet of hydrogen.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ga4kdW

Lab-made mini brains grow their own sets of 'eyes'

A group of scientists has grown mini brains that have something their real counterparts do not: a set of eye-like structures called "optic cups" that give rise to the retina

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3z2DNH4

Physicists give weird new phase of matter an extra dimension

The new phase of matter behaves like a solid and a frictionless liquid at the same time

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2XtuXnC

Mass grave from Nazi atrocity discovered in Poland's 'Death Valley'

Archaeologists in Poland have discovered a mass grave from World War II that contains the remains of about 500 people.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37UdlTS

Chinese satellite got whacked by hunk of Russian rocket in March

The partial breakup of China's Yunhai 1-02 military satellite on March 18 is no longer mysterious.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2W1EAt1

SpaceX's Starship could be ready for 1st orbital test flight 'in a few weeks,' Elon Musk says

The first full-size prototype of SpaceX's Starship vehicle should be ready to launch on an orbital test flight "in a few weeks," company founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter on Saturday (Aug. 14).

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2W2xsgg

Man gets 'flesh-eating' bacterial infection from eating raw oysters

The man spent three weeks on life support.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xVy1FF

Rare embryo from dinosaur age was laid by human-size turtle

A farmer in China found a 90 million-year-old fossilized turtle egg that has an embryo inside it.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2W4q6c7

Stunningly preserved mummy of slave found in Pompeii graveyard

The partially mummified remains of an urbane Pompeii resident have been discovered in a tomb outside the city center.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3iW8KHm

Tetanus: Causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment

Tetanus, also called lockjaw, is caused by bacteria found on rusty metals and many other surfaces.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CVrXRj

Crowds of desperate people at Afghanistan airport visible in satellite photos

Crowds that descended upon an Afghanistan airport were so massive that they showed up in satellite photos taken from space.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3g9gRhI

Pi calculated to a record-breaking 68.2 trillion digits

Researchers are set to break the world record for the most precise value of pi, after using an advanced computer to calculate the famous constant to 68.2 trillion decimal places.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yXjx9J

Here's why you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds, according to physics

The authors created a simple mathematical model to simulate the movement of particles during hand washing.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3snklSA

US to recommend COVID-19 vaccine booster shots 8 months post-vaccination

U.S. health officials are expected to recommend that people receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose eight months after their second dose.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3APFY0Z

Saturn's rippling rings point to massive, soupy core hidden inside

Scientists used Saturn's famous rings as a seismograph to study processes in the planet's interior. The researchers found its core is like a soup consisting of rocks, ices and metallic fluids.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CUza44

What God, quantum mechanics and consciousness have in common

Theories that try to explain these big metaphysical mysteries fall short, making agnosticism the only sensible stance.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VZ9fY6

Three volcanoes erupt at the same time in Alaska, in rare phenomena

Three volcanoes in Alaska's Aleutian islands are erupting simultaneously, but are currently not a threat to local communities.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3smv93A

What is postpartum depression?

Many parents experience postpartum depression. Here's what it looks like and how it can be treated.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ySe6bT

Does the explosion of the delta variant mean we need a new COVID-19 vaccine?

COVID-19 vaccines largely prevent severe illness, but the delta variant raises the question of whether and when booster shots will be needed.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37Krgfk

The story behind black-and-white photo of SpaceX's Starship

Here's the historical significance of the black-and-white photo that Elon Musk tweeted showing SpaceX's next Starship prototype.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3k2FEoK

Mutant 'daddy shortlegs' created in a lab

Scientists have created an altered version of daddy longlegs with shortened and morphologically altered legs by suppressing the genes behind the development of their long legs.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3D2bif5

COVID-19 could mix up body's 'fight-or-flight' system

There's still much that’s unknown about the subtle impacts a typical COVID-19 infection may have on the body and the nervous system.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2XBmhvL

The longest living animals on Earth

The longest living animals can survive for centuries and millennia, even pausing the aging process altogether. Here are the longest living animals in the world.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yVhtz4

COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to preterm birth

COVID-19 may increase the risk of giving birth prematurely, according to the largest study to date on this link.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3AOkrWG

Have any human societies ever lived underground?

