The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. The tiny creatures that make their way around using their built-in GPS, survive floods by morphing into living rafts and are even reputed to predict earthquakes. Now, scientists have discovered a colony of wood ants living in a dark underground barren bunker despite having no apparent source of food....
Read news articleWhen the international team of sailors and researchers led by Professor Jon Adams from the University of Southampton established the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, their primary goal was to map the sea floor and study the prehistoric landscapes flooded during the last Ice Age. So you can only imagine their delight, when they stumbled upon an unexpected treasure trove of perfectly preserved shipwrecks, many of which are known from historical sources, but have never been seen before....
Read news articleOn Friday, November 11, Americans will celebrate Veterans Day. The federal holiday honors the brave men and women of the armed forces who risk their lives to protect our freedom. They include members of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard....
Read news articleResearchers had long known that Aboriginal Australians once used boomerangs for hunting and digging. Now, a new study suggests that the natives created ‘killer’ versions of the iconic Australian souvenirs to fight internal battles as well....
Read news articleWhile ancient scrolls hold many secrets, opening the delicate manuscripts is always a tricky endeavor. The situation becomes even worse when they are charred as was the case with the Ein Gedi scroll discovered by archeologists at the site of an ancient synagogue in Israel in the 1970’s. The animal skin document that resembled a lump of coal was extremely fragile, and therefore, never opened. However, the curators of the Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) preserved it in the hopes that some day, advances in technology would allow them to read what lay inside. Now thanks to a team led by University of Kentucky professor Brian Seales, that has become a reality....
Read news articleImagine being able to visit any foreign country without having to worry about the language barrier. Until recently, universal translating devices only existed in science fiction movies and TV shows. But technology is finally catching up with human imagination, and companies worldwide, are feverishly working to introduce universal translators. Among them is New York-based startup Waverly Labs....
Read news articleCoral reefs are one of the most diverse and important ecosystems on Earth. Not only do they provide food and habitats for the fish and seafood we eat, but they also shelter many other organisms that are crucial for ocean food chains. Experts estimate they contribute about $30 billion USD to the global economy annually, through tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection. Unfortunately, warming ocean waters, acidification, and over-fishing are killing the beautiful reefs at unprecedented levels....
Read news articlePolish explorer Krzysztof Starnawski’s fascination with the Hranická Propast, or Hranice Abyss, an underwater cave in the Czech Republic, began in 1999. The diver, who once held the record for the deepest dive (283-meters) with a closed circuit rebreather, says the cave’s limestone unusual formation led him to suspect that it was a lot deeper than his dives had taken him....
Read news articleIn August, a team of Mongolian and Japanese researchers unearthed the world’s largest dinosaur footprint in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. The print that measured 3.6-feet long and 6.4-feet wide, is believed to be that of the titanosaur, a diverse species of sauropod dinosaurs that inhabited Earth during the Cretaceous period, between 70 and 90 million years ago....
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