Blood Moon Prophecy: The Science of Supermoon Eclipse Superstitions

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  5 minutes  |  1028 words  |  Patria Henriques

A full "supermoon" will pass precisely within Earth's shadow this Sunday (Sept. 27), creating a total lunar eclipse and bathing our planet's natural satellite in rusty hues. This eye-catching lunar eclipse will give night owls everywhere a reason to look up in wonder, but not everyone thinks this weekend's "blood moon" is a harmless celestial event. Some folks see it as a sign of impending doom. One of those doomsayers is John Hagee, a Christian evangelical minister from San Antonio who has stirred up controversy with his sermons (and books and television broadcasts) about the alleged religious significance of the upcoming lunar eclipse. [Read More]

Brain Activity Measured While Flies Fly

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  496 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

In a freaky fruit fly experiment, scientists have used electrodes to measure the brain activity of the tiny insects while flapping their wings for the first time. When the animals began to fly, neurons in the visual region of the brain ramped up activity abruptly, they found. Though fruit fly brains are tiny, packing just 300,000 brain cells, the findings have implications for understanding brain changes in larger animals. For comparison, an average human brain has about 100 billion neurons. [Read More]

Empty Quarter: World's Largest Sand Sea

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  1 minutes  |  171 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

The Arabian Peninsula's Empty Quarter, known as Rub' al Khali, is the world's largest sand sea, holding about half as much sand as the Sahara Desert. The Empty Quarter covers 583,000 square kilometers (225,000 square miles), and stretches over parts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite captured this image of the Empty Quarter on August 26, 2001. [Read More]

Hyenas Have the Last Laugh

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  749 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Confounding their usual cinematic portrayal as incessantly giggling numskulls, hyenas turn out to rank among the savvier characters on the African savanna. A new study finds that wild spotted hyenas employ a diverse range of tactics when attempting to open man-made "puzzle boxes." The carnivores can count, too — most of the pads on one paw, at least.  Impressive mental gymnastics have been observed among all kinds of animals in recent years, demonstrating time and again just how mistaken humans once were about animal cognition. [Read More]

Kids' Belief in Santa Myth Is Healthy, Psychologists Say

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  752 words  |  Patria Henriques

Spoiler alert: This article contains information suggesting Santa Claus may not be real. Generally, lying to kids is a bad thing. But for many children, believing in Santa is a normal and healthy part of development, psychologists say. The notion of a man who flies around the world in a vehicle drawn by flying hoofed mammals, entering people's homes through their chimneys and delivering presents, all within the span of a single night, is highly improbable, to say the least. [Read More]

Milky Way gallery: See awe-inspiring images of our galaxy

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  5 minutes  |  925 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Throughout the ages, the Milky Way has hung above humanity in the sky, a beautiful marvel shining steadily each night. Nowadays, most city-bound folks rarely see the full splendor of our home galaxy stretching across the heavens. Luckily, there are photographers all over the world with the skills to show off what many skywatchers are missing.  Here, we take a look at the winners of the 2021 Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition from the travel and photography site Capture the Atlas. [Read More]

Psychedelic Drugs May Change the Structure of Brain Cells

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  665 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

It's no surprise that psychedelic drugs such as LSD and ecstasy alter brain function, leading to the drugs' "trippy" effects  and possible hallucinations. But now, researchers have shown that these drugs can also physically alter the brain, changing the structure of brain cells. The new study was done on nerve cells in lab dishes and in animals, but if the findings also hold true in humans, these drugs could have surprising benefits for patients with certain mood disorders, the researchers said. [Read More]

Silver plate showing topless Scythian goddess unearthed in Russia

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  2 minutes  |  380 words  |  Patria Henriques

Archaeologists have discovered a silver plate decorated with an image of a topless Scythian goddess in an ancient cemetery in the Ostrogozhsky district of southwest Russia. The plate depicts Argimpasa, a goddess associated with human and animal fertility, surrounded by mythical creatures. The plate dates to between 900 B.C. and 200 B.C., when a people called the Scythians flourished in the region. The Scythians were semi-nomadic and were renowned for being excellent warriors who could move quickly across the battlefield. [Read More]

The Best Pedometers and Step Counters

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  10 minutes  |  1993 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

We recently reviewed nearly two dozen fitness trackers, sports watches, pedometers and smartphone apps to find the best devices for counting steps. After careful research and hands-on testing, we recommend the Jawbone UP Move(opens in new tab) as the overall best (and most accurate) step-counting wearable device. If you'd like to use your smartphone to count your steps, we recommend Argus, a free health- and fitness-tracking app for Android and iOS. [Read More]

This Underwater WWII 'Cemetery' Is Haunting and Amazing

 Posted on October 2, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  593 words  |  Trudie Dory

An eerie image of an underwater "graveyard" for British World War II military motorcycles has earned the top prize in the Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) contest for 2018. Titled "Cycle War," the image was captured by German photographer Tobias Friedrich and shows a cargo deck in the SS Thistlegorm, a British munitions ship that German bombers sank in the Red Sea on October 6, 1941. The ship was torn apart by an explosion after flames from the bombs reached its ammunitions stores, and it sank in under a minute along with all the cargo it was carrying, according to the Thistlegorm Project, an ongoing archaeological survey of the wreck. [Read More]