Stone tools unearthed in China suggest that ancient humans moved around the world much earlier than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Nature. The remains -- which were found by a group of international researchers -- date back 2.12 million years and are the earliest evidence ever found of humans outside of Africa. The team … [Read more...] about Humans Traveled to China 2.1 Million Years Ago
East Antarctica Sees a Lot of Seismic Activity, Study Reports
Small earthquakes commonly shake East Antarctica, suggesting the region is not as quiet as researchers previously thought, a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience reports. This finding comes from scientists at Drexel Univeristy, who detected the small earthquakes for the first time. Not only are the movements unique, but they also help add to the geological … [Read more...] about East Antarctica Sees a Lot of Seismic Activity, Study Reports
Goats Tend to Prefer Happy Humans, Study Reports
Goats are able to recognize and adapt to human moods, according to new research published in the Royal Society Open Science. Everyone knows that certain pets, like dogs and cats, are able to recognize human emotions. However, that ability has not been tested on too many other species. To shed light on that, a group of international scientists gathered up a … [Read more...] about Goats Tend to Prefer Happy Humans, Study Reports
Laziness Might Be Evolutionary Advantageous, Study Reports
Researchers based out of the University of Kansas found that laziness could be an important evolutionary trait, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. This new finding comes from an extensive analysis on bivalves and gastropods in the Atlantic Ocean that showed laziness could be important for both individual organisms and whole … [Read more...] about Laziness Might Be Evolutionary Advantageous, Study Reports
New Theory Explains Why Homo Sapiens Are the Only Humans Alive
Scientists have arrived on a new theory explaining why we are the only species within the genus Homo. In the journal Nature Human Behavior, Patrick Roberts, Ph.D. and Brian Stewart, Ph.D. argue that the reason our ancestors avoided extinction was because they could explore and adapt. Reporting for Inverse, Sarah Sloat discusses their theory, which provides that … [Read more...] about New Theory Explains Why Homo Sapiens Are the Only Humans Alive
Hidden Reef Uncovered off of South Carolina Coast
Researchers on board the research vessel Atlantis have discovered a never-before-seen coral reef roughly 160 miles off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The spanning system stretches out across a large chunk of the Atlantic Ocean’s seafloor, and has been there for thousands -- or maybe hundreds of thousands -- of years. Even so, it has remained hidden from researchers … [Read more...] about Hidden Reef Uncovered off of South Carolina Coast
Dinosaurs and Birds Share the Same DNA, Study Reports
A group of researchers at the University of Kent believe they have recreated dinosaur DNA, shedding light on what the ancient reptiles may have looked like. This new discovery is an exciting breakthrough that could help shed light on why dinosaurs came in many various shapes and sizes. In addition, it could also show how the gigantic beasts managed to dominate Earth for almost … [Read more...] about Dinosaurs and Birds Share the Same DNA, Study Reports
Beetle Trapped in Amber Gives Insight Into Ancient Pollination
A strange group of gymnosperms known as cycads may have been the first insect-pollinated plants on Earth, a new study published in Current Biology reports. While flowering plants are known for their unique relationship with pollinators, it was not always that way. To shed light on that ancient time period, researchers from the University of Bristol found fossils that show the … [Read more...] about Beetle Trapped in Amber Gives Insight Into Ancient Pollination
Earth’s Oldest Rocks May Have Been Created by Asteroid Impacts
Earth's oldest evolved rocks, found in part of the Acasta Gneiss Complex in northwestern Canada, have compositions different from those that make up the planet's ancient continental crust, suggesting the former were created in a different process, possibly through asteroid impacts on early Earth's crust. During the eras known as Earth's Hadean and early Archeon epochs, … [Read more...] about Earth’s Oldest Rocks May Have Been Created by Asteroid Impacts
The Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded on Earth Found in Antarctica
A team of scientists from various U.S. universities have discovered that the coldest place on Earth can get even colder, according to new research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. For years researchers have known that the lowest temperatures on our planet come from a frozen ice ridge in eastern Antarctica. That was then backed by a 2013 … [Read more...] about The Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded on Earth Found in Antarctica
