Found: Ancient Warrior's Helmet, Owner Unknown

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  635 words  |  Fernande Dalal

A Greek bronze helmet, covered with gold leaf and decorated with snakes, lions and a peacock's tail (or palmette), has been discovered in the waters of Haifa Bay in Israel. But how this helmet ended up at the bottom of the bay is a mystery. The helmet dates back around 2,600 years and likely belonged to a wealthy Greek mercenary who took part in a series of wars, immortalized in the Bible, which ravaged the region at that time. [Read More]

Good Gossip: We May Spread Rumors to Protect Others

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  459 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Spreading the word after you see someone behave badly can make you feel better and it can benefit society, suggests a new study that explores our impulse to gossip and how it can nip selfishness in the bud. "Gossip can be bad, but we tend to overlook that it can be good as well, and a lot of gossip is driven by concern for others and has positive social effects," said Robb Willer, a study researcher and an assistant professor of sociology and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. [Read More]

Hair Ball! How Cats' Tongues Get Them So Clean

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  5 minutes  |  941 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Cats are famous for their fastidious self-grooming, but the way their tongues are able to get them so clean has remained somewhat of a mystery. Scientists knew that feline tongues were covered in spines, and now a group of engineers has found that the teensy structures are shaped like claws and work like Velcro to clean cats' coats. The findings could help engineers design robots that can grip surfaces, and even lead to more efficient hairbrushes and better ways to clean wounds, the researchers said. [Read More]

Magic of Rembrandt's Painting Technique Revealed

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  358 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Rembrandt's paintings have transfixed viewers for centuries, but now a new study reveals a scientific explanation for their calming beauty. By painting more detail in and around the eyes of his subjects, Rembrandt tapped into an innate human attraction to the face. This creates a more calming and immersive experience for the viewer. Steve DiPaola of the University of British Columbia (UBC) suggests Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn may have pioneered a technique that guides the viewer's gaze around a portrait, creating a special narrative and " [Read More]

Miniature 'Triceratops' Ancestor Discovered

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  320 words  |  Fernande Dalal

The oldest and smallest horned dinosaur in North America finally gets a name after decades of research. The little horned dinosaur (Gryphoceratops morrisoni), measuring 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) long, lived about 83 million years ago. The new study, published in the journal Cretaceous Research on Jan 24, also details another newly named species of horned dinosaur: Unescopceratops koppelhusae, which lived 75 million years ago, in what is now Alberta, Canada. [Read More]

People who live to 100 have unique gut bacteria signatures

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  754 words  |  Trudie Dory

People who live to age 100 and beyond may have special gut bacteria that help ward off infections, according to a new study from Japan. The results suggest that these bacteria, and the specific compounds they produce — known as "secondary bile acids" — could contribute to a healthy gut and, in turn, healthy aging. Still, much more research is needed to know whether these bacteria promote  exceptionally long life spans. [Read More]

Pipsqueak animals show off Marvel-like superpowers in 'Tiny World' docuseries

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  536 words  |  Trudie Dory

(opens in new tab)Nature documentaries showcase the most exciting moments of daily life in the natural world, and a new series reveals that survival for some of the tiniest creatures can be as harrowing, suspenseful and dramatic as it is for big animals. Apple TV+'s "Tiny World(opens in new tab)" explores how the world looks when glimpsed from the point of view of its smallest wildlife inhabitants, such as minuscule scampering lizards; wee flyers like bees, dragonflies and hummingbirds; and rainforest primates that are so small they're dwarfed by a katydid. [Read More]

Sandra Day O'Connor Says She 'Probably' Has Alzheimer's: What Defines Different Dementias?

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  4 minutes  |  724 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor — the first woman appointed to the U.S. high court — announced that she had been diagnosed with dementia. "Some time ago, doctors diagnosed me with the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer's disease," O'Conner wrote in a public letter dated today (Oct. 23). Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia, but how do doctors distinguish between the notorious disease and other forms of dementia? [Read More]

Thick-Brained People Are Smarter

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  462 words  |  Patria Henriques

Although being called "thick-headed" means one is dumb, it turns out being literally thick-brained suggests one is smart, new findings reveal. In the past decade, scientists across the world have unearthed conflicting evidence regarding where the seat of intelligence lies in the brain. For instance, in 2000, researchers in England and Germany discovered that intelligence seemed to depend exclusively on the frontal lobes of the brain. "That was a bit surprising," [Read More]

Why Guys Prefer Hooking Up to Dating

 Posted on May 11, 2023  |  3 minutes  |  570 words  |  Patria Henriques

A new study explores the gender preference of two different forms of dating common on university campuses. Although both genders perceive similar benefits and risks to dating and hooking up, more women than men continue to prefer dating whereas more men than women rate hooking up above dating. Traditional dating follows a predictable pattern whereby the man is active − he asks the woman to go out with him, organizes the date and at the end of it may initiate sexual activity; whereas the woman is reactive − she waits to be asked out on a date and accepts or rejects the man's sexual overtures. [Read More]