10 Strangest Medical Cases of 2018

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  8 minutes  |  1677 words  |  Fernande Dalal

Odd medicineFrom a man who coughed up a lung-shaped blood clot to a woman with parasites in her spine, a number of intriguing medical cases made headlines in 2018. So-called "case reports," which describe the conditions of individual patients, don't carry the same authoritative weight as rigorous scientific studies with hundreds or thousands of people participating. But such reports can sometimes help doctors better understand rare diseases or spot unusual signs of common conditions. [Read More]

Climate scientist and Netflix 'Don't Look Up' director talk comet metaphors and global warming (exclusive)

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  6 minutes  |  1092 words  |  Trudie Dory

The creator of Netflix's popular satire-comedy movie "Don't Look Up(opens in new tab)" recently spoke with a climate scientist about how the movie contributes to the conversation about global warming. The interview, exclusively released to Space.com, is a 24-minute audio conversation between filmmaker Adam McKay and Kate Marvel, an associate research scientist at both Columbia University and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. McKay opens the conversation by saying he went into a state of " [Read More]

Dark matter 'annihilation' may be causing the Milky Way's center to glow

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  663 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

A mysterious glow coming from the center of the Milky Way might be caused by annihilating dark matter — elusive matter that emits no light.  According to new research, heavy dark matter particles may be destructively colliding at the center of the galaxy, creating elementary particles, as well as gamma rays — the unexplained light seen emanating from the galactic center.  The source of this unexplained light, called the galactic center excess (GCE), has been debated by scientists ever since it was discovered in 2009. [Read More]

Fate of Ark of the Covenant Revealed in Hebrew Text

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  841 words  |  Fernande Dalal

A newly translated Hebrew text claims to reveal where treasures from King Solomon's temple were hidden and discusses the fate of the Ark of the Covenant itself. But unlike the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the text leaves the exact location of the Ark unclear and states that it, and the other treasures, "shall not be revealed until the day of the coming of the Messiah son of David …" [Read More]

Fossils Show Surprising Life of Ancient Swimming Mollusks

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  2 minutes  |  298 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Fossils found in a South Dakota cliff have revealed that ancient, free-swimming shelled creatures called ammonites were permanent residents around a methane seep at the bottom of the inland sea that divided the North American continent more than 65 million years ago. Methane and other chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide, leak from the ocean floor at so-called cold seeps, providing the basis for a food chain and an oasis for life on the seafloor. [Read More]

Killer Whales Bully Lone Blue Whale in Rare Video

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  1 minutes  |  211 words  |  Patria Henriques

This incredible footage shows a rare interaction between a blue whale and killer whales—where it appears a gang of orcas attacks the larger cetacean. The video was filmed off the coast of off Monterey, Calif., by Sea Wolf II out of Monterey Bay Whale Watch. It's rare to see the large mammals in the deep California waters in March. Blue whales typically arrive in Southern California in late spring or early summer. [Read More]

Oclean X Pro Elite toothbrush review

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  7 minutes  |  1415 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The Oclean X Pro Elite is a great all-round electric toothbrush, with technical features that make it easy to customize your brushing regime and monitor areas you may need to work on. The touchscreen is easy to use, with 32 levels of intensity and four brushing modes, as well as the option to change the duration of your brushing time. It is priced affordably for a smart toothbrush, performing just as well as more expensive options. [Read More]

Pew, Pew: Bizarre Sounds from Frozen Lake Explained

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  2 minutes  |  413 words  |  Fernande Dalal

A self-proclaimed "professional YouTuber" has scored a viral video hit with his discovery of the sci-fi sounds produced by skipping rocks across a frozen lake. The winter phenomenon is old hat to kids from cold weather states, but for Cory Williams, the eerie pings and pews were jaw-droppingly bizarre. "This is the coolest sound I've ever heard," Williams tells his girlfriend, who is filming the scene. An apparent "cheechako" (Alaska newcomer), Williams moved to Anchorage in August and is documenting his culture shock in a YouTube video log. [Read More]

Real-Life 'Lizard King' Named for Doors' Jim Morrison

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  636 words  |  Trudie Dory

A lizard the size of a German shepherd once roamed Myanmar, a new fossil analysis reveals. The lizard, one of the largest ever known, has been dubbed Barbaturex morrisoni in honor of The Doors' singer Jim Morrison, who once wrote a song that included the lyrics, "I am the lizard king/I can do anything." "This is a king lizard, and he was the lizard king, so it just fit," said Jason Head, a paleontologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who led the study and gave the ancient lizard its musically inspired moniker. [Read More]

Social Pressure, Not Health Warnings Influence Sexual Behavior

 Posted on November 28, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  832 words  |  Patria Henriques

Young people often decide if they should use a condom by whether they perceive their sexual partners as “clean” or “unclean.” In a study reported today in the journal Lancet, researchers found the factors like this one that influence a young person’s sexual practices are strikingly similar worldwide. Since nearly half of new HIV infections worldwide occur among people aged 15 to 24 years, changing sexual behavior in this group is crucial to tackling the disease’s spread, the researchers said. [Read More]