Shigir Idol Is One of the World’s Oldest Art Pieces
An ancient artifact known as the Shigir Idol is likely one of the oldest art samples on Earth, according to a new study published in the journal Antiquity. Gold prospectors working in Russia first found the relic -- known as the Shigir idol -- in 1894. However, though more than a century has passed since that time, dating the item has proven to be a real challenge. Now, thanks … [Read more...] about Shigir Idol Is One of the World’s Oldest Art Pieces
Children Are Fit as Professional Athletes, Study Reports
The muscles of children are more functional than the muscles in adults and they have a higher recovery rate than top athletes, according to a new study in the journal Physiology. This research comes from scientists at Université Clermont Auvergne, who made the discovery by analyzing three different groups of people. One had 12 boys between the ages of eight and twelve, 12 … [Read more...] about Children Are Fit as Professional Athletes, Study Reports
New Sea Turtle Ancestor Uncovered in Alabama
Sea turtle fossils unearthed in Alabama come from a never before seen species that dates back to the Late Cretaceous epoch, according to new research published in the journal PLOS ONE. Scientists have long believed that modern day sea turtles all come from one ancestor of the Peritresius clade that lived during the Late Cretaceous epoch some 100 … [Read more...] about New Sea Turtle Ancestor Uncovered in Alabama
China Faces Competition After Researchers Find ‘Semi-Infinite’ Supply of Rare-Earth Materials in Japan
Hundreds of years’ worth of rare-earth materials were found beneath Japanese waters, according to a study published in Nature Publishing Group’s Scientific Reports. The discovery is enough to supply the world on a “semi-infinite basis,” writes Yen Nee Lee for CNBC. Researchers found the materials beneath the Pacific Ocean seabed 1,150 miles southeast of … [Read more...] about China Faces Competition After Researchers Find ‘Semi-Infinite’ Supply of Rare-Earth Materials in Japan
Arctic Underbelly Melting at an Accelerated Pace
Warming ocean temperatures have caused large chunks of Antarctica’s underbelly to melt much faster than their normal rates should allow, according to a new study in Nature Geoscience. When researchers analyze the melting arctic, they often look at the outer regions where damage is the most visible. However, in the new study a team of scientists from the University of Leeds … [Read more...] about Arctic Underbelly Melting at an Accelerated Pace
Mass Fossil Collection Provides Insight Into Ancient Time Period
A decade of fossil evidence uncovered and analyzed by researchers at the University of Washington sheds new light on the Triassic period, according to new research set to be published in the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. A mass extinction rocked the Earth roughly 252 million years ago. Shortly after, animals -- including early mammals and the first dinosaurs -- … [Read more...] about Mass Fossil Collection Provides Insight Into Ancient Time Period
Aquatic Life Can Only Grow So Big
Animal growth is much more constricted in water than it is on land, a factor that explains why whales and other large sea life have not evolved to be bigger than they are. For years, researchers wondered why whales, despite their huge size, stopped growing larger over time. To shed light on that, a group of researchers from Stanford University studied both whales and elephant … [Read more...] about Aquatic Life Can Only Grow So Big
New Aquatic Robot Looks and Moves like a Real Fish
Scientists have created a realistic robotic fish that mimics the shape and movement of real aquatic life. In a study published Wednesday in Science Robotics, the authors describe the latest version of aquatic biomimetics—a robot design that mimics the shape and movements of real animals. SoFi, (short for soft robotic fish), is described by its creators as a robot fish that … [Read more...] about New Aquatic Robot Looks and Moves like a Real Fish
Ancient Fossil Could Show How Birds Evolved
A newly discovered fossil could help shed light on avian evolution, a recent study published in the journal Nature reports. The remains come from an ancient bird group known as Enantiornithes. The specimen in the study is 127 million years old and is one of the smallest bird skeletons on record. The species, like the dinosaurs, died off roughly 65 million years ago at the end … [Read more...] about Ancient Fossil Could Show How Birds Evolved
There Are No More Truly Wild Horses, Study Reports
Przewalski's horses -- a unique equine species from Mongolia -- are not as wild as scientists previously thought they were, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Previously, scientists believed that Przewalski's horses were the last truly wild horse on Earth. However, it turns out that they are the descendants of the first horses humans … [Read more...] about There Are No More Truly Wild Horses, Study Reports
