Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries & Discoveries

Planet Earth

What is the longest possible walk on Earth?

By John Arnst published 23 January 22

How long could you walk in a straight line? What if the path meandered?

Antarctica's doomed A68 iceberg dumped 1 trillion tons of water into the ocean over 3 years

By Brandon Specktor published 21 January 22

A new study of iceberg A68 (once the world's largest) charts its entire doomed journey, and shows exactly when it started to melt at an alarming rate

Space and Physics

The Cassini spacecraft’s camera snapped this image of Saturn’s moon Mimas on Oct. 16, 2010, showing the large Herschel Crater.

Saturn's 'Death Star' moon could have a secret underground ocean

By Ben Turner published 23 January 22

Scientists have found "compelling evidence" that Saturn's "Death Star" moon is hiding an ocean just beneath its surface.

In this illustration, a neutrino interacts with Antarctic ice, shedding a muon in the process. As that muon moves at ultrafast speed, it leaves a telltale trail of blue light, known as Cherenkov radiation.

Astronomers propose building a neutrino detector out of the Pacific Ocean

By Paul Sutter published 21 January 22

The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment would turn a massive swath of the Pacific Ocean into nature's own neutrino detector.

History

Roman coins uncovered during the archaeology excavation at Blackgrounds, Chipping Warden

Ruins of bustling Roman town discovered in UK

By Laura Geggel published 22 January 22

Archaeologists in the U.K. discovered the remains of a once bustling Roman market town.

The Eye of Providence, one of the symbols of masonry

Freemasons: History, facts and myths

By Tom Garlinghouse, Callum McKelvie published 21 January 22

Reference Freemasons are often misunderstood as cult members or religious zealots, but they are actually part of the world's largest fraternal organization

Reference

Health

Best rowing machines: Woman using a rowing machine

Best rowing machines 2022: Top picks from NordicTrack, ProForm, Hydrow and more

By Patricia Carswell published 21 January 22

Buying Guide Here's our round-up of the best rowing machines for 2022, with picks from NordicTrack, ProForm, Hydrow and others.

Buying Guide

Your eyes may reveal your true biological age

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published 21 January 22

By examining a person’s eyes, doctors might one day be able to predict that person's risk of early death, according to a new study.

Ultrasounds can offer gender predictions after 18 week

Gender prediction: Am I having a boy or girl?

By Cari Nierenberg, Scott Dutfield published 21 January 22

Reference A sonogram, ultrasound scan and blood test can offer gender predictions

Reference

Animals

Screenshot from an underwater video of a Gentoo penguin feasting on sardines in the Beagle Channel, Argentina

Spellbinding new 'selfie' video captures penguin feasting on giant sardine ball

By Patrick Pester published 20 January 22

A spellbinding new video captures a Gentoo penguin's point of view as it feasts on a giant ball of sardines alongside diving albatross and cormorants.

That's no spittle: The white marks around this tarantula's mouth are a tangle of parasites called nematodes.

Parasitic worm forces tarantulas to tiptoe, then starves them to death

By Brandon Specktor published 20 January 22

Scientists discovered a new type of parasitic worm that only infects the mouths of tarantula spiders.

A bigfin squid that study co-author Alan Jamieson observed more than 16,000 feet underwater in 2014. Jamieson and his colleagues found the same species swimming thousands of feet deeper in 2021.

World's deepest-dwelling squid spotted 20,000 feet under the sea

By Brandon Specktor published 18 January 22

Scientists spotted the world's deepest-dwelling squid 20,000 feet below the Philippine Sea while hunting for a lost WWII battleship.

Strange News

What is a second cousin?

By Ailsa Harvey, Live Science Staff published 21 January 22

Reference There's a simple way to figure out the relationships between relations, including your second cousins and first cousin once-removed.

Reference

"The Rock" says he purchased the skull of a T. rex named Stan.

Did The Rock buy Stan, the most expensive Tyrannosaurus rex on record?

By Laura Geggel published 18 January 22

Rumors are swirling after a Tyrannosaurus rex skull was spotted in the home of The Rock in a recent interview. But is it real or a cast?

A girl looking at a world map in a classroom.

Why is the world map you know wrong?

By Joe Phelan published 15 January 22

Here's why flat world maps always have distortions.

Culture

French culture: Customs & traditions

By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Jonathan Gordon published 21 January 22

Reference Discover the world of French culture, the customs and traditions of France, as well as how it became a center of fashion, art and architecture.

Reference

A woman at a clear white board writes down ideas.

Can humanity run out of ideas?

By Paula Schaap published 4 January 22

Humans will likely never run out of regular, mundane ideas, but whether will will run out of big ideas is a more nuanced issue.

A boy sticking his tongue out while he concentrates.

Why do we stick out our tongues when we're concentrating?

By Donavyn Coffey published 27 December 21

Researchers have several ideas as to why people sometimes stick out their tongues when they're concentrating.

Tech

Bluetooth: Who invented it and how does it work?

By Mark Smith published 17 January 22

Reference Bluetooth was inspired by a Nordic king and harnesses the power of radio. How has this wireless connectivity reshaped our electronic ecosystems.

Reference

Energy saving light bulbs being put in a ceiling light

How do energy saving light bulbs work?

By Mark Smith published 11 January 22

Reference Energy saving light bulbs: mechanics, efficiency and designs

Reference

The time crystal was created inside Google's Sycamore chip, which is kept cool inside their quantum cryostat.

10 of the weirdest experiments of 2021

By Ben Turner published 30 December 21

Every year, scientists undertake some truly baffling experiments, and 2021 was no exception.

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