From Dino Brains to Thought Control — 10 Fascinating Brain Findings

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  11 minutes  |  2251 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Cool brain factsThis Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The human brain is the most complex and least understood biological structure in the known universe. To advance brain science, President Obama in April 2012 announced the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, which is co-led by the National Science Foundation (NSF). BRAIN, NSF invested in fundamental brain research that produced amazing discoveries related to humans and animals. [Read More]

Humans Are Disturbing Earth's Carbon Cycle More Than the Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Did

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  765 words  |  Trudie Dory

Since 1750, humans have disrupted Earth's carbon cycle more severely than have some of the most cataclysmic asteroid impacts in history — and, new research suggests, the long-term effects on our planet (see: out-of-control global warming, ocean acidification, mass extinction) could be much the same. This striking finding comes from a suite of papers published today (Oct. 1) in the journal Elements, authored by several teams of researchers from the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) — a global collective of more than 1,000 scientists studying the movement of all Earth's carbon from the core of the planet to the edge of space. [Read More]

Mummy Mystery: Multiple Tombs Hidden in Egypt's Valley of Kings

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1164 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Multiple tombs lay hidden in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, where royalty were buried more than 3,000 years ago, awaiting discovery, say researchers working on the most extensive exploration of the area in nearly a century. The hidden treasure may include several small tombs, with the possibility of a big-time tomb holding a royal individual, the archaeologists say.  Egyptian archaeologists excavated the valley, where royalty were buried during the New Kingdom (1550–1070 B. [Read More]

Mystery Solved: How the Ancient Indus Civilization Survived Without Rivers

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  6 minutes  |  1087 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Almost 5,000 years ago, a civilization developed in what is today northwest India and Pakistan, rivaling Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt in scope. The people of the Indus civilization farmed everything from cotton to dates, and eventually established at least five major cities with basic indoor plumbing and public sewage systems. A few of these cities, including the famed sites of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, sit along major glacier-fed rivers. But the bulk of the Bronze Age Indus villages that have been found so far sit far from flowing water, north of the Thar Desert and between the Ganges-Yamuna and the Indus river systems. [Read More]

Rare Bronze Age coffin uncovered on UK golf course

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  672 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

About 4,000 years ago, an elite Bronze Age man was buried with an ax in a hollowed-out log coffin. Now, archaeologists have announced the discovery of this coffin, which was found in an unexpected spot: a golf course pond in the county of Lincolnshire, in the United Kingdom. The wooden-handled ax and the unique burial indicate that the man was a high-status individual. After the man's contemporaries dug out a tree trunk slightly longer than a modern telephone booth, they filled it with plants to cushion his body. [Read More]

Ring of Danger: Your Belly Fat

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  568 words  |  Trudie Dory

Look at any of the fashion magazines and you will see women and men with six-pack abs. In real life, keg-size stomachs are much more common. And too much belly fat can kill. The fat that develops around your waistline also sometimes called a muffin top, because it flows out over too-narrow waistbands, or a spare tire is not only unattractive but can lead to serious diseases. The presence of too much belly fat has been associated with increased risk of dementia, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer, said Deborah Clegg, a clinical nutritionist and professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. [Read More]

Sitting Down for Too Long May Increase Anxiety

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  659 words  |  Fernande Dalal

People who spend too much time sitting down — be it during a daily commute, or in front of a computer or TV — may be at increased risk for anxiety, a new review finds. Researchers looked at nine studies that assessed people's anxiety levels as well as their sedentary behavior, adding up how much time people spent doing activities like watching TV, working at a computer and playing video games. [Read More]

This Fossil Spider Has a Weird Extra Appendage

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  302 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

A 100-million-year-old spider trapped in amber has something you just don't see nowadays — a tail. No living spider species today have tails, but the ancient arachnid sported a long, whip-like one. At 0.1 inches (3 millimeters), the tail was slightly longer than the spider's 0.07-inch (2 mm) body. The tail probably served a sensory purpose, said Paul Selden, a University of Kansas researcher, who co-authored a new study about the discovery published Feb. [Read More]

When Did April Fool's Day Begin?

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  520 words  |  Trudie Dory

Though pranksters and joke-lovers in many countries now gleefully prepare to dupe friends and loved ones on April Fool's Day, no one knows exactly when or why, or even where, this tradition began. A giddy spurt of practical joking seems to have coincided with the coming of spring since the time of the Ancient Romans and Celts, who celebrated a festival of mischief-making. The first mentions of an All Fool's Day (as it was formerly called) came in Europe in the Middle Ages. [Read More]

Who should get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over the mRNA vaccines?

 Posted on March 6, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  848 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Two COVID-19 vaccines are available in the U.S., and a third, developed by Johnson & Johnson recently submitted an application for emergency use authorization, meaning it could be available in early March.  With so many options, many people are wondering whether it matters which shot they get. Related: Quick guide: COVID-19 vaccines and how they work The short answer is that you should get whichever shot you are offered, experts told Live Science. [Read More]