Societies have lived underground before, sometimes for weeks at a time.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xPJJBL

Here's what you need to know about COVID-19 breakthrough infections

The COVID-19 vaccines that are used in the U.S. are highly effective. But sometimes, the coronavirus can still infect people who are vaccinated, causing so-called breakthrough infections.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3g9v1iT

Famous Einstein equation used to create matter from light for first time

The particles used were spooky virtual particles, conjured from a disturbance between two electromagnetic fields.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3iNQOOL

Black holes could give away their size by their 'messy eating'

Astronomers think they have established a new way to calculate the size of supermassive black holes: by studying the feeding patterns of these invisible giants.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3m4orhq

Solar Orbiter spacecraft sends postcard from Venus in flyby video

Sun-exploring spacecraft Solar Orbiter has captured this video of a glowing crescent of Venus as it flew past the planet during a gravity-assist flyby on Monday (Aug 9).

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2W0SkEF

Why do turtles live so long?

Turtles are famous for their long lives. How do they achieve this longevity?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3z2sYEZ

Magnitude-7.2 earthquake strikes Haiti

Extensive damage and high casualties are likely, the USGS said.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VOzxfs

How do we decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics and other ancient languages?

Here's how experts decipher ancient languages.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CNyldj

Chimps use 'hi' and 'bye' greetings, just like humans

Humans aren't the only species that show "hello" and "goodbye" behaviors.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xLCM4w

How do we decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics and other ancient languages?

Here's how experts decipher ancient languages.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CPYwQr

49 million-year-old beetle looks like it was squashed yesterday

Meet "Attenborough's Beauty," an ancient beetle that was so exceptionally well-preserved you can still see the colorful patterns on its wing case.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3k0ttsS

Why Perseverance rover fumbled 1st sampling attempt on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover's first sample collection didn't go as planned due to trouble with a "unique" and unexpectedly powdery Mars rock.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yOxkPF

Invasive 'murder hornets' are officially back in the US

An invasive and destructive "murder hornet" has been spotted in Washington state for the first time this year, and the alien-looking insect was behaving accordingly — attacking a hive of paper wasps.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ALh0A1

Two planes report 'bright green UFO' swooping through the clouds over Canada

Two aircrafts flying over Canada reported a "bright green UFO" that disappeared into the clouds on July 30.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3slLmWM

Child diagnosed with rare brain-eating amoeba in California

The child most likely acquired the infection from swimming in a freshwater lake in Tehama County.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xDmue0

3 men die in manure pit: Here's why it's a 'death trap.'

Decomposing manure produces hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xIWa2f

Mount Etna is 100 feet taller than it was 6 months ago

Satellite imagery reveals that Mount Etna has gotten 100 feet taller in the past six months.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xJcTSO

Woolly mammoth’s epic 50,000-mile journey retraced

An adult mammoth's preserved tusk revealed how far the animal ranged across Alaska during its 28-year lifetime.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2XcBXoL

Highest recorded temperature in European history reported in Italy

Fires have raged across the Mediterranean for more than a week, burning many villages and forcing thousands to evacuate.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ABJcFd

Scientists fine-tune odds of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth

If the possibility of an asteroid called Bennu slamming into Earth a lifetime from now was keeping you up at night, NASA scientists think you can rest a little easier.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fVyf9A

Mysterious blood-red jellyfish may be rare species unknown to science, researchers say

NOAA researchers spotted a mysterious, blood-red jellyfish deep off the New England coast. It may be a new species unknown to science.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ADhlo4

Indian rocket suffers catastrophic failure during launch, Earth-watching satellite lost

An Indian rocket carrying a new Earth-observation satellite for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a catastrophic failure shortly after launching early Thursday (Aug. 12).

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yHUgAe

Giant huntsman spider: The world's largest spider by leg span

Huntsman spiders are long-legged predators that hunt down their prey. One species of huntsman spider has a leg span of 12 inches — or as big as a dinner plate.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3s9a9x9

Shape-shifting fish that confounded scientists for 100 years spotted off California coast

The metamorphoses the creature undergoes are so dramatic, it took scientists a century to figure out its different forms belonged to the same zoological family.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xJl5CC

Astronomers capture strange image of 'dancing ghosts' in the night sky

Scientists think they know the origin of the image, but they’re still baffled by its bizarre shape.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3lRKOqm

How deadly is the coronavirus delta variant?

