Science

A few years ago, the Voyager probe crossed into interstellar space after decades traveling in our solar system. It was moving at an impressive speed after several gravitational slingshots, but a small group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is now working on early concepts with the aim of going …

Dr. Philip Riris from the Institute of Archaeology at University College London and colleagues have mapped a series of rock engravings (petroglyphs), some of which are thought to be up to 2,000 years old, in the Amazonas state of Venezuela. Aerial photograph of monumental Cerro Pintado petroglyphs. Image credit: Philip …

Vasopressin, also called antidiuretic hormone, is released from the brain, and known to work in the kidney, suppressing a process called diuresis. According to a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, vasopressin does more than conserve body water — it also stimulates red blood cell production. Vasopressin is …

For people with mild cognitive impairment, don’t be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. According to a new guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology, medical practitioners should recommend twice-weekly exercise to patients with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking. The recommendation …

Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists digging at the site of Beth Shemesh have discovered the spectacular remains of a 1,500-year-old monastery and church decorated with mosaic floors and imported marble elements. An archaeology student uncovering the mosaic floor of a church at Beth Shemesh, Israel. Image credit: Assaf Peretz, Israel …

An international team of ornithologists has revealed that a rare Amazonian bird called the golden-crowned manakin (Lepidothrix vilasboasi) — first discovered in Brazil in 1957 but not seen again until 2002 — is in fact a hybrid of two parental species: the snow-capped (Lepidothrix nattereri) and opal-crowned (Lepidothrix iris) manakins. …

Archaeologists from the University of Münster, Germany, have unearthed a large collection of 1,800-year-old clay seals, or bullae, at the ancient city of Doliche, which was part of the province of Syria in Roman times. Clay seals from the archive of Doliche. Image credit: University of Münster. “This unique group …

According to a systematic review of recent cohort studies and randomized controlled trials, published in the journal Obesity Facts, consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks is associated with overweight and obesity in both children and adults. The new systematic review of previous studies showed an overall positive association between the consumption of …

An international team of marine biologists has described a new species of intertidal spider from tropical Queensland, Australia, and named it after the internationally renowned Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley, whose song ‘High Tide or Low Tide’ inspired the researchers as the spider lives in a ‘high tide …

Researchers at the University of Tasmania, Australia, have conducted trials to determine the efficacy of anthocyanins — bioactive compounds found in high concentrates in sweet cherries (Prunus avium) — as a treatment and preventative therapy in high-fat diets. Sweet cherries (Prunus avium). Image credit: U. Leone. “There is emerging evidence …