8,000-year-old rock carvings in Arabia may be world's oldest megastructure blueprints By Kristina Killgrove published 17 May 23 Around 8,000 years ago, Middle Eastern hunters carved to-scale plans of their 'desert kite' traps onto rocks.
James Webb telescope spots ancient water frozen in a near-Earth comet — and scientists want to collect it By Joanna Thompson published 17 May 23 A new analysis of a comet in the asteroid belt reveals frozen water from the early solar system, hinting at the origins of water on Earth.
Mpox could surge again this summer, CDC warns doctors By Nicoletta Lanese published 17 May 23 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert urging doctors to refamiliarize themselves with mpox symptoms and encourage vaccination for at-risk patients.
Global warming will likely cross dangerous 1.5 C threshold within 5 years, UN report warns By Ben Turner published 17 May 23 The U.N. weather agency has warned that El Niño and human-caused climate change will likely push temperatures into "uncharted territory."
Shark launches 3 attacks on surfer in Australia, in deadly and 'atypical' encounter By Hannah Osborne published 17 May 23 The victim was surfing off the coast of South Australia when a shark dragged him under. Bits of wetsuit were later found.
Modern humans arose after 2 distinct groups in Africa mated over tens of thousands of years By Charles Q. Choi published 17 May 23 Modern humans may descend from two or more genetically distinct streams that split but continued to occasionally mix over time in Africa.
What is a 'black moon'? Why May's new moon has an unusual name. By Jamie Carter published 17 May 23 On Friday, May 19, a rare 'black moon' rises. Here's what that means, and what you can actually see.
Yellowstone volcano super-eruptions appear to involve multiple explosive events By Hannah Osborne published 17 May 23 The last caldera-forming eruption at Yellowstone "was much more complex than previously thought," according to the annual report about activity at the supervolcano.
1.7 billion Tyrannosaurus rexes walked the Earth before going extinct, new study estimates By Harry Baker published 17 May 23 The new prediction suggests fewer T. rex individuals roamed our planet than scientists previously thought.
Neanderthals passed down their tall noses to modern humans, genetic analysis finds By Jennifer Nalewicki published 16 May 23 A new genetic analysis found that the size of Neanderthal noses was passed down to modern humans.
Ancient Romans sacrificed birds to the goddess Isis, burnt bones in Pompeii reveal By Tom Metcalfe published 16 May 23 The ancient remains of at least 10 birds have been found at a temple of Isis in the Roman city of Pompeii, indicating that birds were a key feature of worshipping the goddess.
300,000-year-old footprints reveal extinct humans went on a lakeside family outing among giant elephants and rhinos By Sascha Pare published 16 May 23 Footprints belonging to Homo heidelbergensis adults and children suggest that these human relatives foraged and played on the shores of a lake where prehistoric beasts gathered to drink.
Solar 'superflares' millions of times stronger than anything today may have sparked life on Earth By Ben Turner published 16 May 23 Intense solar storms may have delivered Earth its earliest building blocks of life, new research suggests.
'Face blindness' could be rare long COVID symptom, case report hints By Sarah Moore published 16 May 23 A new case report provides the first account of "face blindness" emerging after a COVID-19 infection.
Chlamydia is killing Australia's koalas, but ambitious new project could stop the spread By Harry Baker published 16 May 23 A new vaccine could protect the marsupials from the sexually transmitted disease, which can lead to blindness, infertility and death.
Non-sugar sweeteners don't help with weight loss and may come with health risks, WHO says By Christoph Schwaiger published 16 May 23 Non-sugar sweeteners won't make you lose weight and may be linked to health risks in the long-term, the World Health Organization reported.
NASA spots sign of El Niño from space: 'If it's a big one, the globe will see record warming' By Hannah Osborne published 16 May 23 The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite recorded Kelvin waves moving eastward across the Pacific — a phenomenon often considered a precursor to El Niño.
Scientists discover giant crater from ice age explosion that has methane-spewing mud volcano inside it By Sascha Pare published 16 May 23 The Borealis Mud Volcano is only the second found in Norwegian waters and releases a continuous stream of methane-rich, muddy liquid from deep below Earth's crust.
Ancient Egyptian children were plagued with blood disorders, mummies reveal By Hannah Kate Simon published 16 May 23 A look at 21 ancient Egyptian mummified children reveals that one-third of them had a blood disorder known as anemia.
A man's rare gene variant may have shielded him from devastating form of early Alzheimer's By Stephanie Pappas published 15 May 23 The discovery of a gene variant that protects against an early, insidious form of Alzheimer's could lead to new treatments for the disease.
