In a study published in the Science journal, researchers successfully tested the hearing of baleen whales for the first time. The controversial research, conducted in 2023, involved capturing two juvenile minke whales off the Norwegian coast. The whales, each measuring around 12 feet and weighing approximately one ton, were fitted with gold-plated electrodes on their…
The moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, could have formed from the remnants of an asteroid that was destroyed by the planet’s gravitational forces. Researchers from NASA and Durham University utilised advanced computer simulations to explore how such an event might have unfolded. These findings present a compelling new explanation for the origin of Mars’…
Flowers of Hypenia macrantha, a species native to Brazil, have been observed using unique mechanisms to outcompete rivals during pollination. According to research, these blooms utilise a pollen “catapult” system to increase the chances of successful pollination. The strategy involves launching their pollen in a burst to displace rival pollen from the beaks of visiting…
An extensive fish-trapping network, believed to date back 4,000 years, has been discovered in Belize, shedding light on how the Maya civilisation sustained its communities through complex aquatic food systems. This research reveals that a network of ponds and earthen channels enabled ancient Maya people to secure food resources by channelling fish and other aquatic species…
The growing presence of satellite debris in Earth’s atmosphere has raised significant concerns among scientists about its potential environmental consequences. With over 10,000 active satellites currently orbiting the planet—a figure predicted to surpass 100,000 by the 2030s and potentially half a million in the decades ahead—the environmental implications of satellite re-entry and disintegration are being…
The earliest known direct evidence of hot water activity on Mars has been found, pointing to the possibility that the planet may have supported habitable environments in its ancient past. Scientists analysed a zircon grain estimated to be 4.45 billion years old, extracted from the Martian meteorite NWA7034, often referred to as “Black Beauty.” Geochemical…
Archaeologists from Johns Hopkins University have unearthed what is believed to be the earliest example of alphabetic writing during an excavation in Syria. The inscriptions were found on small, clay cylinders within a tomb at Tell Umm-el Marra, an ancient urban centre in western Syria. The writing has been dated to approximately 2400 BCE, pushing…
