Our Galaxy may be teeming with rogue planets, gravitationally unbound to any star. An international team of scientists, led by Polish astronomers from the University of Warsaw, has announced the discovery of the smallest Earth-sized free-floating planet found to date. Over 4,000 extrasolar planets have been discovered to date. Although many of the known exoplanets ...
An international team of planetary scientists, led by astronomers at AOP, have found an asteroid trailing behind Mars with a composition very similar to the Moon’s. The asteroid could be an ancient piece of debris, dating back to the gigantic impacts that formed the Moon and the other rocky planets in our solar system like ...
Binge drinkers show more extensive dysfunction across their brains than previously realized, a new study from the University of Sussex has shown. The research shows that their brains have to put more effort into trying to feel empathy for other people in pain. The paper Differential brain responses for perception of pain during empathic response ...
Crews working on the largest U.S. experiment designed to directly detect dark matter completed a major milestone last month, and are now turning their sights toward startup after experiencing some delays due to global pandemic precautions. U.S. Department of Energy officials on Sept. 21 formally signed off on project completion for LUX-ZEPLIN, or LZ: an ultrasensitive ...
A team of scientists, including two physicists at the University of Sussex, has found a way to circumvent a 178-year-old theory, which means they can effectively cancel magnetic fields at a distance. They are the first to be able to do so in a way that has practical benefits. The work is hoped to have ...
Millions of years ago, several species of crocodiles of different genera and characteristics inhabited Europe and sometimes even coexisted. But among all these species, it was thought unlikely that crocodiles of the genus Crocodylus, of African origin, had ever lived in the Mediterranean basin. The remains found in the Italian regions of Gargano, Tuscany, and ...
The dramatic effect rainfall has on the evolution of mountainous landscapes is widely debated among geologists, but new research led by the University of Bristol and published in Science Advances clearly calculates the impact of rain, furthering our understanding of how peaks and valleys have developed over millions of years. Rain can erode mountains very quickly Its findings, ...
Ancient Maya in the once-bustling city of Tikal built sophisticated water filters using natural materials they imported from miles away, according to the University of Cincinnati. Researchers discovered evidence of a filter system at the Corriental reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the ancient Maya in what is now northern Guatemala. A multidisciplinary ...
Your brain responds differently when talking to a person from a different socioeconomic group than during a conversation with someone of a similar background, a novel new imaging study shows. While neuroscientists have used brain imaging scans to track in great detail the neural responses of individuals to a host of factors such as stress, ...
A new study makes clear the extraordinary speed and scale of increases in energy use, economic productivity, and global population that have pushed the Earth toward a new geological epoch, known as the Anthropocene. Distinct physical, chemical, and biological changes to Earth’s rock layers began around the year 1950, the research found. Led by Jaia Syvitski, ...