Using a catalog of 26,041 white dwarfs observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, astronomers have confirmed a long-predicted effect in these ancient ultradense stars. Concept art of two white dwarfs with the same mass but different temperatures; the hotter star (left) is slightly puffier, while the cooler star (right) is more compact. Image credit: Roberto Molar Candanosa / Johns Hopkins University. Stars...
Planetary scientists using the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft have captured stunning images of an enigmatic landscape in the Australe Scopuli region of the Red Planet’s southern hemisphere. Frosty scene in the Australe Scopuli region at the south pole of Mars. Image credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin. “Here, swirls of carbon dioxide ice and dust layers wrap around...
In a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, archaeologists examined the exceptional human remains from the Middle Trypillia site of Kosenivka (ca. 3700-3600 BCE) in Ukraine. Archaeological context of Kosenivka, Ukraine. Image credit: Fuchs et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289769. The Trypillia culture is a Neolithic European culture that arose in Ukraine between the Seret and Bug rivers,...
A new genus and species of monofenestratan pterosaur has been identified from partial cranial and postcranial remains found in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. Named Melkamter pateko, the ancient flying reptile predates the currently oldest member of the clade Monofenestrata by at least 8 and probably 10 million years. Life reconstruction of Melkamter pateko. Image credit: Pedro Andrade. Melkamter...
Some people can’t imagine a dog barking or a police siren; songs can’t get stuck in their heads; they have no inner voices. Anauralia was proposed in 2021 University of Auckland scientists to describe the little-known condition of a silent mind. Now, the University of Auckland will host a global conference on sounds imagined in the mind, an event intended not just for scientists but also philosophers,...
The Standard Model of particle physics predicts an asymmetry between matter and antimatter known as charge-parity (CP) violation. But the size of this asymmetry in the Standard Model is not large enough to account for the imbalance and the asymmetry has so far been observed only in certain decays of particles called mesons. In two new studies, physicists from the LHCb Collaboration at CERN’s Large...
With the exception of ChatGPT 4o, almost all publicly available large language models subjected to a test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) showed signs of mild cognitive impairment. These findings challenge the assumption that artificial intelligence will soon replace human doctors, as the cognitive impairment evident in leading chatbots may affect their reliability in medical diagnostics...
One of these genetic variants was inherited from Neanderthals, according to a study led by University College London researchers. El Sidron Neanderthals taste wild mushrooms, pine nuts and forest moss. Image credit: Abel Grau, CSIC Communication. “Teeth can tell us a great deal about human evolution, as well-preserved ancient teeth are particularly important to archaeologists, shedding light on...
Researchers at the Planetary Science Institute have compiled a 1:200,000-scale geological map of the lunar Orientale basin, focusing on identifying the most widespread and accessible occurrences of impact melt deposits from the basin-forming impact to help guide sample-return missions. 1:3M mapping (originally mapped at 1:200,000) of a portion of the Orientale basin. The small craters near ‘Pa’...
With the exception of ChatGPT 4o, almost all publicly available large language models subjected to a test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) showed signs of mild cognitive impairment. These findings challenge the assumption that artificial intelligence will soon replace human doctors, as the cognitive impairment evident in leading chatbots may affect their reliability in medical diagnostics...
