Science

Vietnam Has Very Rich Genetic Diversity, New Research Shows Vietnam features extensive ethnolinguistic diversity and occupies a key position in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA). Yet, the genetic diversity of the country remains relatively unexplored, especially with genome-wide data, because previous studies have focused mainly on the majority Kinh group. In …

Researchers Find Nitrogen-Bearing Organics in Ancient Martian Meteorite Four-billion-year-old carbonates in a Martian meteorite called Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 contain nitrogen-bearing organic molecules, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. A fragment of the ALH 84001 meteorite. The whole size is 1.5 cm. Image credit: Koike …

New Study Identifies Link between Dietary Selenium and COVID-19 Cure Rate In a new study, a team of researchers from the UK, the United States and China investigated possible links between selenium levels in the body and cure rates of patients with the COVID-19 disease. Zhang et al show an …

Chinese Scientists Develop New Test to Detect SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies A team of researchers in China has developed a quick and sensitive test to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus behind the COVID-19 disease. A new lateral flow immunoassay can detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, which appear as a bright …

Paleontologists Find 66-Million-Year-Old Fossil of Bizarre Mammal A new species of gondwanatherian mammal from the Cretaceous period has been identified from a very well-preserved fossilized skeleton found on the island of Madagascar. Life reconstruction of Adalatherium hui. Image credit: Andrey Atuchin / Denver Museum of Nature Science. Named Adalatherium hui, …

Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus is First Known Aquatic Dinosaur Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus is First Known Aquatic DinosaurA species of carnivorous dinosaur called Spinosaurus aegyptiacus used tail-propelled swimming locomotion to hunt for prey in rivers, according to a new analysis of the world’s only existing skeleton of this ancient predator, found in the Kem …

New Species of Moray Eel Discovered A team of researchers from South Africa has discovered that the Indo-Pacific undulated moray eel (Gymnothorax undulatus), first described by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1803, is in fact two genetically and morphologically distinct species. Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae. Image credit: Dennis King. …

Newly-Developed Metasurface-Enhanced Laser Emits Super-Chiral Light A team of scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand, Harvard University and the National University of Singapore has come up with a new metasurface-enhanced laser that efficiently produces any desired chiral state of light, with full control over both angular momentum components of …

SpaceX Starship Prototype Finally Aces Pressure Test SpaceX is gearing up for its first crewed flight for NASA with the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft, but Elon Musk’s spaceflight firm is also planning for the future with the Starship. This vessel, previously known as the BFR, is an extremely ambitious …

Some Asteroids May Be Fragments of a Long-Lost Alien Solar System A new paper suggests that there may be 19 asteroids — all part of the Centaur family — that didn’t come from our own solar system at all. If this were proven true, it would mean we have ancient …