Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Early European astronomers determined Easter dates
How do they know its Easter? Ever wondered how the exact dates of the Easter break are chosen? Easter Sunday can fall anytime between 22 March and 25 April and,...
Mitochondrial DNA and the mysteries of human evolution
All living humans are more closely related than you might thinkThe earliest humans are silent witnesses: they testify only through their bones and tools.But modern humans carry within their tissues a different kind...
What fossils teach us about human evolution
Fossils are rare, precious and can tell us the most fascinating things about our ancestors and how they livedA fossil discovery is improbability squared. First, to become fossilised, human remains must survive the...
Specieswatch: The English walnut
The English walnut, Juglans regia, has been in Britain since the time of the Romans, who are credited with spreading the tree through most of Europe. These islands were at the northern...
Oldest reptile fossil returns to N.S.
What is reputed to be the world's oldest reptile fossil is returning to Nova Scotia for the first time since it was sent overseas more than 100 years ago.
Why Shakespeare never fails to get brains buzzing
The Bard's enduring impact is all down to neural excitementYesterday was Shakespeare's 447th anniversary. As with almost everything else about our national poet, this is disputed. All we can safely say is that...
The boffins in search of the perfect gag
Can you learn to be funny? Can you study humour and unlock its scientific formula? Alex Horne swaps the comedy circuit for the lecture hall in search of the science of laughter....
How meditation might ward off the effects of ageing
A study at a US Buddhist retreat suggests eastern relaxation techniques can protect our chromosomes from degeneratingHigh in the mountains of northern Colorado, a 100-foot tall tower reaches up through the pinetops. Brightly...
How does a poet ensure his work lives for ever?
Christian Bök is using a 'chemical alphabet' to translate a short verse into a sequence of extremophile DNAMany artists seek to attain immortality through their art, but few would expect their work to...
Clothesline dried laundry kills germs
WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) -- Ultraviolet radiation from the sun kills germs on laundry dried outdoors on a clothesline and gives clothes a chemical-free fresh scent, cleaning experts say.
Researchers race to record dying language
OSFORD, England, April 22 (UPI) -- U.K. researchers in a remote Indonesian village are trying to save a record of the vocabulary and grammar of a language they say...
Medieval riches unearthed in 'fairy-tale find'
A man turning dirt in his backyard stumbled onto buried treasure — hundreds of pieces of centuries-old jewelry and other precious objects that Austrian authorities described as a fairy-tale find.
Earth Day? In Texas, it's for the birds
Team Sapsucker sped away in a minivan moments after midnight on Earth Day, ears perked and binoculars in hand, in a race to identify a US record number of bird...
Fossil Sea Cow Teeth Reveal Steamy Ancient Earth
Fossilized sea cow teeth suggest Earth was surprisingly wet and warm about 50 million years ago, a new study says.
7 Everyday Toxic Things You Shouldn't Toss in the Trash
Life's Little Mysteries lists the things that people throw in the trash, but probably shouldn't.
Fossil sirenians, related to today's manatees, give scientists new look at ancient climate
What tales they tell of their former lives, these old bones of sirenians, relatives of today's dugongs and manatees. And now, geologists have found, they tell of the waters in...
National Geographic Features University of Kentucky Cave Diver's Story of Life, Death and the Third Man
Stephanie Schwabe tells her life and death story underwater April 26 on National Geographic Explorer's Angel Effect.
Nephila Jurassica: 165-Million-Year-Old Giant Spider Fossil
Nephila, orb web weavers of golden silk traps up to five feet in diameter that snare bats in tropical regions, have a new relative that lived with the dinosaurs 165...
Dentist to aid Ont. man needing 6 root canals
A Greely, Ont., man whose teeth had become so infected they had begun to disfigure his face had his first surgery Thursday with an Ottawa dentist, following a CBC Ottawa...
Historic church's subterranean secrets revealed
Researchers have carried out a full scientific survey of an historic churchyard widely believed to be the site of the crowning of at least two Anglo-Saxon kings. The team used...
Christianity in Lord of the Rings: Would Easter fly on Middle Earth?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Without a single chapel on Middle Earth, one might assume that religion has no place in The Lord of the Rings.
Lawn of native grasses beats traditional lawn for lushness, weed resistance
A lawn of regionally native grasses would take less resources to maintain while providing as lush a carpet as a common turfgrass used in the South, according to a new...
Did aliens establish a primitive postcode system in ancient Britain? | Matt Parker
Ancient monuments align with every postcode in the UK, suggesting powerful extraterrestrial influences at workEvery single location in the UK is at the convergence of three or more ley lines between ancient monuments....
Dumbarton Oaks announces fellows
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection has announced its 2011-12 fellowships. Fellows carry out research in Byzantine Studies, including related aspects of late Roman, early Christian, Western medieval, Slavic, and Near Eastern studies;...
Image: Nile river delta at night
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the fascinating aspects of viewing Earth at night is how well the lights show the distribution of people. In this view of Egypt, the population is...
Why are the Seychelles free of malaria?
Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit the malaria parasite by their bite are present almost throughout the world. Only five areas are exceptions: Antarctic and Iceland, where there are no mosquitoes at...
Hackers attack petition to free Chinese artist
Hackers based in China have disrupted an online petition signed by nearly 100,000 people which urges Beijing to free outspoken artist Ai Weiwei, the website operator said Wednesday.
Biggest Fossil Spider Found
The new species is the oldest member of a group of modern web weavers that spin five-foot webs, a new study says.