Science

A century-old mystery surrounding a skull discovered in Turkey has taken a surprising turn, with new evidence revealing that the remains belong to an 11-year-old boy, not Arsinoë IV, the half-sister of Cleopatra VII. The skull, unearthed in 1929 at the Octagon building in Ephesus, had long been speculated to be connected to Arsinoë, a

In a significant milestone for space exploration, the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, has been successfully launched into Earth’s orbit by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Designed to explore the feasibility of wood as a sustainable material in satellite construction, LignoSat aims to examine its performance under the harsh conditions of space. The satellite’s

India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has postponed its first-ever attempt at space docking mission to January 9, 2025, citing the need for additional validation. The mission, known as the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), involves the automated docking of two satellites in low Earth orbit. Originally scheduled for January 07, 2024, ISRO said that the delay

The study of the Sun and its influence on the solar system is expected to make significant strides in 2025. The year will bring new developments driven by an active solar cycle, upcoming spacecraft missions, and a strategic roadmap for the next decade. Researchers are focused on unlocking key mysteries of the sun, whose activity

A powerful stream of solar wind is expected to strike Earth this weekend due to a large coronal hole in the sun’s atmosphere, as per reports. This phenomenon could lead to striking auroral displays, particularly at higher latitudes. A smaller coronal hole adjacent to the primary one is also directing solar wind toward Earth. The

Efforts to conserve the American burying beetle, a large carrion-eating insect once widespread across North America, have yielded positive results in Nebraska. Numbers of this species, which is listed as threatened, have been observed to increase in the Loess Canyons grasslands. Previously found across 35 states and parts of Canada, the beetle is now limited

A breathtaking auroral display ushered on the New Year, illuminating skies across parts of the central United States and Europe. Triggered by a pair of powerful solar storms, the northern lights were visible as far south as California, Austria, and Germany. Geomagnetic disturbances, caused by solar activity on New Year’s Eve, created vibrant ribbons and

Solar activity is expected to maintain elevated levels throughout 2025, marking a significant phase in Solar Cycle 25. As this cycle continues to progress, heightened solar phenomena, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and geomagnetic storms, are anticipated to impact various sectors. While no total solar eclipses will occur during the year, partial eclipses

Efforts to improve data centre efficiency have led mathematicians at Virginia Tech to develop a novel method of data storage and retrieval. According to reports, the researchers have utilised algebraic geometry to tackle issues arising from high energy consumption in data centres, which is impacting global climate goals. This breakthrough was detailed in IEEE BITS,

In a study published in IEEE Access on October 15, researchers have highlighted the potential of using skin conductance to detect human emotions. The study examined how variations in sweat levels, which alter the skin’s ability to conduct electricity, could provide insights into emotional states. According to the findings, these physiological responses, triggered by emotions

The Denmark Strait cataract, situated in the underwater channel between Iceland and Greenland, holds the distinction of being the largest waterfall on Earth. This submarine cascade drops an astonishing 11,500 feet (3,500 metres) from its summit to the ocean floor. With a vertical fall measuring 6,600 feet (2,000 metres), it towers over Angel Falls, the

Fossilised plant remains unearthed near the now-abandoned town of Rainbow, Utah, have defied classification. The plant, named Othniophyton elongatum, was initially discovered in 1969, but recent analysis has shown it is unrelated to any known plant families, living or extinct. The fossil, dating back around 47 million years, was preserved in the Green River Formation,

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has verified a decades-old mystery regarding planet formation in the early universe. According to The Astrophysical Journal, findings indicate that planet-forming disks around stars endured far longer than previously theorised, even in environments with minimal heavy elements. Reportedly, in 2003, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observed the presence of

Jared Isaacman, billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut, has been nominated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next NASA administrator, as per several reports. Isaacman, who was born in Union, New Jersey, in February 1983, amassed his fortune by founding the payment-processing company Shift4 Payments at the age of 16. His nomination was

The massive iceberg A23a, regarded as the largest and oldest in the world, has resumed its northward drift after being trapped in a rotating water column near the South Orkney Islands for several months. According to reports, this iceberg, weighing approximately one trillion tonnes and spanning an area twice the size of Greater London, had

China’s space programme is on track to achieve a significant milestone by becoming the first to bring Martian rock samples to Earth by 2031. As per reports, the mission, named Tianwen-3, is being led by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and aims to surpass the Mars Sample Return efforts planned by NASA and the

A study conducted by the Comparative Cognition Lab at the University of California, San Diego, has shed light on dogs’ potential to communicate through soundboards. The research, published in Scientific Reports, evaluated data from 152 dogs over a span of 21 months. It found that dogs, trained to use these devices, were capable of forming

The last full moon of the year, referred to as the Cold Moon, will illuminate the night sky on Sunday, December 15, 2024. According to reports, it will reach its peak at 4:01 a.m. EST and can be observed during its ascent later that evening. Positioned in the Taurus constellation, it will be accompanied by

A recent study published in Nature has detailed a major achievement by Google’s Quantum AI team. Their latest quantum processor, named “Willow,” solved a computational problem in five minutes that would have taken the world’s most advanced supercomputer an estimated 10 septillion years. This achievement marks significant progress in overcoming one of the greatest challenges

Google on Monday said that it has overcome a key challenge in quantum computing with a new generation of chip, solving a computing problem in five minutes that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. Like other tech giants such as Microsoft and International Business Machines, Alphabet’s Google is