Science

There are billions of stars and planets in the universe. A star is glowing sphere of gas, while planets like Earth are made up of solids. The planets are formed in dust clouds that swirled around a newly formed star. Dust grains are composed of elements like carbon, silicon, oxygen, iron, and magnesium. But where does the cosmic dust come ... Read More »

A new study has shown the first snapshots of photosynthesis in action as it splits water into protons, electrons and oxygen, the process that maintains Earth’s oxygen atmosphere. Petra Fromme, lead author of the research said that this study is the first step towards their ultimate goal of unraveling the secrets of water splitting and obtaining molecular movies of biomolecules. Read More »

A STUDY out of the Netherlands has found a correlation between declines in farmland bird populations and use of neonicotinoid pesticides. The analysis, reported in the journal Nature indicates that pesticide use may reduce the amount of prey available to birds, and suggests that neonicotinoids pose an even greater risk to wildlife than previously anticipated. Nature reports although recent studies ... Read More »

The inner ear of a 100,000-year- old fossilized early human skull found 35 years ago in northern China displays characteristics long thought to occur only in Neanderthals, who prospered across Europe and western Asia from roughly 30,000 and 40,000 years ago, according to a study out Monday. Read More »

Some whale experts are trying to figure out what to do with the remains of a 14-metre fin whale that was found along the shores of Port Hastings, N.S. last week. The whale is now beached just a few hundred metres from the Canso Causeway’s swing bridge, and a group from the Marine Animal Rescue Society has travelled to Port ... Read More »

For whale enthusiasts in British Columbia and Washington Springer (A73), a member of B.C.’s A4 pod of northern resident killer whales, is a household name. She made headlines in 2002 after becoming orphaned at two-years-old and was found sick and alone near Seattle, hundreds of kilometres from home. A few months later Springer was successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released back ... Read More »

A University of Colorado Boulder-led team working in British Columbia has discovered a 52-million-year-old fossil remains of possibly the tiniest hedgehog species ever: Silvacola acares. The hedgehog’s scientific name means “tiny forest dweller,” said CU-Boulder Associate Professor Jaelyn Eberle of the geological sciences department, lead author on the study. The creature – a new genus and species to science – ... Read More »

An elephant who was chained and subjected to abuses in Uttar Pradesh, India, for 50 years has wept tears while he was being rescued. Raju was captured by a drug addict who did not feed him and left him in spiked chains, causing the animal painful and permanent wounds. The elephant, captured when he was a young calf, was left ... Read More »

The subsurface ocean inside Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, could be as salty as any body of water here on Earth, a new study reports. Gravity data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft suggest that Titan’s ocean must have an extremely high density. Salt water has a higher density than fresh water because the presence of salt adds more mass to a ... Read More »

Researchers have identified the fossilized remains of an extinct giant that could be the world’s biggest-ever flying bird with 20-24-foot wingspan and soaring ability that enabled the creature to stay aloft for long distances without flapping its wings. The creature has surpassed size estimates based on wing bones from the previous record holder i.e. a long-extinct bird named Argentavis magnificens. Read More »

Chimpanzees, the closest living relatives of humans, have their own way of communication, which includes various gestures. A team of scientists has claimed in a new study that they have for the first time successfully decoded what these apes are attempting to say through different movements of their bodies, hands and feet. Read More »