Science

According to a new study published in The Lancet, the Tsimane (pronounced chee-MAH-nay) — an indigenous people of lowland Bolivia — have the lowest reported levels of coronary artery disease of any population recorded to date, with coronary atherosclerosis being five times less common than in the United States. Tsimane …

A new species of tapaculo — called the Tatama tapaculo (Scytalopus alvarezlopezi) — has been discovered in the cloud forests of Colombia’s Western Andes. The Tatama tapaculo (Scytalopus alvarezlopezi) upon capture at Cerro Montezuma, Risaralda department, Colombia, April 2, 2015. Image credit: Julian Heavyside, doi: 10.1642/AUK-16-205.1. The Tatama tapaculo was …

This mosaic of Mimas, the smallest and innermost of Saturn’s main moons, was constructed from images taken by the narrow-angle camera onboard NASA’s Cassini orbiter on Jan. 30, 2017, during its final close approach to the icy moon. This mosaic image taken by the Cassini spacecraft is one of the …

SpaceX was supposed to launch its Falcon 9 on a satellite deployment mission earlier this week, but the launch was scrubbed doe to wind. The second attempt in the wee hours of Thursday morning was a success, though. Not long after, SpaceX reported that EchoStar XXIII had been safely deposited …

Regular consumption of tea lowers the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults by 50%, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition, Health Aging. Feng et al found that regular tea consumption is associated with lower risk of neurocognitive disorders among Chinese elderly. Image credit: Deaphen. “A …

Cassini found cryovolcanoes at the south pole of Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, back in 2005. These jets originate from the “tiger stripes,” four warm fractures in the moon’s icy surface. The chemical composition of the geysers points to a briny underground ocean that might extend the whole way …

A new study led by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) provides the strongest evidence to date that sharks arose from a group of bony fishes called Acanthodii (acanthodians, or ‘spiny sharks’). General view of the Doliodus problematicus specimen, showing the ventral part of the individual viewed in dorsal …

A new study, based on microwave observations by NASA’s Cassini orbiter, shows that the south polar region of Saturn’s frozen moon Enceladus is warmer than expected just a few feet below its surface. This suggests that Enceladus’ subsurface sea might be lurking only a few miles beneath — closer to …

A duo of researchers at Columbia University has identified two genes (TMEM106B and GRN) that greatly impact normal brain aging, starting at around age 65. This drawing shows several of the most important brain structures. Image credit: National Institute for Aging. “If you look at a group of seniors, some …

As NASA puts the finishing touches on the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, partner Lockheed Martin is proposing an ambitious project that would make use of them. Tony Antonelli, a former NASA shuttle pilot and current head of advanced civil space programs for Lockheed Martin, says a manned …