Painted Human Jawbones Used as Ancient Jewelry
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 567 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Painted human mandibles that may have been worn like necklace pendants have been discovered at a ceremonial site in Mexico that dates back around 1,300 years.
In the same ceremonial area, numerous whistles and figurines were also discovered. Made out of ceramic, these objects had been smashed into thousands of fragments, not a single example found intact.
The whistles may have made owl-like sounds, archaeologists said. Some of the figurines were sculpted images of Xipe Totec, a Mesoamerican god associated with human sacrifice and agricultural activity.
[Read More]Roman Emperors Were More Likely Than Gladiators to Die Gruesome Deaths
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 661 words
| Arica Deslauriers
Emperors of ancient Rome tended to die bloody, violent deaths. In fact, a Roman gladiator had better odds of surviving a brutal fight in the arena than an emperor had of dying peacefully of natural causes, according to a new study.
From A.D. 14 to A.D. 395, 43 of the 69 Roman rulers (62%) died violently, meaning they were killed in battle or at the hands of assassins. But those numbers tell only part of the story.
[Read More]Satellite Sees Hurricane Merge With Cold Front
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 257 words
| Trudie Dory
Hurricane Rafael ended its run as a tropical cyclone yesterday (Oct. 18), when it merged with a cold front off the coast of Nova Scotia, an event caught by NASA's Terra satellite.
Rafael became an extra-tropical cyclone the previous day as it moved northward in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes, tropical storms and typhoons) are fueled by warm tropical ocean waters and moisture-filled warm air that drives the overturning in the atmosphere that create thunderstorms; extra-tropical storms have shifted to become cold systems that are just like the low pressure system that sweep across the mid-latitudes and bring storms with them, a NASA release stated.
[Read More]The 10 Weirdest Science Stories of 2018
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 798 words
| Fernande Dalal
Ne-crow-philia?Crows can do some pretty amazing things. They use tools. They can solve puzzles. They also, sometimes, have sex with their dead. Scientists placed a dead crow on the ground and watched how other crows reacted. Some mounted the corpse, and...well, you get the picture. It's not clear why the crows were getting busy with the recently deceased, but it may have been a confused response mingling aggression with sex.
[Read More]This Parasite Is a Surprising Cause of Seizures in the US
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 496 words
| Fernande Dalal
The idea of tapeworm larvae traveling to your brain and forming life-threatening cysts sounds horrifying. But for many people around the world — including a surprising number in the United States — this condition is a reality.
Now, U.S. doctors are releasing new guidelines on how to identify and treat this condition, called neurocysticercosis, to help tackle the disease in this country.
"Neurocysticercosis is an important problem in the United States, and the right diagnosis and treatment are critical,"
[Read More]US Air Force says it will test bizarre 'hypersonic' weapon this month
Posted on March 24, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 891 words
| Fernande Dalal
At some point in the next few weeks, a B-52H bomber will carry a missile high into the air and launch it at an unprecedented velocity toward its target, according to the U.S. Air Force. If everything goes according to plan, that missile will accelerate to more than five times the speed of sound before deploying a dummy second stage that will promptly "disintegrate" somewhere in the atmosphere.
The missile, known as AGM-183A, is supposed to be the first hypersonic weapon — or Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) — in the U.
[Read More]8 tips for parents of teens with depression
Posted on March 23, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 914 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Tips for parentsThe teenage years are notoriously turbulent. Adolescents are establishing their own identities, doing more things independently, trying out different roles, taking more risks socially, and possibly experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and all this can come with emotional costs.
So it can be complicated to tell the difference between the typical turmoil of a teenager, and a depressed teen.
"It's difficult for parents to recognize depression in teens, since kids in this age group can have more emotional highs and lows, and they also tend to isolate themselves more,"
[Read More]Ancient Samurai Scroll Describes Blinding Powders, Moonless Battles
Posted on March 23, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 888 words
| Patria Henriques
An enigmatic samurai text known as the "Sword Scroll" has been translated into English for the first time, revealing instructions for successful nighttime battles and recipes for blinding powders.
The text may have been written almost 500 years ago, though that date is uncertain.
Attributed to two elite samurai, the text says that to be an effective sword fighter, one must have "no evil in your heart," and the spirit, eyes, hands and feet must all be in balance.
[Read More]How Likely Is Your Partner to Cheat?
Posted on March 23, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 664 words
| Patria Henriques
A fear of sexual failure combined with a lack of concern about sexual consequences makes both men and women more likely to cheat on their partners, a new study finds.
While it may seem counterintuitive that someone with performance anxiety would seek out something extra on the side, insecure cheaters might look for risky situations to boost their sexual arousal, researchers reported online June 11 in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
[Read More]How to ease the symptoms of eczema
Posted on March 23, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 1013 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
When looking at how to ease the symptoms of eczema it’s important to start by understanding our skin a little better. The skin is a complex barrier that protects us from the elements, regulates our temperature, gives our skin tone and allows us to touch and feel hot and cold. It is strong yet sensitive, easily affected by irritation or broken with a scratch.
Cold and drier weather can adversely affect this defensive boundary.
[Read More]