An archaelogical dig in Ethiopia has unearthed flaked stone tools dating back to 2.78 million years ago, approximately 200k years before the previously known flaked stone tools. The tools were dropped near a water source and buried in the sediment millions of years ago. The strange thing is there’s no clear connection between this technology and […]
The Venona Project ran from 1937-1980 and stayed secret until 1995. It was initally begun by the Army Signal Intelligence Service until this division was absorbed by the National Security Agency during WWII. The CIA was made aware of the project in 1952. Army Chief of Staff Omar Bradley decided not to inform President Truman […]
The theory goes like this: cosmic energy from supernovae hit the earth millions of years ago, increasing electrical activity in the lower atmosphere (lightning), which led to increased forest fires, which forced ancient humans out of forests and into the savannas. Though human ancestors spent most of their lives climbing trees, they are believed to […]
The internet-satellite megaconstellation is called Starlink and was first heard about back in 2015. Proposed plans for the network include 12,000 total satellites. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said only 400 would be needed for minor coverage and 800 would provide moderate coverage. The second launch, set for May 2019, would send 60 satellites into orbit. […]
Twins Lulu and Nana were born in October 2018 and a third baby is set to be born in 2019. All three have been edited to lower their suscepibility to HIV. The gene in question, CCR5, has also been found to make mice smarter and helps the human brain recover after a stroke. The Chinese scientist who […]
A third of China’s pigs is about 200 million animals. China’s pork industry is so large that this is almost the amount of pigs in the US and Europe combined. The estimate about the number of pigs to be lost comes from a Dutch bank which specializes in the agricultural sector. African Swine Fever is […]
The powerlifting meet took place in Virginia at the end of April. Powerlifting consists of three lifts: back squat, bench press, and deadlift. At a meet the athlete has three chances to lift the most weight in each of the three lifts. At the meet, Mary Gregory made all her lift (called going 9 for […]
The White-Throated Rail is believed to be the last flightless bird in the Indian Ocean. At two distinct times, separated by thousands of years, ancestors of this species found it’s way to the island of Aldabra. Without any natural predators on the island, the species evolved to become flightless… twice! The reason the flightless bird went […]
When archaeologists discovered a ritual bundle, a pouch made from three fox snouts, in the highland Andes in Bolivia, they were curious as to what they would find in the residue. Carbon-dating showed the bundle was approximately 1,000 years old. Chemical analysis revealed the presence of DMT, cocaine, and components of ayahuasca. Their presence is significant […]
The Australian Box Jellyfish has enough venom to kill 60 humans, earning it the title of most venomous creature on earth. The largest of the two types can grow up to three meters long. To develop the antidote, researchers at the University of Sydney took a new approach using genes. They used CRISPR genome editing techniques […]
