Scientists

Breaking the rules of evolution: Scientists discover surprising reemergence of once-lost biological traits

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SciTechDaily

Recent research on stick insects shows that genes associated with lost traits may be conserved across evolutionary timescales due to their multiple roles in biological processes, allowing for the potential reemergence of these traits. This study sheds light on the complex genetics of trait maintenance and reemergence, and points to broader implications for evolutionary biology. … Read more

Scientists find the largest known genome in a small plant

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Last year, Jaume Pellicer led a team of fellow scientists to a forest on Grande Terre, an island east of Australia. They were looking for a fern called Tmesipteris oblanceolata. Being only a few centimeters in size, it was not easy to find on the forest floor. “It’s not noticeable,” says Dr. Pellicer, who works … Read more

Ancient crystals reveal earliest evidence of fresh water, scientists say | CNN

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. CNN — A new analysis of ancient crystal grains embedded in rocks from the Australian outback suggests that Earth had dry land and fresh water about 4 billion years ago – a time when scientists … Read more

Proof that the Beast of Cumbria exists?

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There have long been rumors that big cats roam the British countryside. Blurry photos, large unexplained trails and dramatic eyewitness accounts routinely add to the mystery of their existence. But now scientists say they have found definitive evidence that a leopard is prowling the Lake District – after linking the DNA of a dead sheep … Read more

Proof that the Beast of Cumbria exists? Scientists have found big cat DNA on ravaged sheep in the Lake District

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Scientists say they have found definitive evidence that a leopard is prowling the Lake District - after comparing the DNA of a dead sheep with a non-native big cat (stock image)

There have long been rumors that big cats roam the British countryside. Blurry photos, large unexplained trails and dramatic eyewitness accounts routinely add to the mystery of their existence. But now scientists say they have found definitive evidence that a leopard is prowling the Lake District – after linking the DNA of a dead sheep … Read more

Scientists discovered Promethium in 1945. They were just learning what it actually does.

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Popular Mechanics

Scientists finally reveal the secrets of PromethiumJose A. Bernat Bacete – Getty Images “Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.” Although the Periodic Table of Elements is an impressive feat of human understanding, scientists still find secrets about certain elements among its carefully arranged rows and columns. … Read more

Cambridge scientists develop ‘third thumb’ that could redefine human ability

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SciTechDaily

Researchers from Cambridge developed a controllable extra thumb prosthesis that people can quickly learn to use for picking up and manipulating objects. Testing at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition has shown that the device is accessible to a wide target group, with 98% of participants using it successfully within a minute. The study highlights … Read more

Scientists may have finally solved the problem of the universe’s ‘missing’ black holes

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A black hole is so compact that nothing can escape its gravitational pull, not even light.

The early universe contained much less miniature black holes than previously thought, making the origin of the missing matter in our cosmos an even bigger mystery, a new study suggests. Miniature or primordial black holes (PBHs) are black holes that are believed to have formed in the first fractions of a second after the Big … Read more

Tsunami sand helps scientists assess Cascadia earthquake models

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This article was reviewed according to Science OK! by Nathaniel Scharping, Eos The Cascadia Subduction Zone shows the location of the Salmon River mouth (yellow star) and other onshore locations with identified tsunami deposits from the 1700 CE earthquake (yellow dots). Credit: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth’s Surface (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023JF007444 × close to The … Read more

How scientists shipped astronomy’s largest camera from California to Chile

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a cross-bar crane hoist hanging from a support beam across the ceiling of a warehouse suspends a large black cylinder with two green straps, connected to the cylinder at four points. Four workers in orange highlighter apparel stand around the suspended cylinder, and another stands off to the left.

After twenty years of work, the camera is the heart of the future Vera C. Rubin Observatory arrived at her home last week. It now lies at the top of Cerro Pachón Mountain in Chile. This camera is the final major component of the Rubin Observatory’s Simonyi Survey Telescope, where it will be installed after … Read more