In 1847 a Vienna doctor cut childbed-fever deaths on the doctors’ ward from about one mother in ten to roughly one in eighty by making physicians wash their hands in chlorine — and the profession turned on him for it In 1847, a Hungarian obstetrician working at Vienna General Hospital found a way to stop…
Scientists say we have only explored a fraction of Earth’s Seas and Oceans Less than 30% of the world’s ocean floor has been mapped to modern standards, meaning scientists still have a clearer view of the Space, Moon and Mars than of the seabed that covers most of Earth.The global effort known as the Seabed…
A genetic analysis of nearly 700,000 people identified 74 distinct locations in the human genome tied to anxiety, 39 of which had never been linked to the condition before A genetic analysis of nearly 700,000 people has identified 74 regions of the human genome linked to anxiety symptoms, including 39 that had never before been…
California’s seabird crisis is a stark reminder that climate change is no longer a distant environmental issue (Canva) Thousands of seabirds washing up along California’s coastline have become a heartbreaking symbol of a marine ecosystem under extreme stress. Emaciated birds are turning up dead or starving in unusually high numbers, from brown pelicans and common…
The largest (left) and the smallest (right) skulls of Homo naledi found in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa. All specimens of H. naledi have been shown to be female. All known skeletons of the ancient human relative Homo naledi discovered in a South African cave system appear to be female, according to…
Scientists collected samples from 11 caves in Spain and Portugal (Credits: Alberto Martínez Villa) For the first time, scientists have recovered ancient human DNA left behind on cave walls and rock art, opening a new way to study the people who created prehistoric paintings thousands of years ago.The breakthrough was described in a study published…
Contrary to popular belief, China’s massive planted forests are growing faster than natural woodlands, showing accelerated leaf growth and canopy expansion. Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons When we look at satellite images of a changing planet, we often think of industrial expansion or environmental loss. We picture urban concrete spreading across historical valleys, long transport corridors…
Artificial intelligence has created an unexpected problem. Training and running increasingly sophisticated AI models requires enormous computing power, and the data centres housing those systems are consuming electricity at an unprecedented rate. As grids struggle to keep up, technology companies and energy developers are searching for reliable power sources beyond conventional renewables. One of the…
For a long time, the story seemed straightforward. As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels fell and the planet cooled, large ice sheets began spreading across the polar regions. Yet there was an awkward detail that never quite fitted. Antarctica became locked beneath vast quantities of ice around 34 million years ago, while the Arctic remained largely…
The competition to return humans to the Moon is no longer being spoken about as a distant ambition. According to Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman, it has become a direct contest between the United States and China, with both countries working towards lunar landings within a remarkably similar timeframe. Although official schedules suggest the US is…