Thanks to a study in Geophysical Research Letters, we now know where the first human settlement on the moon could be built—a massive lava tube potentially extending miles below the surface. Lava tubes are naturally occurring channels formed when a lava flow develops a hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. Once the lava …

Researchers observing the collision of two hyperdense neutron stars have concluded that all the heaviest elements in the universe, including precious metals like gold and silver as well as substances like uranium, are created during neutron star mergers just like the one they observed. The first detection of gravitational waves from the cataclysmic merger of two neutron stars, and the …

Eerie letter written onboard the Titanic goes up for auction. The note was written on embossed Titanic stationery by first-class passenger Alexander Oskar Holverson on 13 April 1912, the day before the ocean liner sank. It is one of the last known letters to have survived the sinking and the last-known letter written on board by a victim. The note, …

Quebec’s “burqa” provincial legislature has passed a religious neutrality bill obliging citizens to uncover their faces when giving and receiving public services. Many say the law targets Muslim women. The law bans the wearing of face-coverings for people giving or receiving public services. It also offers a framework advising authorities how to grant accommodation requests based on religious beliefs. It …

A protein injection that decreases appetite helps obese monkeys to slim down fast and cuts their risk of diabetes. Based on the observation that obese mice, rats, and humans all had elevated serum concentrations of a protein called GDF15 compared to lean controls, Yumei Xiong and colleagues set out to develop therapies derived from the molecule. In multiple mouse models …

Scientists at Radboud University report that over the last 27 years, flying insect biomass has plummeted by 75 percent in Germany. The findings serve as a wakeup call given the current climate of accelerating decline in insect populations reported all over the world. Insects play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, pollinating 80 percent of wild plants and providing a …

ANCIENT Egypt may have collapsed due to “social stress” caused by climate change and volcanic eruptions, a new study has claimed. The study shows that the ancient civilisations – ruled by the pharaohs for thousands of years – was plagued by droughts and other natural disasters. Around 70% of the current world lives in regions that similarly rely on monsoons …

Two women charged with robbing a pair of New Jersey banks are also suspected of trying to rob a bank in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains while dressed as nuns. The FBI says 19-year-old Swahilys Pedraza-Rodriguez and 23-year-old Melissa Aquino Arias attempted to rob a bank in Pennsylvania’s Poconos region back in August while disguised as nuns. Surveillance photos from the attempted …

Scientists from Concordia University Research Chair in Nanoelectronics and Quantum Materials have made a breakthrough that could help your electronic devices get even smarter. Andrew McRae, the paper’s lead author, explains the research. “Our study sheds light on problems engineers face when building molecular nanoelectronics, and how they might be able to overcome them by harnessing the quantum nature of …

Monica Lewinsky raised eyebrows over the weekend when she tweeted the hashtag #MeToo. On Sunday, Twitter was ablaze with the #MeToo hashtag started by actress Alyssa Milano. The online trend was a call to action asking women to speak up if they’d been sexually harassed or asaulted by writing the words “me too.” If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted …

5 shot, 3 dead in Maryland office park shooting, gunman on the run, Harford sheriff says. A manhunt is under way for 37-year-old Radee Labeeb Prince, who is considered armed and dangerous. Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said Prince shot his victims with a handgun and then fled Emmorton Business Park in Edgewood, 25 miles northeast of Baltimore. Mr Gahler …