Early data suggests the delta variant may cause more severe disease.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37CUCw8

Ancient Roman key depicts lion devouring barbarian

About 100 years after the Romans invaded Britain, a crafter created an elaborate key handle depicting a lion devouring a wild-eyed barbarian.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fShQTt

FDA to authorize 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose for immunocompromised people

The FDA is planning to update the emergency use authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines to include a third dose for immunocompromised people.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xPjawF

Sperm whales: The biggest toothed predator

Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales, with enormous square-shaped heads and the biggest brains of any animal on Earth.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3s7gFVb

Runaway star caught streaking across Milky Way at 2 million mph ... in the wrong direction

Astronomers say a weird star careening through the Milky Way could have survived the explosive powers of a supernova.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CGUk5J

Siberian wildfires dwarf all others on Earth combined

Smoke from massive wildfires in Russia's eastern Siberia region has reached the geographic North Pole "for the first time in recorded history," according to NASA.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VOxI1S

Translucent jellyfish, with fish trapped inside it, washes up on UK beach

A beach walker in the U.K. recently stumbled across a dead compass jellyfish with a juvenile fish trapped inside its bell.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37yZySx

History teacher finds secret cache of Nazi artifacts hidden behind house wall

A secret cache of Nazi artifacts — including badges adorned with eagles and swastikas, and a portrait of Adolf Hitler — has been found in Hagen, Germany.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CE1w2w

US astronaut moon landing 'not feasible,' by 2024, NASA's inspector general finds

Because of anticipated delays in spacesuit development, it is "not feasible" for NASA to land humans on the moon by the agency's hopeful deadline of 2024, a report has found.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3Az2wTK

NASA sun spacecraft whizzes through 9th solar flyby

NASA's sun-grazing spacecraft is making its ninth daring dive past our neighborhood star in a continuing quest to puzzle out secrets of how the sun works.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ACiXP9

Powerful X-ray burst from black hole ripples through galactic dust in new NASA image

Concentric ripples in galactic dust clouds triggered by a powerful black-hole X-ray burst can be seen in a new image released by NASA.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jKx91x

Which COVID-19 vaccine has the lowest rate of breakthrough infections?

Hints in the data suggest the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has the most breakthroughs, while Moderna has the least.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VLyhKn

Immunodeficiency: Definition and examples

Here's what immunodeficiency means.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3iD7V5K

Thumb-size bat makes record-breaking flight, gets killed by a house cat

A record-breaking female Nathusius' pipistrelle bat traveled more than 1,200 miles from London to Russia, where it was recently killed by a local cat.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3iArMTh

Frozen mummy of extinct cave lion is 'best-preserved ice age animal ever found', researchers say

Researchers have analyzed the mummified bodies of two extinct Ice Age lion cubs in unprecedented detail.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jHvARZ

10 out-of-this-world images of Earth taken by Landsat satellites

A collection of 10 of the best satellite photos to come out of the Landsat program.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yAUHfu

'Real-life dragon' in Cretaceous Australia was huge, toothy and a 'savage' hunter

A pterosaur "dragon" that lived in Australia during the Cretaceous was the continent's biggest flying reptile, according to a new analysis of a fossil jawbone.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CAnof2

How to watch the peak of the Perseid meteor shower this week

Get ready: The Perseid meteor shower peaks on Thursday (Aug. 12), and it has the potential to put on a good show.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jXbPWX

CDC investigating 2 deaths, 2 illnesses from rare bacterial disease

The disease, called melioidosis, is usually only seen in countries with tropical climates.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3g8dVCf

Mysterious dimming of bright star Betelgeuse possibly explained

The mysterious strange dimming seen last year in the huge star Betelgeuse may be from giant sunspots and temperature fluctuations.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CweT4M

There are 2 types of narcissists. Here's what makes each tick.

Chances are you've met a narcissist. Here's what's behind the gigantic ego.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ivgWhp

Origin of dinosaur-ending asteroid possibly found. And it's dark.

Scientists figured out what slammed into Earth and killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago: a giant dark primitive asteroid from the outer reaches of the solar system's main asteroid belt.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3lR4v1D

Human influence on global warming is 'unequivocal,' IPCC report says

Hundreds of scientists with a UN panel reviewed more than 14,000 studies documenting climate change evidence, to create a new report for policymakers worldwide.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CvQsUY

Are there any black holes left over from the Big Bang?

The early universe was a crazy place where, if conditions were right, any old patch of gas may have spontaneously shrunk to form a black hole of any size. Could some of these objects have survived to the present day?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3izTf7L

Possible evidence for biblical earthquake found in City of David

Archaeologists have found evidence of an earthquake that hit the City of David in Jerusalem about 2,800 years ago and that could be a major event described in the Hebrew Bible.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VIM9o8

What happens if a far more lethal coronavirus emerges in pets?

The recent suggestion that British ministers may have to consider culling or vaccinating animals to prevent the coronavirus from picking up another dangerous mutation may sound like sudden panic, but it's just part of a long debate among scientists.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2U2LrSt

Perseverance rover aims for its 1st sample of Mars, comes up empty

Perseverance drilled its first sample-collecting hole on Friday (Aug. 6), but data beamed back to Earth by the rover indicate that no Mars rock or dirt made it into the sampling tube.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3lOuAyl

Could we really terraform Mars?

