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This week, the first confirmed arm bone of a Denisovan has been discovered in a Chinese cave, researchers have found the earliest evidence yet of human drug use in the teeth of a 25,000-year-old skeleton from Indonesia, and new findings hint at a surprising answer as to why smokers are at lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. Finally, 60 years on from its creation, we look back at the impacts Star Trek has had on both science and society.
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World's First Adult T. Rex Trackway With 4-Meter Stride Discovered By High School Teacher
It can be pretty hard to determine what made footprints from 66.5 million years ago, given that sediment changes, many dinosaurs shared similar-looking feet and claws, and often bones are not found in the same area as footprints, due to the differences in the preservation process. However, the new discovery of four dino footprints in North Dakota appears to be the first-ever adult T. rex trackway in the world. Read the full story here
First Confirmed Arm Bone Of A Denisovan Discovered In Chinese Cave, Adding A Fascinating Piece To The Prehistoric Puzzle
The first confirmed arm bone of a Denisovan has been discovered in southwest China, adding another piece to the puzzle of an elusive human relative that once walked the Earth alongside our own kind. Tools alongside it hint at hunting behaviors, and even cultural exchanges with other extinct hominins. Read the full story here
Thanks To Earth Speeding Up, We Could Scrap The Leap Second As Early As Next Month – And Gain The First Ever “Leap Hour”
The solar day is 24 hours long. That's the time it takes the Earth to complete one full rotation on its axis, and as far as humans can tell, this is very accurate. However, we live in a world of high-precision machines that deal with the effects of physics that we don't feel. For the machines, a 24-hour day is definitely not exact. Left to their own devices, clocks will slowly go out of sync, which is not exactly ideal. Read the full story here
25,000-Year-Old "Addict" With A Betel Nut Habit Is The Earliest Evidence Yet Of Drug Use In Humans
Every human society uses some form of mind-altering drug, and new evidence suggests that we’ve been ingesting these substances for tens of thousands of years. Analyzing the teeth of a 25,000-year-old skeleton from Sulawesi, Indonesia, researchers have deduced that this individual habitually sucked on betel nuts, and probably developed an addiction to this popular stimulant. Read the full story here
Smokers Are At Lower Risk Of Parkinson’s Disease – No One Knows Why, But New Findings Hint At A Surprising Answer
Most doctors will tell you that quitting smoking is pretty much the number one thing you can do for your health. Tobacco smoking increases the risk of a whole slew of diseases, not only lung cancer. But there’s one disease in particular that bucks this trend, and it’s been a scientific mystery for a long time. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
Star Trek At 60 – The Iconic Franchise Changed More Than Science, It Changed Society
Space. The Final Frontier. From the very title sequence, Star Trek laid out its focus on discovering what is out there, and how we relate to the strange and the alien. Known for its iconic futuristic technology, some of which have actually come to pass, the show was also famous for pushing cultural boundaries. As the beloved franchise marks its 60th anniversary this week, we looked at some of the ways Star Trek has impacted – and continues to impact – society. Read the full story here
More content:
Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 50, September 2026, is available now. This month, we asked, “Why Is It So Funny Watching People Fall Over?” – check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.
PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – continues. In episode 24, we ask, “Could You Turn A Flamingo Blue?”
The Big Questions podcast continues as we ask, “What's The Next Frontier In Dementia Research?” Host Laura Simmons speaks to three scientists looking at dementia from three quite different perspectives. Together, these conversations take us on a journey through some emerging and innovative aspects of dementia research, and give us a glimpse at what the future may hold.
