WASHINGTON, April 1 — When a rare total solar eclipse sweeps across North America on April 8, scientists will be able to gather invaluable data on everything from the Sun’s atmosphere to strange animal behaviors — and even possible effects on humans. It comes with the Sun near the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, … Read more
STOCKHOLM, March 28 — It’s often said that age is all in the mind. But a study in Sweden shows that feeling young is not just a matter of subjective perception. It’s also a question of sleep. You may have looked at yourself in the mirror and felt as if you didn’t “look your age.” … Read more
WASHINGTON, March 23 — A team of scientists has demonstrated the interest that parrots, particularly intelligent birds, can show for mobile applications. Their study examined how tablet games could help to better understand the intelligence, preferences and behaviour of parrots of different species, while opening up new perspectives for the design of animal-friendly technologies. In … Read more
PARIS, March 23 — A top panel of geologists has decided not to grant the ‘human age’ its own distinct place in Earth’s geological timeline after disagreeing over when exactly our era might have begun. After 15 years of deliberation, a team of scientists made the case that humankind has so fundamentally altered the natural … Read more
WASHINGTON, March 23 — Astronomers have identified two ancient streams of stars — named after the Hindu deities Shakti and Shiva — that appear to be among the Milky Way’s earliest building blocks, offering new insight into how our galaxy came together long ago. These structures, found using observations from the European Space Agency’s Gaia … Read more
ON BOARD THE ARC SIMON BOLIVAR (Antarctica), March 17 — In Antarctica, a scientist waits patiently for two frolicking humpback whales to poke their tails out of the icy waters so she can take a photographic “fingerprint” of the unique colours and patterns that allow researchers to identify individuals of the species. Advertisement Andrea Bonilla, … Read more
PARIS, March 11 — A German man who deliberately got vaccinated for Covid-19 a whopping 217 times did not report any side effects from his many jabs, according to researchers studying possibly the “most vaccinated person in history”. The immune system of the 62-year-old man from the central German city of Magdeburg — who has … Read more
LIVINGSTON ISLAND, March 10 — Sea ice levels in Antarctica have registered historic lows for three consecutive years, portending grave consequences for life on Earth as we know it. But looking out over the southernmost continent, scientist Miguel Angel de Pablo laments that humanity seems to be oblivious to the warnings. “We (scientists) are very … Read more
WASHINGTON, March 4 — They are among the wonders of our deserts: Star dunes, the vaguely pyramid-shaped sand formations up to about 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall with arms stretching out from a central peak to give them a star-like appearance when viewed from above. Scientists today unveiled the first in-depth study of a star … Read more
PERTH, March 1 — Researchers in Australia have suggested an inexpensive and practical method for helping to keep track of wildlife. Their idea is to analyse the DNA fragments captured in spider webs to identify the presence of animals in specific natural sites. Wildlife is under threat all over the world. According to the WWF’s … Read more
