World's Largest Atom Smasher May Have Just Found Evidence for Why Our Universe Exists
Posted on July 12, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 693 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
For the first time ever, physicists at the world’s largest atom smasher have observed differences in the decay of particles and antiparticles containing a basic building block of matter, called the charm quark.
The finding could help explain the mystery of why matter exists at all.
"It's a historic milestone," said Sheldon Stone, a professor of physics at Syracuse University and one of the collaborators on the new research.
Matter and antimatterEvery particle of matter has an antiparticle, which is identical in mass but with an opposite electrical charge.
[Read More]'The Truth About Animals': Storks Flying to the Moon, and Other Wild Tales
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 320 words
| Trudie Dory
Live Science sat down with Cooke yesterday (April 17) to explore the wild interactions and historical misunderstandings humans have had with animals dating to the time of Aristotle. And believe us when we say there are misunderstandings. So. Many. Misunderstandings.
For instance, people had no idea for centuries where the stork and other birds went in the winter. Nowadays, we know that these birds migrate to warmer places. But before this was widely known or accepted, the 17th-century scientist and minister Charles Morton proposed another idea: Storks flew to the moon "
[Read More]2,800-Year-Old Zigzag Art Found in Greek Tomb
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 453 words
| Trudie Dory
Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Corinth, Greece, have discovered a tomb dating back around 2,800 years that has pottery decorated with zigzagging designs.
The tomb was built sometime between 800 B.C. and 760 B.C., a time when Corinth was emerging as a major power and Greeks were colonizing the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
The tomb itself consists of a shaft and burial pit, the pit having a limestone sarcophagus that is about 5.
[Read More]Artist with Amnesia Offers a Picture into the Brain
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 574 words
| Arica Deslauriers
After suffering devastating brain damage from a viral infection, artist Lonni Sue Johnson lost her memory. Now, after years of therapy, she is unveiling a new portfolio of "recovery art," while also teaching scientists a bit about the brain and creativity.
The new show at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore follows Johnson's journey, including her artwork from before she got viral encephalitis in 2007 and as she recovered. The journey is providing scientists unique insights into the dire effects of amnesia and the complementary roles played by language and memory in her artistic expression.
[Read More]Dinosaur 'Firewalkers' left behind giant footprints in a 'land of fire'
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 820 words
| Trudie Dory
This story begins with a dusty photo. In 2018, Emese Bordy, an associate professor of sedimentology at the University of Cape Town, discovered it by chance inside an unpublished master's dissertation that dated back to 1964. The image, she realized, showed an ancient dinosaur footprint preserved on what became a farm in South Africa.
After tracking down the current owner of the farm, with the help of a nature photographer and historian, Bordy gathered a team to investigate the farmer's property (with his permission) for more ancient dinosaur footprints.
[Read More]Fishy Rain to Fire Whirlwinds: The World's Weirdest Weather
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 5 minutes
| 1036 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
When Mother Nature Throws a Curve BallAs if tornadoes, hurricanes and blizzards weren't enough to keep us on our toes, Mother Nature occasionally surprises us with some truly odd weather phenomena: From whirlwinds of fire to bloody rains, it's a strange world of weather out there.
Raining Fish and FrogsFrom California to England to India, people have periodically reported a fishy form of precipitation: small animals, such as fish, frogs, and snakes have occasionally fallen unexpectedly from the sky, sometimes miles away from water.
[Read More]How Earthquakes in Chile Have Permanently Deformed Earth
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 621 words
| Mittie Cheatwood
Earthquakes can permanently crack the Earth, an investigation of quakes that have rocked Chile over the past million years suggests.
Although earthquakes can wreak havoc on the planet's surface, more than a century of research has suggested the Earth actually mostly rebounds after quakes, with blocks of the world's crust elastically springing back, over the course of months to decades, to the way they initially were. Such rebounding was first seen after investigations of the devastating 1906 San Francisco temblor thathelped lead to the destruction of more than 80 percent of the city.
[Read More]Live Science podcast "Life's Little Mysteries" 5: Mysterious volcanoes
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 2 minutes
| 225 words
| Arica Deslauriers
In this episode of Life's Little Mysteries, we'll take a closer look at some explosive mysteries that originate deep inside the Earth — volcanoes.
How do scientists know when a volcano is about to erupt, what would happen if the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted, and what would Earth look like if every volcano on the planet erupted at once? Listen to Life's Little Mysteries 5: Mysterious Volcanoes to find out!
We'll also hear about ancient volcanoes that may have helped the global rise of mammals around 65 million years ago, and a volcanologist will explain how scientists monitor volcanoes to better predict eruptions.
[Read More]Record–Breaking Snow and Cold Reminiscent of the Late '70s
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 4 minutes
| 703 words
| Fernande Dalal
If this winter's record-breaking snowfalls and bitter cold remind you of your childhood, perhaps you grew up when disco was alive and well.
"People who were around in the late '70s remember several winters similar to this," said Deke Arndt, who was a child of the 70s and now makes his living by monitoring climate data for the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
For those who don't recall those years, this winter may seem unprecedented.
[Read More]Rose Gold Jewelry Was All the Rage with Ancient Colombians
Posted on July 11, 2023
| 3 minutes
| 556 words
| Fernande Dalal
When Apple revealed the new iPhone 8 earlier this month, some headlines focused on one question: Would it come in rose gold?
The pink-tinted metal is still having a moment. Made from a mix of gold and copper, rose gold got its start in the 19th century, when it was known as "Russian gold," according to Sotheby's. (Carl Fabergéused it in his ornate eggs.) And the blushing color has been going in and out of fashion ever since.
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