In 1909, Charles Doolittle Walcott (first from left) discovered the Burgess Shale formation in British Columbia, revealing exceptionally preserved soft-bodied ancient life. Image Credits: via Wikimedia Commons Imagine the last day of your mountain trip, the sun setting, the packs packed, your thoughts turning to your journey home. It was at such a time that…
A routine construction project in Snowmass Village, Colorado, uncovered a remarkable Ice Age fossil site. The discovery of a juvenile Columbian mammoth tusk marked the beginning of the Snowmastodon story. Image Credits: via Wikimedia Commons It began like any other day of moving earth around in Snowmass Village, Colorado. The weather was a typical October…
Footprints frozen in time: Human tracks preserved in ancient mud at White Sands National Park, New Mexic. Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons There is a part of the desert in New Mexico that, at first glance, looks like nothing. White dunes, dry air, the kind of landscape that makes a man squint. Buried beneath the sands…
German researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg and University Hospital Erlangen have shown that adult mouse hippocampal tissue can be cryopreserved using vitrification, cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature, and later rewarmed with key functions intact. In the study, the tissue regained electrical activity and synaptic communication after thawing. The work marks an important step in cryobiology, but…
Scientists involved in planetary formation studies, meteorites, and early solar system investigations have been wondering about the origins of the ingredients that made up the planet Earth. Studies on carbonaceous chondrites, isotopic compositions, and planetary accretion have shown that the elements needed for life on Earth, such as carbon, water, and volatiles, could have come…
Something odd is hiding in the early universe, and astronomers are only just beginning to notice it. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers have spotted faint, distant objects known as “little red dots” that do not quite behave like normal galaxies. At first, they seemed unremarkable. Easy to overlook in deep space images. But…
Charles Lieber is one of the best-known names in nanoscience, but his career took a dramatic turn after a federal conviction in the United States. Once a leading Harvard chemistry professor, Lieber was convicted in 2021 of making false statements to federal authorities and tax-related offences tied to payments from China. Today, he is back…
Scientists are now focusing on agricultural byproducts to address the global need for sustainable nutrition. An innovative study featured in ACS Publications reveals that pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) can serve as a robust and thermally stable protein source. Although people usually grow these plants for decoration and medicinal use, researchers found that marigold petals contain…
Nuns at the Convent of St. Anthony of Padua are actively preserving the endangered Gigante de España rabbit. Their tranquil environment and patient approach provide the ideal conditions for this stressed breed to reproduce successfully. Image Credits: Lissette Lemus/ Global Sisters Report In the tranquil setting of the Convent of St. Anthony of Padua, surrounded…
Why cats get “bored” with food faster than you think? Image credit – Gemini Cat owners might relate how their fur babies keep showing puzzling habits every now and then. A common scenario is when the cat starts eating, stops midway, and leaves. After taking a brief pause, the cat returns and continues eating. Any…