Astronomers have managed to detect the telltale fingerprints of organic life on Earth using a new technique that examines sunlight reflected onto the moon by our planet. The so-called “earthshine” observations may pave the way for a similar tool to help spot signs of alien life in the universe, scientists say. While the existence of…
The world’s first asteroid sample return mission is providing some stunning insights to the evolution of the primordial pieces of rock floating around in our solar system. But far from asteroids being quiet, peaceful objects drifting through space, analysis of the tiny dust samples from the surface of near-Earth asteroid Itokawa has shown they are…
When meeting strangers in the wild, dolphins whistle signature tunes that may be the animal equivalent of “Hello, my name is…” stickers. These signature whistles have been observed in captive dolphins for decades, but new research is the first to reveal how these sea mammals use the sounds when one pod meets another in the…
Even as he and Mitt Romney battle for the Republican presidential nomination, Rick Santorum is making just as many headlines for calling President Obama a “snob” recently. The basis for the insult was, perhaps, more surprising than the insult itself; the president, he claims, “wants everybody in america to go to college.” But if we…
The 5,300-year-old Iceman had brown eyes, Lyme disease and modern-day Mediterranean relatives
BM has announced a breakthrough that could lead to quantum computers within 15 years. Researchers presented results of successful experiments at the American Physical Society in Boston that could go a long way to solving some of the critical problems for quantum computing to become a reality, including increasing the lifetime of quantum informational bits….
For fans of the British upstairs-downstairs TV series Downton Abbey, skullduggery may seem evenly distributed among the social ranks. But in real life, it’s the upper classes that are more likely to behave dishonorably, according to new research. Observers of human nature have long puzzled over the possibility of an ethical class divide. On the…
Neanderthals were already on the verge of extinction in Europe by the time modern humans arrived on the scene, a study suggests. DNA analysis shows most Neanderthals in western Europe died out as early as 50,000 years ago – thousands of years before our own species appeared. A small group of Neanderthals then recolonised parts…
Scientists are keeping a close eye on a big asteroid that may pose an impact threat to Earth in a few decades. The space rock, which is called 2011 AG5, is about 460 feet wide. It may come close enough to Earth in 2040 that some researchers are calling for a discussion about how to…
Neil deGrasse Tyson, a science crusader and regular guest on “The Daily Show” and other outlets, has a brand-new book out that tackles some of America’s profound space questions. “Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier” is a collection of essays, a few of which have already appeared in other publications. It also includes selected tweets…