Humans
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This week, a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal may be the oldest example of a human killed by a spear, the world’s oldest shipwreck has been discovered in the Mediterranean, and microplastics may produce particles with the potential to cause “biological damage” when interacting with water. Finally, we spoke to the experts to find out where dementia research is heading in the coming years.
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First-Ever Green Star Discovered – It Turns Out White Dwarfs Come In A Whole Rainbow Of Pinks, Oranges, And Blues
The universal palette of stars and stellar objects has just gained a few more colors. The discovery comes from an interesting investigation into what white dwarfs actually end up looking like due to the stuff in their atmospheres. Read the full story here
Fatally Wounded Neanderthal May Be The Oldest Example Of A Human Killed By A Spear
A Neanderthal with a hole in its shoulder blade is probably the oldest evidence of a human who died from a spear wound, and therefore among the oldest examples of death by violence from another human. There is no way to be certain, however, whether this was a deliberate act or a tragic accident, nor whether the thrower was another Neanderthal or a member of our own species. Read the full story here
World's Oldest Ever Shipwreck Discovered In The Mediterranean, Dating To Over 4,400 Years Old
The world's oldest shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Turkey, dating back to a time when the ancient Egyptians were building the pyramids on the other side of the Mediterranean. Read the full story here
When Microplastics Interact With Water, They May Produce Particles With The Potential To Cause "Biological Damage"
When it was invented, one of the major selling points of plastic was its chemically inert nature, a material that could be used for everything from food packaging to chemical containers. But there has been steadily growing evidence that plastic is not quite as benign as was first touted. Read the full story here
Scientists Take Step Towards "Schrödinger’s Cat In Real Life", Moving A One Centimeter Diamond Using A Quantum Effect
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) say they've taken a step towards "Schrödinger’s cat in real life" after moving a centimeter-long object using a quantum effect. As well as being pretty neat in its own right, the work could help future experiments looking into the boundaries between quantum mechanics and classical physics. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
Millions Of Us Could Develop Dementia In The Coming Years – 3 Experts Weigh In On Where The Science Is Heading
It’s one of the most feared health conditions we humans face, and the problem is only set to grow. By 2050, a recent forecast says, nearly 25 million people around the world could develop dementia each year. That’s a huge increase on previous estimates and begs the urgent question: what can we do about it? Read the full story here
More content:
We Have Questions: In Wilderness Songs, zoologist Justin Anderson takes you on a journey across the Earth through sound. Using QR codes, he plays the sound of the Amazon rainforest waking up after a storm – but what stands out most amongst the cacophony of chaos, is the animal that makes no sound at all. So, how does a “voiceless” frog find love in the mess of noise that is rainforest life? By following the fallen trees, of course.
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PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – continues. In episode 25, we ask, “Why Do Hammerhead Sharks Have Hammer-Shaped Heads?”
The Big Questions podcast continues as we ask, “Are Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Safe?” Host Rachael Funnell speaks to Professor Hannah Fry, presenter of the BBC series AI Confidential, to find out how AI chatbots can and have become a part of people’s lives, and what can happen when such a relationship takes a turn.