Red-fronted Lemurs Can Point Out Their Species in Photographs
A surprising find reveals that wild red-fronted lemurs (Eulemur rufrifrons) have the unique ability to recognize members of their own species, according to research in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. This discovery comes from an international team of researchers, who discovered that red-fronted lemurs spent much more time looking at pictures of their own kind than at … [Read more...] about Red-fronted Lemurs Can Point Out Their Species in Photographs
Cheetah’s Evolved Ears Help Them Hunt
Cheetahs are successful hunters, not just because of their blinding speed, but because of a special organ inside their ear, according to new research in the journal Scientific Reports. While cheetahs are known for their ability to outrun prey, they can also sprint without moving their head. That helps them track as they chase, a unique trait that comes from their … [Read more...] about Cheetah’s Evolved Ears Help Them Hunt
Holding Back a Sneeze Can Lead to a Ruptured Throat, Study Reports
Stifling a sneeze can lead to a ruptured throat, according to a new report published in the journal BMJ Case. This research comes from an odd situation in England, where a 34-year-old man ruptured his throat while trying to stop a sneeze by holding his nose and shutting his mouth. The event left him hospitalized and barely able to speak or swallow. After covering his face, … [Read more...] about Holding Back a Sneeze Can Lead to a Ruptured Throat, Study Reports
Social Marmots Die Faster Than Isolated Ones
Large ground squirrels known as yellow-bellied marmots tend to live longer the less social and more isolated they are, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. This study comes researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, who analyzed 66 adult female marmots from 2002 to 2015 at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in … [Read more...] about Social Marmots Die Faster Than Isolated Ones
Bonobos Prefer to Associate With Bullies, Study Reports
Researchers at Duke University have discovered that bonobos -- one of mankind's closest relatives -- prefer to socialize with bullies rather than with kinder individuals, a new study published in the journal Current Biology reports. This finding follows up on a 2007 study that showed human babies are not only able to figure out who around them is helpful and who is … [Read more...] about Bonobos Prefer to Associate With Bullies, Study Reports
Ancient Infant DNA Reveals How Humans First Moved to the Americas
DNA taken from the skull of an ancient, six-week-old baby could help shed light on how early humans first populated the Americas, a new study published in the journal Nature reports. The remains come from an 11,500-year-old child, who researchers unearthed from a burial pit in central Alaska. The girl -- known as “sunrise girl-child” -- is significant because she belonged to … [Read more...] about Ancient Infant DNA Reveals How Humans First Moved to the Americas
Chocolate May Disappear by 2050
Climate change could cause chocolate to go extinct within a matter of decades, according to a group of scientists working out of the Innovative Genomics Institute. Global warming affects many ecosystems around the world, and it hits regions around the equator particularly hard. That is problematic for cacao plants -- which are vital for the making of chocolate -- … [Read more...] about Chocolate May Disappear by 2050
Exercise Could Help Stall Dementia
Regular exercise may help slow down dementia, a new study in the journal Neurology reports. Although there are many things that are not known about dementia, researchers do know that it does not happen all at once. Rather, it slowly builds over time. As a result, while there is currently no way to reverse it, people can take steps to slow down its progression. In the new … [Read more...] about Exercise Could Help Stall Dementia
Ancient ‘Microfossils’ May Be the Oldest Evidence of Life on Earth
A group of scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Wisconsin may have found the oldest evidence for life on Earth, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This team found the evidence in samples of microorganisms on a tiny, nearly 3.5-billion-year-old piece of rock uncovered in … [Read more...] about Ancient ‘Microfossils’ May Be the Oldest Evidence of Life on Earth
Moments When Management Forgot How to Manage
Not everyone can be a good manager, it is a very serious task that requires a lot of patience, diligence, and kindness in order to succeed. Problem-solving is a big part of any managerial position, so thinking outside the box can be a helpful tool when it comes to helping your employees get out of a pickle. If you have ever been employed, you have probably had a manager. … [Read more...] about Moments When Management Forgot How to Manage
The Customer Isn’t Always Right: 27+ Times Customers Crossed the Line