With its frigid temperatures, remoteness from the sun and general dustiness, changing Mars to be more Earth-like is more challenging than it seems (and it already seems pretty tough).

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ivbLxW

Dixie Fire becomes largest in California history

Burning through parched fuel like matchsticks, the Dixie Fire in Northern California has mushroomed in size this week to become the largest single wildfire in the state's history.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VvZikM

Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?

Despite sharing almost 100% of their DNA, identical twins have different fingerprints, thanks to unique environmental factors.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37qEf5D

Babylonians used Pythagorean theorem 1,000 years before it was 'invented' in ancient Greece

The theorem may have been used to settle a land dispute between two affluent individuals.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fD2pOY

Fish with 'human teeth' stuns anglers in North Carolina

Meet the sheepshead fish, a common Atlantic coast swimmer with a very crunchy diet.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3Am9lYn

California woman got typhus from a neighborhood rat

Rats are notorious for spreading disease.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VBza7I

Stranded minke whale stinks so bad it's like 'death in a dumpster'

A dead minke whale that washed ashore in a Massachusetts town smells so horrible that authorities plan to cart it to a landfill.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CqpVZ2

Cerebral palsy: Causes, symptoms & treatment

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage that leads to muscle weakness and problems walking. But with support, people with cerebral palsy can lead relatively normal, functioning lives.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37nfY0r

Vaccine-resistant coronavirus 'mutants' are more likely when transmission is high, new model finds

A new model lays out when vaccine-resistant mutants are most likely to emerge.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3iyTdwZ

Major ocean current could be nearing 'critical tipping point,' scientists warn

Although scientists don’t fully understand the varying strengths of the factors contributing to the slowdown, all of them are linked to human-caused climate change.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3rYRpjB

Tardigrades probably see in black and white

Light-sensing proteins called opsins, which are linked to perception of color in other animals, are also found in tardigrades. However, tardigrades may lack the combination of opsins that make color vision possible.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xy2uJI

'Female' warrior buried in medieval grave may be non-binary

A medieval grave in Finland that was thought to hold the body of a female warrior or ruler has revealed a surprise — the person buried there may be non-binary. 

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CoVfaA

Melting sea ice could wipe out 98% of emperor penguins by the end of the century

A new study has predicted that emperor penguins could become functionally extinct by the end of the century due to melting sea ice.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fAkNaU

Synthetic brain cells that store 'memories' are possible, new model reveals

Scientists have created key parts of synthetic brain cells that can hold cellular "memories" for milliseconds. The achievement could one day lead to computers that work like the human brain.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yA337m

NASA has glimpsed our galaxy's fate in three-way galactic brawl

Despite the apocalyptic appearances, galactic mergers are a frequent and essential part of a galaxy’s life cycle.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3itKMD6

Arizona man went a month without knowing he had the plague

The case underscores the need to identify serious infections in a timely manner, the authors said.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3s1OxCD

(VIDEO) Watch squirrels perform parkour-like stunts for peanuts

If only our robots were as agile as squirrels.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2Vs0Xrj

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

How will you know if you have the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease? Here are the most common symptoms for adults, kids, vaccinated individuals and delta-variant infections.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ase4L9

Perseid meteor shower peaks this month: New moon bodes well for skywatchers.

Perseid meteors are already beginning to fall in a display that promises to dazzle skywatchers this month.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jiKoGo

Astronaut captures sparkling 'shooting star' video as Russian space station module falls to Earth

From his perch on the International Space Station, a French astronaut watched a long-running Russian space module break into pieces in a shower of fireworks.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3lDfmvN

New 'doubly charming' particle could help unlock the secrets of how matter is built

Studying the particle could provide physicists with vital insight into the rules that govern how all matter is formed.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VkB8dc

More than 1,000 earthquakes swarmed Yellowstone Park last month. Is 'the big one' nearing?

At least 1,008 earthquakes swarmed Yellowstone National Park in July 2021, the most in a single month since June 2017.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2TZWc86

Wildfire prompts evacuation at Turkey power plant

Turkey continues to battle dozens of intense wildfires that have now killed eight people and countless animals.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yuXK9c

This hurricane season will be even more active than previously predicted, NOAA says

Storm formation during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season will be higher than previously predicted, according to an update by NOAA scientists.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xngVQU

Vaccines cut chance of being infected with delta variant by half, UK study finds

The study examined nearly 100,000 people who took COVID-19 swab tests at home between June 24 and July 12.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3A9oD2B

Chinese cities enter lockdown as delta variant spreads

The outbreak has been traced back to the international airport in Nanjing.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3A4Pb58

