Science Alert
Catch up on the latest science news, from space and technology to life and environmental research- all the discoveries shaping our world today.
Updated: 2 hours 18 min ago
In the early 1900s, cavers in Western Australia found massive bones and unearthed Mammoth Cave, a lost world of giant fossils
Western Australia's Mammoth Cave reveals ancient secrets, including evidence of arboreal kangaroos and long-beaked echidnas, suggesting a past humid climate and rich ecosystem. New research indicates early Australians were not just hunters but possibly the world's first palaeontologists, collecting and valuing fossilized bones, transforming the cave from an 'abattoir' into a source of ancient narratives.
In 2010, a bulldozer driver found a tusk in the Colorado mud and unearthed the high-altitude secrets of the Snowmastodon site
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. This high-altitude location revealed a thriving ecosystem with numerous ancient animal remains. The site offers crucial data for understanding past climate change and extinct species.
In 2023, an 8-year-old with a metal detector wandered onto a Canadian beach and accidentally found a 170-year-old shipwreck
An 8-year-old boy's beach discovery near Goderich, Ontario, revealed fragments of a 19th-century shipwreck, resting for nearly 170 years. Lake Huron's cold, fresh water preserved the vessel, a testament to the region's rich maritime history. This find highlights how overlooked details can unlock significant historical revelations.
In 2011, a mine worker in Alberta noticed odd lumps in the rock and accidentally unearthed a perfectly preserved 110-million-year-old armoured dinosaur
A routine day at an Alberta oil sands mine led to an extraordinary discovery: Borealopelta markmitchelli, an armored dinosaur preserved with its skin, scales, and armor intact. This exceptionally complete fossil, found in marine sandstone, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the animal's appearance, diet, and the ancient Cretaceous environment.
In 2021, researchers scanning a New Mexico lakebed found 23,000-year-old human footprints that rewrote the oldest chapter of American history
Remarkable fossilized footprints discovered in New Mexico's White Sands National Park have pushed back human presence in North America by thousands of years. Dated between 21,000 and 23,000 years old, these ancient tracks of adults and children walking alongside Ice Age megafauna challenge the long-held Clovis-first model, offering a vivid glimpse into early human life and survival.
Brain revived: Scientists froze brain tissue to −196°C and it started working again
German scientists have successfully cryopreserved adult mouse hippocampal tissue, cooling it to -196°C and later rewarming it to regain electrical activity and synaptic communication. This breakthrough in cryobiology, while not enabling human cryosleep, demonstrates the potential for preserving complex brain functions. The research offers promising avenues for organ preservation and neurological studies.
Who is Charles Lieber? Convicted Harvard scientist now leading China’s research to link the brain with computers
Once a celebrated Harvard nanoscience professor, Charles Lieber, convicted in the US for false statements tied to Chinese payments, now leads state-backed brain-computer interface research in Shenzhen. His move to i-BRAIN, a key institute, highlights China's focus on this medically promising yet strategically sensitive field, drawing global attention to his new role.
