Giant Prehistoric Penguin Once Inhabited New Zealand
Scientists have discovered fossils of a monster penguin species that once inhabited New Zealand during the Paleocene Epoch (between 66 and 56 million years ago). The fossils were found in Waipara, North Canterbury. The new follows the recent discovery of an extinct giant parrot in New Zealand. Read more... August 16, 2019
Study Finds Interbreeding and Mutated Pigment Gene Turned Grey Squirrels Black
Researchers have determined that some grey squirrels have black fur because of interbreeding and a faulty pigment gene. Black squirrels are the same species as grey squirrels. The only difference between them is the color of their fur. Read more... August 16, 2019
Extinct Giant Parrot Stood 1 Meter Tall
Australasian paleontologists discovered the fossil of an extinct giant parrot that once inhabited New Zealand. The bird stood up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) tall. It weighed about 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds). It has been named Heracles inexpectatus. Read more... August 8, 2019
Hubble Image Reveals Near Perfect Symmetry of Galaxy NGC 2985
Near-perfect symmetry in a spiral galaxy is revealed in this Hubble image of NGC 2985. The galaxy is located over 70 million light years from Earth in the constellation of Ursa Major. Read more... August 2, 2019
Robot Inspired by Cockroach is Hard to Squash
You probably can't squash this cockroach-inspired robot because it is so flat. The robot created by University of California, Berkeley researchers can also move at nearly the speed of a darting cockroach. Read more... August 1, 2019
Baby Jumping Spiders Can See Nearly as Well as Their Parents
A new study has revealed that baby jumping spiders can see nearly as well as their much larger parents. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Cincinnati. Read more... August 1, 2019
Permeable Concrete Could Help Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect
The above image shows a specimen of permeable concrete. Researchers from Rutgers found increased use of this type of pavement could help reduce the urban heat island effect. Read more... August 1, 2019
Scientists Trained Rats to Associate Certain Odors With Being Tickled
Rats are being tickled for science. The most recent research was a study that found rats can learn to associate an odor with being tickled. A previous study found that rats appear to enjoy being tickled by a human hand so the odor is being associated with a positive experience. Read more... July 31, 2019
Photo: Water Drops on a Metal Nanolayer
The above image shows water drops on a metal nanolayer. Scientists from Northwestern University and Caltech produced electricity by flowing water over the thin layers of inexpensive metals that have oxidized. The research paper was published in PNAS. Read more... July 31, 2019
First Bioluminescent Click Beetle Species Discovered in Asia
Scientists have discovered a new species of bioluminescent click beetle in Asia. It was discovered in 2017 in the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests in southwest China. The new species represents a new click beetle subfamily. Read more... July 27, 2019
Take a Warm Bath Before Bedtime for Better Sleep Say Scientists
Scientists have found that taking a bath 1 to 2 hours before going to sleep can help you get a better night's sleep. They suggest using water of about 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit. The researchers say the optimal timing of bathing for cooling down of core body temperature in order to improve sleep quality is about 90 minutes before you go to bed. Read more... July 22, 2019
Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is World's Largest Seaweed Bloom
The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB) is the world's biggest seaweed bloom and it may become permanent. The mass reaches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists led by the USF College of Marine Science using NASA satellite observations determined the GASB has a biomass of over 20 million tons, heavier than 200 fully loaded aircraft carriers. Read more... July 5, 2019
Toyota's Basketball Robot Makes Over 2,000 Consecutive Free Throws
Toyota's basketball robot CUE3 is very good at shooting free throws. The robot made 2020 consecutive free throws, setting a Guinness World Record for the Most Consecutive Basketball Free Throws by a Humanoid Robot (Assisted). Read more... June 27, 2019
Narluga: Study Finds Whale Skull is a Narwhal-Beluga Hybrid
A unique whale skull has confirmed the existence of a narwhal-beluga hybrid. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen completed DNA and stable isotope analysis of the strange-looking whale skull that has been gathering dust in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Denmark. Read more... June 21, 2019
HP Robocop is Ready for Duty
Huntington Park has added a new robot, dubbed HP Robocop, to help fight crime. The robot will initially help with surveillance in parks and city buildings as it patrols while recording 360 degree video footage. The front of the robot says "POLICE" in large capital letters. The HP stands for the California city and not the Hewlett Packard tech company. The robot is a K5 robot from Knightscope. Read more... June 20, 2019
Newly Discovered Worm Has Eyes in Its Head and Bottom
Scientists have discovered a new worm at the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean that has eyes in its head and in its bottom. The researchers discovered the worm during a survey of the West Shetland Shelf Marine Protected Area. Read more... June 19, 2019
Thiomargarita namibiensis is the World's Largest Bacterium
A recently discovered bacterium, Thiomargarita namibiensis, is the largest in the world. The bacterium is big enough to be visible to the naked eye. They can grow up to 3/4 mm wide in size. The images above show a light-photomicrograph of three cells of Thiomargarita with polarized light on the left and the visible bacterium on the body of a body (the white spot) in the image on the right. Read more... June 14, 2019
Tiger Salamander: A Large Amphibian Found in North America
Tiger salamanders are an amphibian found in North America. The grow up to 14 inches in length but are typically about 6 to 8 inches long as adults. They can live for up to 15 years. Read more... June 13, 2019
Ford Envisions Headless Robots Delivering Packages
Ford's vision of the future has headless robots delivering packages. The bipedal robot will be driven to its destination in a Ford driverless car. Read more... May 23, 2019
First Image of a Black Hole Captured with Event Horizon Telescope
Astronomers have released the first image captured of a black hole. The image shows a ring of dust and gas around the center of the black hole. The image was obtained using the Event Horizon Telescope, which is an array of eight ground-based radio telescopes. The incredible image is trending on Twitter under the #EHTBlackHole hastag. Read more... April 10, 2019