Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries & Discoveries

Planet Earth

The GOES-17 satellite captured images of an umbrella cloud generated by the underwater eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on Jan. 15, 2022. Crescent-shaped bow shock waves and numerous lighting strikes are also visible.

Tonga's eruption injected so much water into Earth’s atmosphere that it could weaken the ozone layer

By Harry Baker published 1 August 22

The atmospheric water vapor could also contribute to global warming.

A volcano erupts in Hawaii near the water.

Where are most of Earth's volcanoes?

By Joe Phelan published 28 July 22

There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes on Earth. Where are most of these volcanoes located?

Space and Physics

This is an image of the Earth at night seen from space (city lights can be seen). You can only see the Northern hemisphere, with North America on the left, and Europe on the right. In the middle of the far distance you can see the sun as a solar flare, lighting up the other side of the Earth.

Is Earth getting closer to the sun, or farther away?

By Charles Q. Choi published 6 August 22

Here's a look at whether Earth is getting closer to or farther from the sun, why that's happening and what effects it might have on our planet.

The near side of the sun, pictured in August 2022

Huge, potentially disruptive sunspot will swing round to face Earth this weekend

By Jamie Carter published 5 August 22

A huge sunspot that's about to face Earth could disrupt satellites, cause power outages and lead to problems for airplane navigation systems.

History

Maya ruins of Tikal in the jungle of Guatemala. On the right a tall step pyramid, with a series of stone steps leading to a doorway at the very top. To the left are two smaller step pyramids, half the size of the larger step pyramid. There are several rows of gravestones dotted around the green lawns. There are tall, lush trees in the background.

Tikal: The iconic ancient Maya city in Guatemala

By Owen Jarus published 5 August 22

The ancient Maya city of Tikal thrived between 600 B.C. and A.D. 900 in what is now Guatemala.

This image shows part of the excavated Sun Temple. Here we see some very large stone bricks. There are some three red and white striped poles in place to help measure the site and provide scale.

Ancient Egyptian temple to the sun cult uncovered near Cairo

By Owen Jarus published 4 August 22

Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered the remains of a cultic sun temple that dates to the fifth dynasty about 4,500 years ago.

Health

woman sat with her head in her hands next to an empty plate

What is binge eating disorder?

By Lou Mudge published 5 August 22

reference We look into the potential symptoms and causes of binge eating disorder, as well as recovery options

reference

Spotlight Oral Care Water Flosser review

By Lou Mudge published 5 August 22

review The Spotlight Oral Care Water Flosser is an effective tool to achieve clean-feeling teeth and step up your oral care routine

review

close up of an older man holding his throat in discomfort, as if it's sore

A man's voice grew hoarse for no obvious reason. It turns out, he had fungus in his throat.

By Nicoletta Lanese published 5 August 22

A man's rare fungal infection caused his voice to grow hoarser and hoarser.

Animals

An image of the unnamed spaghetti worm from the newly released MBARI video.

Weird deep-sea worm looks like a luminous lump of spaghetti

By Harry Baker published 5 August 22

A new video released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) shows off 2012 footage of an unnamed species of spaghetti worm.

The shark looks like a Greenland shark but was released before a genetic sample could be collected.

Half-blind Greenland shark possibly spotted in the Caribbean, thousands of miles from its usual home

By Patrick Pester published 3 August 22

A strange shark caught off Belize in the Caribbean was likely a Greenland shark or Greenland shark hybrid, according to a new study.

Similar swarms have appeared in waters near Haifa before, in 2015 and in 2017.

Thousands of jellyfish swarm near Israel, mesmerizing images reveal

By Jamie Carter published 2 August 22

Cameras on drones recently captured aerial images of nomad jellyfish as they swarmed by the thousands in coastal waters near Israel.

Strange News

Big group of people celebrating a birthday. There are 6 people in total, all cheering and throwing confetti in the air. Three are wearing party hats. In front of them is a table with birthday decorations, such as a chocolate cake and drink cups.

What is the birthday paradox?

By Charles Q. Choi published 30 July 22

If you're in a random group of people, what are the chances that two of the people will have the same birthday?

The holes appear as a closely aligned, regularly repeating pattern. Tiny piles of sediment are piled around them.

Strange 'alien' holes discovered on the ocean floor

By Ben Turner published 29 July 22

The holes form a straight line and appear at regularly repeating distances, and they are surrounded by tiny mounds of sediment.

A close-up of a woman's face while sleeping

How much does the soul weigh?

By Stephanie Pappas published 25 July 22

Legend has it that the soul weighs 21 grams, but science can neither prove the existence of the soul nor weigh one.

Culture

What's the most popular color in the world?

By Tia Ghose published 25 July 22

The most popular color can vary by culture, gender and time.

A very crowded Istiklal Street in the Beyoglu District of Istanbul, Turkey

How many people can Earth support?

By Martin McGuigan published 11 July 22

The number of people the planet can sustain depends on both the natural constraints of our environment and human choices.

Aerial view of Paris streets and the Eiffel Tower at sunset.

What is Paris syndrome?

By Joe Phelan published 5 July 22

Some people who visit Paris develop extreme symptoms — such as nausea, vomiting and hallucinations — when their expectations of the city do not jibe with reality.

Tech

MacBook Air M1 is now just $849, grab this fantastic back to school laptop deal

By Lloyd Coombes published 4 August 22

Save $150 on Apple’s most portable MacBook, now at its lowest price in 2022.

MacBook Pro (16-inch) (M1 Pro) against another MacBook

Best MacBooks for students 2022

By Lloyd Coombes published 3 August 22

With Apple’s new Apple silicon Macs, there’s never been a better time to buy a Mac. Here are the best MacBooks for students.

Virtual avatars are seated around a long, rectangular table in a boardroom. Boardroom in VR tool Immersed.

Is it possible to work in VR?

By Lloyd Coombes published 2 August 22

Many applications make it easy to get work done in VR, so we thought we'd investigate.

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