Science

Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of our galaxy. A paper describing these new findings was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Yes, even bigger than the dinosaurs. The post How blue whales became Earth’s largest creature—ever appeared first on Popular Science.

"We were totally amazed when we noticed this mass and size range of planet formation."

What if some black holes aren’t black holes at all? A new theoretical study suggests that when a massive star collapses, it might not form a singularity hidden behind an event horizon. Instead, the collapse could trigger the birth of a tiny new universe inside the dying star. Driven by dark energy, this miniature cosmos would expand and push back against gravity, preventing complete collapse and creating an exotic object known as a gravastar.

Millipedes may have been crawling across Earth's landscapes nearly 460 million years ago, long before vertebrates ventured onto land. A new study finally completes their evolutionary family tree, revealing surprising clues about these ancient ecosystem engineers and their early chemical defenses.

A surprising new study suggests that completely eliminating sugar may backfire. Mice on a sucrose-free low-fat diet showed worse blood sugar control, increased inflammation, disrupted gut bacteria, and signs of fatty liver compared with mice that consumed some sucrose. Researchers say the results highlight the importance of a balanced diet and a healthy gut microbiome rather than focusing solely on cutting out sugar.

One of the world's oldest turds has been given the royal science treatment, with ancient Arctic ground squirrel droppings offering a smorgasbord of DNA from other animals and plants dating back up to 700,000 years.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: McMaster University, DNA, Wildlife, Animal science, Animals, ancient, Wooly mammoth

Jemima Kang, Nick Haslam and Mike Conway/The University of Melbourne/The ConversationContinue ReadingCategory: ADHD & Autism, Brain Health, Body and MindTags: University of Melbourne, ADHD, Autism, Autism spectrum disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Online, mental health

Terror in the skies.ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.

The last time I talked about SYM (Sanyang Motorcycle) was when I covered the Cruisym 400 scooter. Terrific value for a capable maxi scooter in a sea full of full-sized scooters. It just so happens that we’ve got another one of SYM’s scoots that’ll make you question whether getting a motorcycle is even worth it anymore.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Scooter, urban transport, Touring

A team of researchers has leveraged a supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to reveal the internal structure of a pion in unprecedented detail. The findings are published in the Journal of High Energy Physics.

A three-year study of nearly 4,000 adults ranging from age 19 to 94 found that brain health can improve at any age, challenging the common belief that mental sharpness must decline as we get older. Participants spent just a few minutes a day on brain-training activities, and researchers found measurable gains across multiple aspects of brain health, including thinking clarity, emotional well-being, and sense of purpose.

A newly identified crocodile species nicknamed “Lucy’s hunter” prowled Ethiopia’s rivers when Lucy’s species walked the Earth more than 3 million years ago. The giant predator was likely the most dangerous animal in the ecosystem and may have regularly hunted early human relatives.

Plan now to be in the right place at the right time for an unforgettable show.

Using the Keck Observatory, astronomers measured the spins of dozens of giant planets and brown dwarfs orbiting distant stars. They found that giant planets can spin faster than much more massive brown dwarfs, challenging simple assumptions about mass and rotation. The results suggest that magnetic fields and formation processes play a major role in determining how fast worlds end up spinning.