Scientific Discoveries

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This tiny jurassic predator helped pave the way for the human brain
Science News

This tiny jurassic predator helped pave the way for the human brain

A 165-million-year-old fossil has revealed an extraordinary Jurassic predator that may help explain how mammals developed one of their most important evolutionary advantages. Although only 20 inches long, Megacauda sungei was a heavyweight among early mammal relatives, swimming through ancient waterways and hunting prey with specialized teeth. Its advanced swallowing anatomy reveals an early step toward the ability to safely nurse on milk, a key development in mammalian evolution.

📅 2026-10-13 10:44:22    •    ScienceDaily
Multicolored 'mosaic' of mini farms surrounds Taiwan's largest river — Earth from space
Science News

Multicolored 'mosaic' of mini farms surrounds Taiwan's largest river — Earth from space

QUICK FACTSWhere is it? Yunlin County, Chianan Plain, Taiwan [23.78563273, 120.44373747]What's in the photo? A multicolored 'mosaic' of small, tightly compacted farmsWhich satellite took the photo? Landsat 9When was it taken? April 24, 2026This recent satellite snap shows off a multicolored "mosaic" of tightly packed mini farms covering part of Taiwan in the western Pacific Ocean. The sea of fields and shade nets demonstrates the scale of the agricultural challenges facing the densely populated island. Taiwan is 14,000 square miles (36,000 square kilometers) — about the same size as Maryland — but has a population around four times as large, with approximately 23 million people living there,...

📅 2026-10-13 10:24:26    •    Live Science
DNA recording system reveals how a single cell becomes a body
Science News

DNA recording system reveals how a single cell becomes a body

Scientists have traced the development of a mouse embryo from its first two cells to the formation of organs, using a remarkable DNA recording system that reveals the family history of individual cells. Their findings uncover how different cell types emerge on their own schedules and could help explain what goes wrong in birth defects, genetic disorders, and cancer.

📅 2026-10-13 10:17:08    •    ScienceDaily
Scientists recreate a bizarre quantum effect that stops a particle cold
Science News

Scientists recreate a bizarre quantum effect that stops a particle cold

Oxford physicists have recreated a bizarre quantum effect in which a particle responds to a magnetic field without ever traveling through it. Using a hybrid quantum computer, they demonstrated how introducing a simulated magnetic flux could completely halt a particle's movement through quantum interference. The experiment brings a decades-old prediction into a new setting where matter and quantum fields influence one another.

📅 2026-10-13 09:47:22    •    ScienceDaily
The secret to handling stress better may start at breakfast
Science News

The secret to handling stress better may start at breakfast

Your daily routine could have a bigger impact on your ability to handle stress than you realize. A Binghamton University study of approximately 400 college students found that eating breakfast regularly, exercising, sleeping well, and taking fish oil were associated with greater psychological flexibility, which helps people adapt to stressful situations. Poor sleep and unhealthy eating habits, meanwhile, were linked to lower flexibility and resilience.

📅 2026-10-13 09:19:27    •    ScienceDaily
'The back of her head had been removed by a single blow from a sharp blade': Archaeological clues are revealing the horrific lives and deaths of the people enslaved by Vikings
Science News

'The back of her head had been removed by a single blow from a sharp blade': Archaeological clues are revealing the horrific lives and deaths of the people enslaved by Vikings

Slavery has existed for thousands of years, permeating ancient and modern societies across the world. The Vikings were no different. Enslaved people were valuable commodities, being captured and then traded across the Vikings' vast networks. Legal texts and written sources show how enslaved people were sold at trading centers in the same vein as cattle. In this excerpt from "The Sea-King and the Sorceress: Life and Death in the Viking Age" (Basic Books, 2026), author and archaeologist Neil Price looks at the horrific lives of the "thralls" — the Viking term for the enslaved. In it, he highlights the inhumane treatment of enslaved people, from the raids to kidnap people into the slave trade t...

📅 2026-10-13 09:00:00    •    Live Science
'It gives us a glimpse of a different kind of Viking life': Archaeologist Neil Price on the sea-kings, sorcerers and Sámi who lived during the Viking Age
Science News

'It gives us a glimpse of a different kind of Viking life': Archaeologist Neil Price on the sea-kings, sorcerers and Sámi who lived during the Viking Age

In the early medieval period, the Vikings were just one part of a vast tapestry of Scandinavians who ruled, sailed, traded and fought around the world, from North America to Asia. In his new book, "The Sea-King and the Sorceress: Life and Death in the Viking Age" (Basic Books, 2026), author Neil Price, professor and chair of archaeology at Uppsala University in Sweden, reveals the true diversity and complexity of people who lived during the Viking Age (often dating from A.D. 793 to 1066). Price investigates more than 20 burials from the Viking Age, lingering on details that can tell us about these individuals and their world. He also shines a light on frequently overlooked groups, including ...

📅 2026-10-13 09:00:00    •    Live Science
Scientists uncover a hidden map of the brain with 539 distinct regions
Science News

Scientists uncover a hidden map of the brain with 539 distinct regions

Scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of organization in the brain by creating the first detailed 3D map of its lipids, the fatty molecules essential for brain structure and communication. By analyzing millions of measurements from mouse brains, researchers identified 539 distinct chemical zones, revealing patterns and boundaries that traditional brain maps have missed. Surprisingly, even white matter, once thought to be relatively uniform, contains a complex patchwork of chemically distinct regions.

📅 2026-10-13 05:00:55    •    ScienceDaily