Subsurface cavities created by lava on Mars and the Moon could provide a shield against cosmic radiation, new research suggests. The international journal Earth-Science Reviews published a paper offering an overview of the lava tubes (pyroducts) on Earth, eventually providing an estimate of the (greater) size of their lunar and Martian counterparts. This study involved…

When you think about trade and market relationships, you might think about brokers yelling at each other on the floor of a stock exchange on Wall Street. But it seems one of the basic functions of a free market is quietly practiced by fungi. New research from a Rice University economist suggests certain networks of…

A new species of feathered dinosaur has been discovered in China. The one-of-a-kind specimen preserves feathers and bones that provide new information about how dinosaurs grew and how they differed from birds. The one-of-a-kind specimen offers a window into what the earth was like 120 million years ago. The fossil preserves feathers and bones that…

How does an animal make decisions? Scientists have spent decades trying to answer this question by focusing on the cells and connections of the brain that might be involved. Scientists are taking a different approach — analyzing behavior, not neurons. They were surprised to find that worms can take multiple factors into account and choose…

Researchers have used 3D-bioprinting to create structured cultured meat like the complex texture of Wagyu beef, which may provide an environmentally friendly and sustainable method for producing cultured meat alternatives. Now, a team of scientists led by Osaka University have used 3D-Printing to create synthetic meat that looks more like the real thing. «Using the…

Black holes and neutron stars are some of the most extreme objects in the Universe, ripping up neighboring stars. But they are messy eaters and much of they take in gets flung back into space. Scientists have now observed a neutron star blasting out warm and cold wind as it devoured another star. The findings…

Several years after scientists discovered what was considered the oldest crater a meteorite made on the planet, another team found it’s actually the result of normal geological processes. During fieldwork at the Archean Maniitsoq structure in Greenland, an international team of scientists led by the University of Waterloo’s Chris Yakymchuk found the features of this…

Scientists have analyzed a meteorite atom by atom to reveal the chemistry and acidity of the earliest fluids in the solar system. By finding evidence of sodium-rich alkaline water in the Tagish Lake meteorite, this new study suggests amino acids could have formed rapidly on the parent asteroid, opening the door for the early evolution…

A new study reveals saber-toothed cats suffered from hip dysplasia, an affliction common in pet cats and dogs, and points to supportive social structures for Smilodon. Published in Scientific Reports, a new study led by Dr. Mairin Balisi, Postdoctoral Fellow at La Brea Tar Pits, in collaboration with orthopaedic surgeons at Cedars-Sinai hospital, used 3D…

Contrary to the long-held belief that plants in the natural world are always in competition, new research has found that in harsh environments mature plants help smaller ones — and thrive as a result. The first study to examine plant interactions in a hostile environment over their lifespan found that plants sheltering seedlings help the…