By Melissa Hogenboom An analysis of a Neanderthal’s fossilised hyoid bone – a horseshoe-shaped structure in the neck – suggests the species had the ability to speak.
Category: Innovations
Hydrogen squeezed from stone could be new energy source
By Simon Redfern Scientists from the University of Lyon have discovered a new way to split hydrogen gas from water, using rocks.
Coldest spot on Earth identified by satellite
By Jonathan Amos The coldest place on Earth has been measured by satellite to be a bitter minus 93.2 Celsius (-135.8F).
Hubble Telescope Found Signs of Water on 5 Alien Planets
by Mike Wall NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected water in the atmospheres of five planets beyond our solar system, two recent studies reveal.
Your Brain Processes Information Even When You’re Not Conscious Of It
“We were asking the question of whether the brain was processing the meaning of the objects that are on the outside of these silhouettes,” Sanguinetti explained in the statement.
Oh My! November’s Must-See Night Sky Events
By by Miriam Kramer There are many reasons to cast your eyes skyward this month.
Music Helps You Work Harder
Music helps us get through hard, physical work. Think of the songs produced by soldiers marching or chain gangs building railroads. But does simply hearing the music account for the effect? Or is there a bigger boost when the workers…
‘Minicomputers’ Live Inside the Human Brain
By By Charles Q. Choi The brain may be an even more powerful computer than before thought — microscopic branches of brain cells that were once thought to basically serve as mere wiring may actually behave as minicomputers, researchers say.
New galaxy ‘most distant’ yet discovered
By Rebecca Morelle An international team of astronomers has detected the most distant galaxy yet.
Quake rumours over new beached ‘sea serpent’ in US
Social media has lit up with earthquake rumours after a giant oarfish washed up on a California beach – the second such discovery in several days.
Humans and Rats Think Alike After Making Mistakes
By By Tanya Lewis When it comes to learning from mistakes, humans and rats think alike, research suggests.
‘Diamond rain’ falls
By James Morgan Diamonds big enough to be worn by Hollywood film stars could be raining down on Saturn and Jupiter, US scientists have calculated.
Prof Peter Higgs did not know he had won Nobel Prize
Professor Peter Higgs: “She congratulated me on the news and I said ‘oh, what news?’”
Dead star eats water-rich asteroid
By Jonathan Amos Astronomers have detected the tell-tale signs of a shattered asteroid being eaten by a dead star, or white dwarf.
Computer chemists win Nobel prize
The Nobel Prize in chemistry has gone to three scientists who “took the chemical experiment into cyberspace”.
Three computer chemists win Nobel prize
The Nobel Prize in chemistry has gone to three scientists who “took the chemical experiment into cyberspace”.
Higgs boson scientists win Nobel prize in physics
By James Morgan
Three win Nobel Prize for medicine
Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology after discovering how cells precisely transport material.
Moon Dances with Three Planets in Sky Shows on Sunday, Tuesday
The moon will meet up with three different planets in the evening sky during two upcoming celestial encounters, one on Sunday (Oct. 6) and the other on Tuesday (Oct. 8).
4,000-year-old preserved human brain found
Ancient, well-preserved human remains aren’t exactly a common thing to find, which makes the discovery of a 4,000-year-old brain in western Turkey pretty noteworthy.
Antarctica Ice Hitting Record Highs
Sea ice surrounding Antarctica hit a record high in August and is on track for another record-breaking month in September.
‘Vampire Steroid’ May Haunt U.S. Rivers and Streams
by David Heitz Scientists have found that the anabolic steroid trenbolone, thought to break down in sunlight, comes alive again at night.
New island in the Indian Ocean
By Anup Kaphle When a devastating earthquake struck the remote Awaran district in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province on Tuesday, it killed hundreds of people and left thousands homeless, as the government struggles to rescue those who need help.
Artificial sweeteners sabotage weight loss efforts: study
Think you’re saving yourself extra calories by going the artificial sweetener route? New research suggests you’re just setting yourself up to fail.
Moving to the rhythm ‘can help language skills’
Moving in time to a steady beat is closely linked to better language skills, a study suggests. People who performed better on rhythmic tests also showed enhanced neural responses to speech sounds.
Are ideas to cool the planet realistic?
The deliberate large-scale manipulation of the Earth’s environment, called geoengineering, could be one way to cool the Earth or help reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But scientists are aware that these technologies are in very early stages…
Curiosity rover’s methane result challenges life theory
The Curiosity rover’s failure to detect methane on Mars is a blow to theories that the planet may still host some types of life, say mission scientists. Telescopes and satellites have reported seeing small but significant volumes of the gas,…
Sony smart stick to challenge Google Chromecast dongle
Sony has confirmed plans to launch a dongle to add apps and other smart-TV features to its televisions.
Valve drops hints about Steam game hardware
Valve will next week reveal more details about the gaming hardware it has been developing. Valve boss Gabe Newell made the announcement during a keynote speech at the LinuxCon 2013 conference.
NASA sends drones to track hurricanes’ secrets
A pair of converted military drones are the US space agency’s newest tools for tracking hurricanes and tropical storms, with the aim of improving forecasters’ ability to predict them. Originally built for military reconnaissance missions around the world, they are…