In Images: The Extraordinary Evolution of 'Blind' Cavefish

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  723 words  |  Patria Henriques

'Blind' Mexican Cavefish Although their appearance varies wildly, the freshwater Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) is the same species as the surface-dwelling Mexican tetra. So-called "Blind" Mexican cavefish are an example of convergent evolution, a new study shows. This type of evolution is characterized by several populations repeatedly, and independently, losing their sight and pigmentation as they adapt to their dwellings. [Read related article: Cavefish Not Blind to Attractions of Surface-Dwelling Cousins] Click on for more images of the ghostly cavefish and how it compares to its surface-dwelling cousin. [Read More]

Infamous 'Yeti Finger' Flunks DNA Test

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  532 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

A finger long claimed to be from a yeti, once revered in a monastery in Nepal and taken in the 1950s by a Bigfoot researcher, has been identified after decades of mystery. Turns out, it's just a regular old human finger — albeit one with a very interesting history. The yeti is said to be a muscular beast weighing between 200 and 400 pounds and covered with dark grayish or reddish-brown hair. [Read More]

New Nutrition Symbols Would Help Shoppers Be Healthier

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  701 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The barrage of symbols and health claims on food these days may leave consumers confused about which products are truly good for them. To help clear this confusion, federal agencies should develop a new nutritional rating system that will standardize the symbols on the front of food packages and make it easy for people to discern how healthy a product is, a new government report says. The report, issued by the Institute of Medicine, recommended that a single symbol be displayed on the front of packages. [Read More]

Photos: The World's Oldest Masks

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  1 minutes  |  178 words  |  Patria Henriques

Stone Age MasksA 2014 exhibition at the Israel Museum brings together a collection of Stone Age masks from the region. Horvat Duma MaskResearchers think these masks could have been worn comfortably on the face during ancient rituals. This mask comes from the site of Horvat Duma in the Judean Hills. Nahal Hemar MaskThis 9,000-year-old mask was found at Nahal Hemar cave in the Judean Desert. Stone FaceThis mask is on loan from a private collection. [Read More]

Quantum Mystery of Light Revealed by New Experiment

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  526 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Is light made of waves, or particles? This fundamental question has dogged scientists for decades, because light seems to be both. However, until now, experiments have revealed light to act either like a particle, or a wave, but never the two at once. Now, for the first time, a new type of experiment has shown light behaving like both a particle and a wave simultaneously, providing a new dimension to the quandary that could help reveal the true nature of light, and of the whole quantum world. [Read More]

These Skeletons from an Ancient Egypt Cemetery Were Riddled with Cancer

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  666 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Archaeologists have uncovered six cases of cancer while studying the bodies of ancient Egyptians who were buried long ago in the Dakhleh Oasis. The finds include a toddler with leukemia, a mummified man in his 50s with rectal cancer and individuals with cancer possibly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The researchers found these cancer cases while examining the remains of 1,087 ancient Egyptians buried between 3,000 and 1,500 years ago. [Read More]

Wattbike Atom review

 Posted on December 23, 2022  |  8 minutes  |  1704 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The Wattbike Atom is a neat and tidy exercise bike able to deliver lung-busting, calorie-crushing workouts at will – but compare it to the Peloton Bike at your peril.  Both machines feature on our roundup of the best exercise bikes(opens in new tab) but, having put the two to the test, we feel their target audiences are worlds apart. Where the Peloton Bike(opens in new tab) caters to those looking to up their activity levels with accessible, follow-along studio sessions, the Wattbike Atom has more of a performance focus. [Read More]

3-D Images Show Earthquake Before and After

 Posted on December 22, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  765 words  |  Patria Henriques

Laser scans of Earth's land surface taken from aircraft have now yielded the most comprehensive before-and-after picture of an earthquake yet, scientists revealed today (Feb. 9). These kinds of scans before and after large quakes may help reveal where exactly the quakes ruptured the Earth down to a scale of just a few inches, which may help experts prepare for the hazards of such quakes, researchers said. Scientists from the United States, Mexico and China working with the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping flew over the area struck by the magnitude-7. [Read More]

Alzheimer's Disease: Brain Changes, Symptoms and Treatment

 Posted on December 22, 2022  |  7 minutes  |  1337 words  |  Patria Henriques

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior in older adults. The disorder affects an estimated 5.7 million Americans, and is thefifth-leading cause of death in people ages 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alzheimer's disease is often used as a synonym for dementia, which is a devastating loss of memory and cognitive function in older people, said Dr. [Read More]

Can Your Beach Vacation Make You Sick? (Op-Ed)

 Posted on December 22, 2022  |  6 minutes  |  1105 words  |  Patria Henriques

Peter Lehner, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. When I started visiting our Santa Monica office, I was thrilled to get up early (I was on East Coast time) and go down to the beach to body surf. It was well worth braving the cold water, because sometimes a dolphin or sea lion would join me. My California colleagues, however, were not so enthusiastic about my morning swim. [Read More]