Sharks hide in Florida canal to escape toxic red tide sweeping the coast

Hundreds of sharks have taken refuge in a Florida canal to escape the toxic red tide, an algal bloom sweeping the Gulf Coast.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3Cd0x97

Long-lost fragment of Stonehenge reveals rock grains dating to nearly 2 billion years ago

After 60 years, a missing piece of Stonehenge finally returns to the U.K., revealing secrets about the age and structure of the rock in the monument's iconic pillars.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3CfEM8x

Dogs know when humans are lying to them

Researchers found that dogs react differently to false information given to them by a misinformed human than they do to a human who is flat-out lying to them.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3xpoAhi

These 10 extreme exoplanets are out of this world

From worlds that rain iron and glass to diamond worlds and planets that have escaped the grip of their parent stars, here are 10 of the most extreme alien planets.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ilthV9

Polar bears bash walrus skulls with boulders and ice blocks, study suggests

Do polar bears throw rocks at walruses' heads to stun and kill them, as centuries of anecdotes suggest? They might, scientists say.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3A8eROj

Curiosity rover finds cute little rock 'lizard' on Mars

A small rock arch in Gale Crater is a whimsical example of the textures of Mars.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3AeXk7n

Sneaky birds caught on video while yanking hair from live animals

YouTube videos show that birds pull animal hair more often than previously thought.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3A8eRxN

Machu Picchu was built decades earlier than thought

The mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in southern Peru was built and inhabited decades earlier than previously believed.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fv5Yql

Scientists extract ancient DNA from 32,000-year-old bear skull

The DNA hints at when and how ice age brown bears once migrated to Japan's largest island.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ilT1ke

What caused a woman to lactate from her armpit?

Up to 6% of women are born with extra breast tissue in their body.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37g4FqC

Seeing things on Mars: A history of Martian illusions

In this vast and lonely universe, are Earthlings just desperate for next door neighbors to play with?

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2WGg1lF

NYC will require COVID-19 vaccination proof for indoor dining, gyms

New York City will become the first city in the U.S. to require proof of vaccination for such activities.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jcufCw

Graveyard of rhinos, horses and hippos found in ancient, dried-up watering hole

Three periods of drought left an ancient watering hole littered with the bodies of horses, hippos and rhinos who gathered in search of moisture.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ijZADW

Sacred stone tied to the legend of Romulus and Remus unearthed in Rome

An immense stone that defined the sacred city limits of ancient Rome almost 2,000 years ago has been unearthed by construction workers in the historic center of the city.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37lp0uN

The world has a serious deforestation problem: These 7 images prove it.

From Borneo to Bolivia, here are just a handful of places around the world were deforestation has become a real problem

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3A3kdKK

Space station mishap with Russian module more serious than NASA first reported

A Russian module accidentally pushed the International Space Station out of place. Now, a NASA flight director has revealed that the event was even more serious than initially reported.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37iCasw

One of world's rarest chameleons, once feared extinct, found in African rainforest

Scientists have found one of the world's rarest chameleons again after fearing the species was extinct due to shrinking forests.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3jwBky7

Chipmunks near South Lake Tahoe test positive for plague

The infected chipmunks had no known contact with people.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/2VdSMis

'Massive melting event' strikes Greenland after record heat wave

One estimate suggests that 13 billion tons (12 metric tons) of ice made its way into the ocean on a single day.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3fq18L0

Slowdown of Earth's spin caused an oxygen surge

Billions of years ago, a slowdown in Earth's rotation period lengthened days and offered photosynthesizing bacteria the chance to release more oxygen, transforming the planet.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37mcrz7

Real-life SpongeBob and Patrick found side by side on seafloor. But they likely don't get along.

Researchers from NOAA photographed a square, yellow sponge and pink starfish sitting next to each other on a rock over a mile underwater, leading to comparisons with cartoon characters SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3ln5qGH

Astronomers catch fizzled-out gamma-ray burst from supernova

A fizzled example of a gamma-ray burst, the most powerful kind of explosion known in the universe, suggests these outbursts can be surprisingly brief, researchers say.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3foIyD0

What does the edge of the solar system look like?

Far-flung spacecraft are helping us learn about the solar system's edge.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/37he0ym

Look up! Saturn shines bright, shows off rings as it reaches opposition.

Starting Monday (Aug. 2), you can find Saturn shining in the sky as part of a celestial phenomenon called opposition.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3feWdfN

Why did the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima leave shadows of people etched on sidewalks?

Here's why the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan left shadows of people on the ground and buildings.

via Livescience.com https://ift.tt/3yn7K48