Science

There is an asteroid approximately the size of a building that has been on the radar of many astronomers for a long time due to its initial potential to collide with the Earth. However, there is no need to worry anymore, as its trajectory has shifted slightly since it was first detected. It is now expected to miss the Earth …

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Image by Getty / Futurism One person’s junk is another’s treasure. An international team of scientists have found that strings of “junk” DNA in the human genome that were previously written off as having no useful function are actually pretty important after all. The work, published as a study in the journal Science Advances, focuses on transposable elements, a class …

In an exciting paleontological breakthrough, researchers have uncovered the fossil of an extraordinary prehistoric snake, Vasuki indicus, which measured an astonishing 50 feet in length and likely weighed over 2,200 pounds. Found in the Panandhro Lignite Mine in Gujarat’s Kutch region, India, the fossil reveals a massive predator from the Middle Eocene period, about 47 million years ago. This discovery, …

The wrists of birds are incredibly complex and functionally crucial in both flight and the folding of wings at rest, says Will Newton.  To stabilise their wings during flight, birds rely on a tiny bone known as the pisiform. This bone was long thought to have been lost in the early ancestors of birds, only returning as they started to …

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Nearly a month ago, a mysterious object was seen hurtling through the solar system and later confirmed as an interstellar visitor traveling toward the Sun. Several telescopes have since turned their attention to the wandering object, but it turns out the brand-new Vera C. Rubin Observatory was the first to catch a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS. In an act of cosmic …

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Star trails captured at Cyclops Rock in Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Hannah Schwalbe via NPS. Grab your binoculars and get your telescope ready as the Perseids are back! This dazzling meteor shower, known for its intensity and high visibility, is set to take over the night skies and fill your summer nights with magic. The Perseid meteor shower …

Dear RW readers, can you spare $25? The week at Retraction Watch featured: Our list of retracted or withdrawn COVID-19 papers is up past 500. There are more than 60,000 retractions in The Retraction Watch Database — which is now part of Crossref. The Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker now contains more than 300 titles. And have you seen our …