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Extremely Rare "Mud-Caked Mummy" Reveals Unusual Ancient Egyptian Mortuary Practice
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Archaeologists restudying an ancient Egyptian mummy recently discovered it’s an extremely rare example of an individual who appears to be preserved in good old-fashioned mud. One theory behind this “muddy mummy” is it's an example of "elite emulation," a lower-cost alternative to the pricy resin shells found in the wrappings of royal bodies from this period. This is the first time this funerary practice has been described for science.
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Astronaut Performs First-Ever Plant Transplant In Space
For the first time an astronaut has carried out a plant transplant in space, and to the delight of both the astronaut surgeon and NASA scientists on Earth, it was a success. The plant recipients are said to be doing well. In fact, the transplanted plants likely wouldn't have survived on Earth. Now, they are growing better in space than they would have on our home planet thanks to an unusual ingredient up there: microgravity.
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Breakthrough In Quantum Computing As Scientists Create Cryogenic Quantum Chip
Scientists have created a computer chip that could be capable of handling thousands of qubits (the ‘language’ of quantum computing). The world’s biggest quantum computers currently operate with around 50 qubits, so that’s quite a jump. The chip, which operates at a temperature of almost absolute zero, does away with messy wires, using just two cables, and may pave the way for next-generation quantum computers.
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Ancient Teeth Of Possible Neanderthal-Human "Hybrid Population" Discovered In Jersey
Ancient teeth from two individuals found on the island of Jersey suggest they may have been part of a “hybrid population” of Neanderthals and modern humans. The teeth were previously assumed to have belonged to one person, but new research shows they came from at least two adults, which hints at traits prevalent in a population produced by interbreeding, and that Neanderthal-human mixing may have been more common than thought.
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Incredible New Image Of SARS-Cov-2 Shows COVID-19 Virus Bound To A Kidney Cell
Scientists have looked at the virus that causes COVID-19 under a helium ion microscope for the first time. The new image shows SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of a monkey kidney cell in the lab. You can even see some of the pathogens being bound to the cell membrane. This new method allows researchers to not only see the virus but to catch the defense mechanism employed by the infected cell itself.
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