Research: A humongous piece of rock below Japanese land is the reason behind earthquakes
The subduction of the Japanese southern coast has been because of the Kumano pluton, a dense igneous rock. Lying more than three miles below the Kii Peninsula of Japan, this rock is above the continental Eurasian plate. Below this layer is the oceanic Philippine plate that moves near the planet’s mantle through subduction.
Read full storyStudy: Exploding star 65 light years away from the Earth can trigger a mass extinction
During the late Devonian period, more than 350 million years ago, our planet experienced one of the greatest mass extinctions ever. Researchers believe that the reason behind this mass extinction lies far outside our Solar System.
Read full storyStudy: The drastic weather conditions at the closest star to our planet are bad news for life
Previously, it was discovered that the closest star to the planet, the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, is one of the most inhospitable places and cannot home any life form. Wrapped in a never-ending ball of fire that is assumed to be over ten times more powerful than the Sun flares, the star can never allow the inhabitation of any form of life. However, that is not it: not only does the star not show any forms of life, but the deathly flares released from it have also dampened the hopes of researchers finding any habitable place close to it.
Read full storyStudy: Irregular and low water consumption can lead to severe health consequences
Though we have studied since primary school days that drinking eight glasses of water daily is mandatory for good health, very few people get to their eighth glass of the day. In a recent study published in ‘eBioMedicine’, researchers have given more reasons why drinking lots of water every day is essential.
Read full storyMemories related to fear are never deleted from the brain: Researchers discover where our worst fears are stored
Several people globally experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a condition that causes people to recall the worst events of their lives, even if they were supposed to be in a distant past. Though it has long been known that the hippocampus region of the brain plays a crucial role in storing our memories, several studies have been conducted to understand how our fears remain stored in the brain for a long time and continue to dominate significant areas of our lives.
Read full storyResearchers dig out clues in ancient human faeces that link to the collapse of Central American Mayans
In a recent study published in the ‘Quaternary Science Reviews’, researchers have uncovered a lot about the fallen Mayan civilisation by studying the remains of ancient human poop. The study observed that there were periods in history referred to as the dry or the wet periods when there was a shift in the population size observed. The researchers also found that an ancient city, the Itzan (present-day Guatemala), actually existed over 650 years earlier than as previously predicted by the scientists.
Read full storyStudy: Pausing before answering suggests insincerity
Photo byPhoto by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash. According to a recent study published in the ‘Journal of Personality and Social Psychology', researchers have explained that pausing before answering tells a lot about a person’s personality – a pause speaks louder than words.
Read full storyStudy: Researchers discover ancient weapons made from human bones
Once upon a time, a long time ago, the face of the European continent was not as we see it today. Britain was very closely linked with the European landmass. Over a thousand years, this connection was severed, and now we see modern Europe like today. However, recently, several ancient artefacts from back then have been discovered that tell a lot about the people who dwelled in those lands during the stone age.
Read full storyStudy: Simple changes in diet can cut down the bowel cancer risks in men
No matter how appetising meat-based cuisines are and how much they tingle our tongues, plant-based food items provide multiple health benefits, including improved heart health and blood pressure and reduced major lifestyle diseases, including diabetes and cancers.
Read full storyStudy: Apart from RNA, there was a lot more on Earth when life first started
The details behind how life first came to the planet have intrigued researchers for a long time. Human evolution and how the sophisticated Homo sapiens came about as we know it today have puzzled the scientific community for a while. Recently, a new study has claimed that an exact combination of nucleic acids – DNA and RNA- has contributed to the start of life on Earth.
Read full storyStudy: Artificial intelligence help discover a ‘ghost’ genome of a hybrid ancestor
For a long time, researchers have struggled to understand the origins of a unique hybrid ancestor of modern humans – a young girl who lived over 50,000 years ago. Initially, she was believed to be the only one with a unique genomic sequence.
Read full storyEnvironmental conservation a necessity: Humanity is headed towards impending doom, researchers warn
For the past few decades, the scientific community has warned against the steady decline of biodiversity, adverse effects of global warming, and environmental pollution. However, in a recent study published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Conservation Science’, researchers warn of an even bigger disaster that awaits.
Read full storyResearchers discovered drug that helps in weight loss and can be the golden ‘cure’ to obesity
Obesity is a widespread condition that has been steadily rising in the past decade. In America alone, over 40% of people are obese. Because of the rising number of obese individuals, researchers worldwide struggle to understand the reason behind this trend and how to treat this condition.
Read full storyResearchers confirm that for the first-time water was detected on the Moon by a Chinese Moon Lander
In 2020, a Chinese Lunar Lander, the Chang E-5, was sent to the Moon to observe the Moon’s surface. When the probe returned, not only did it bring samples of moon rocks, but it also brought evidence related to water on Moon along with it. Upon further analysis of the information gathered by the lunar lander, researchers confirmed the presence of water on the Moon.
Read full storyStudy: Brown recluse spider bites can cause self-destruction of blood cells
According to a recent case of a couple of people - a thirty-year-old man and a twenty-eight-year-old woman - who were bit by brown recluse spiders, an instance of hemolytic anaemia was observed in their bodies. That resulted in immune system-mediated red blood cell destruction.
Read full storyResearch: The black hole was imitated under laboratory conditions to prove Stephen Hawking’s challenging theory
A study published in the journal ‘Physical Review Research’ has attempted to prove the Hawking Radiation theory as Stephen Hawking described. The group attempted to recreate an instance of a black hole event horizon using a single file chain of atoms. The researchers further explained that black holes give out faint radiation because of virtual particles near the black hole boundaries.
Read full storyStudy: Giant Neanderthals’ footsteps in Italy suggest that they walked over molten volcanic ashes
Large footprints near an extinct volcanic site in Roccamonfina, Italy, could have once belonged to the Neanderthals. Also known as the ‘Devil’s Trails’, these giant footsteps could have belonged to the ancient Neanderthals and not to some ‘devil’ as the legends say.
Read full storyStudy: HIV-infected woman no longer shows the symptoms without undergoing any treatment
An Argentinian woman becomes the second human being to no longer show any symptoms of HIV even though she did not undergo any stem cell treatment. Also known as the ‘Esperanza patient’, this woman was first diagnosed with HIV infection in 2013. Since then, she has undergone several check up and multiple viral tests. Now, her body is no longer showing any traces of viral infection. However, she is not the only human being to have been completely cured of the infection.
Read full storyStudy: It is possible to communicate with cats by simply blinking slowly
Compared to other pets, like dogs, cats are usually more reserved. They do not show affection and are relatively sometimes harder to win over. Researchers have discovered that it is not very difficult to win over cats after all. All you need is to talk their language – by blinking slowly and warming them with their kind of smiles.
Read full storyStudy: Even if still and serene, San Andreas may still be prone to wild earthquake
View of street in San Francisco, California, earthquake aftermath with man patrolling with gun. Circa 1906.Photo byPhoto by Library of Congress on Unsplash. There runs over 800 miles long San Andreas Fault in California not only divides the land but also causes some of the most unexpectedly dangerous earthquakes in the area. Though there have not been any recent tremors in the state, researchers believe there are chances of the area experiencing severe tremors in the future.
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