If you've ever worked in a public setting, then you've definitely heard the phrase, "The customer is always right." Sometimes, if you give people an inch, they will take a mile. In the sense of "the customer is always right", some people have taken the phrase many, many miles. Some customers have gone above and beyond to be outright terrible to those servicing them. Stay tuned … [Read more...] about The Customer Isn’t Always Right: 27+ Times Customers Crossed the Line
Questionable Street Names Across the Country
We knew there were some odd street names out there, but if we were driving past one of those signs, we’d find it hard not to laugh! Ready to see the most amusing street signs from across the country? That’s right, we’ve tracked down the funniest and most bizarre street names from each state. From the somewhat strange “Booger Hollow” to the ominous “Psycho Path,” read on to find … [Read more...] about Questionable Street Names Across the Country
Ludicrous Windshield Notes That Are Spot On
We can all agree right now that the most annoying part about driving is the parking. Finding a parking space in some cities seems almost impossible, and we all get impatient after circulating the streets for what feels like hours with no luck. However, that doesn't mean we can part anywhere we like - there are sill rules we must follow, and remember to be considerate of other … [Read more...] about Ludicrous Windshield Notes That Are Spot On
Stars Who Celebrated Their 50th Birthday in 2020
Most of these celebrities accompanied us throughout the nineties, whether with their memorable acting roles, brilliant scripts, or catchy music, and this year they celebrated a big milestone: their 50th birthday. Half a century. Going over the hill. Okay, so they still have a lot of beautiful years ahead of them, but your 50th birthday is a big deal. From Uma Thurman to Matt … [Read more...] about Stars Who Celebrated Their 50th Birthday in 2020
From the First Roles to the Most Recent of Hollywood’s Top Stars
Curious to know how your favorite actor got started? You might know all of their top hits today, but every iconic Hollywood actor got started somewhere. We’ve put together a list of actors’ first roles versus their most recent roles. From Meryl Streep to Reese Witherspoon, we’ve got them all! Read on to find out more about your favorite celebs and where they had started their … [Read more...] about From the First Roles to the Most Recent of Hollywood’s Top Stars
Clapbacks from Celebrities That Show Us They Are Much More Wild Than We Thought
I think we can all agree that social media has its good sides and its bad sides, but for better or worse, it has changed forever the way we interact with the world around us. One example of this: we can now follow celebrities we like on Twitter and hear their thoughts on all sorts of things. And what have we learned from this new period of access to celebrities’ thoughts? That … [Read more...] about Clapbacks from Celebrities That Show Us They Are Much More Wild Than We Thought
Clapbacks from Celebrities That Show Us They Are Much More Wild Than We Thought
I think we can all agree that social media has its good sides and its bad sides, but for better or worse, it has changed forever the way we interact with the world around us. One example of this: we can now follow celebrities we like on Twitter and hear their thoughts on all sorts of things. And what have we learned from this new period of access to celebrities’ thoughts? That … [Read more...] about Clapbacks from Celebrities That Show Us They Are Much More Wild Than We Thought
Easter Eggs Waiting to Be Found in Thrillers
Have you ever been sitting in a movie wondering to yourself, am I the only one who noticed that? Well, you're not alone. For years, filmmakers have been leaving traces of Easter eggs throughout their movies. For all those people that didn't pick up on the hidden references, this one is for you, and let me tell you, it's not for the faint of heart. Even though some of the movies … [Read more...] about Easter Eggs Waiting to Be Found in Thrillers
Funny Times People Realized They Were Actually Trained by their Pets
Our pets make our lives 100% more entertaining, there's no question about that. From iguanas to fish, to the more common cats and dogs, people love their pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 57% of American households have at least one pet under their roof. We don’t need a statistic to know that most Americans will go the extra mile for their … [Read more...] about Funny Times People Realized They Were Actually Trained by their Pets
Amusing Motherly Anecdotes and Insightful Tweets
Mother’s Day is right around the corner; the annual celebration regarding all things maternal gives us time to reflect and honor the superhero mommas in our lives. We all have one! These are the women who stayed up all night changing our diapers and making sure we woke up for school on time, and still stay up all night worrying about us, even though we're in our forties. Moms … [Read more...] about Amusing Motherly Anecdotes and Insightful Tweets