Articles tagged with Science History
A new study investigates human mobility at Alalakh during the Bronze Age, finding most people were born and raised in the region. Genetic data shows ancestry from neighboring regions, with only one individual showing Central Asian origins but local upbringing.
Researchers analyzed visual complexity of written language in 47,000+ characters from 133 scripts, finding large scripts have more complex characters and complexity driven by linguistic units, not evolutionary change.
The Huygens Institute is digitizing the Dutch East India Company's vast archive of 25 million pages, providing insights into colonial history and early-modern interactions between Europe and non-European actors in Asia.
Researchers use computer-assisted techniques to reconstruct ancient pronunciation of undocumented words, achieving a success rate of 76% in predicting word forms. The study's findings improve understanding of Western Kho-Bwa languages and their linguistic history.
A multi-disciplinary team has reconstructed ancient population and land use, showing that humans shaped much of the terrestrial biosphere by 12,000 years ago. The study found a close correlation between areas of high biodiversity and areas long occupied by Indigenous peoples.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Yale found that free online courses teaching principles of positive psychology can enrich lives, reporting greater mental health benefits than a comparable course without exercises.
The Planetary Wellbeing initiative defines concept of wellbeing for human and non-human beings, emphasizing close collaboration between science, humanities, and culture. UPF is launching a strategic agenda to tackle planetary challenges, including climate change, through research, teaching, and knowledge transfer.
The project aims to refine infrastructure, drive sustainability, and strengthen the inclusion of underrepresented voices in humanities scholarship. The expanded collaboration will enable new possibilities for historical research, genealogical discoveries, and a deeper understanding of the past.
The study of 111 ancient genomes sheds light on the history of the Scythians, a legendary horse warrior culture. Genetic analysis reveals two main sources of origin for nomadic Iron Age groups, with one from the Altai Mountains and another from the western Ural Mountains.
Medieval and early modern lawyers chose sheepskin over goatskin due to its high fat content, making it difficult to erase text without leaving visible marks. This study reveals the use of sheepskin parchment as an anti-fraud device in legal documents from the 13th to 20th century.
A team led by Chris Yakymchuk at the University of Waterloo found that a three-billion-year-old crater in Greenland is inconsistent with an impact crater, but instead formed through normal geological processes. The discovery was made after a 40-million-year delay from the initial proposed meteorite impact date.
A team of scientists has identified landfalls of tropical cyclones in Japan for the period from 1877 to 2019, providing valuable knowledge for disaster preparedness. The analysis shows that TC landfall locations tend to shift and annual numbers have been increasing in recent years.
The Vilcek Foundation will award three prizes of $50,000 each to early-career immigrant researchers in biomedical science. The foundation aims to recognize individuals who bring unique insight and perspective to their work, with a focus on supporting young research leaders.
The article suggests that disagreements over scientific facts reflect deeper social value differences. Science can become suspect when it neglects competing values, leading to eroded public trust.
Researchers have identified a two-metre-long kangaroo painting in Western Australia's Kimberley region as Australia's oldest known in-situ painting, dated to 17,500-17,100 years ago. The discovery provides insight into the lives of ancient artists and the environment during the Last Ice Age.
The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology has received a €2 million Arcadia grant to document Mongolian archaeological heritage over five years. The project, MAPSS, will compile an open-access online database of heritage sites in English, Mongolian, and Russian.
Experts review current understanding of modern human ancestry tracing back to the distant past, identifying three key phases in human evolution. The study suggests that no specific point in time can be identified when modern human ancestry was confined to a limited birthplace.
Archaeologists are addressing modern-day issues like biodiversity conservation and climate change by analyzing past data and solutions. The field has evolved to a highly scientific approach using advanced instrumentation and computers.
A new study by Stanford researchers reveals that climate change has substantially contributed to the growing cost of flooding in the US. The analysis, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that changes in precipitation accounted for 36% of actual flood damages from 1988 to 2017.
A new study explores the climate consequences of developing countries reaching a specific per-capita GDP level before reducing carbon emissions. The research suggests that delaying decarbonization in these countries would result in less than 0.3°C of additional warming and only a 6% increase in total cumulative CO2 emissions by 2100.
A new study tests machine learning on detecting borrowed words in world languages, showing some promise in specific situations, such as high loanword proportions or single donor languages. However, the results are unsatisfying, highlighting the difficulty of identifying borrowings with mono-lingual information alone.
Research suggests that some parts of the Alpine Fault, particularly around Hokitika and Greymouth, may experience strong ground shaking more often than previously thought. The study found evidence of a 19th-century earthquake along the fault's northeastern end, indicating that smaller earthquakes could occur between large rupture events.
A multidisciplinary team will assess the significance of marine life to human societies during the last two millennia. The 4-OCEANS project aims to understand the consequences of marine resource exploitation for societal development, with a focus on informing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the Decade for the Oceans.
Researchers from Italy's INGV and University of Bristol create historical catalog to estimate frequency of violent explosive events and investigate temporal recurrence relationship between eruptions. The study suggests a 50% probability of another paroxysm within 12 months after a previous explosion.
A new study reveals the oldest securely dated evidence for a river flowing through the Thar Desert, dating back to approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago. This discovery provides valuable insights into human migration patterns and adaptation strategies in the region.
Researchers from The University of Hong Kong studied fossil corals and created the first palaeoecological baseline for coral communities in the Greater Bay Area. They found a 40% decrease in coral species, particularly staghorn corals (Acropora), which now occupy only 50% of their historic range.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has provided detailed insights into the composition and structure of asteroid Bennu, a 'rubble pile' of carbon-rich material. Researchers have discovered that Bennu's surface has undergone complex evolution due to space weathering processes and that carbonate minerals are widespread across most of its surface.
Facial displays of trustworthiness increased in European portraits between the fourteenth and twenty-first centuries, closely following rising living standards. The study used face-processing software on over 6,000 portraits to validate its findings.
Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his views on Mars exploration and the role of commercial enterprise in space discovery. He emphasizes the importance of NASA in pressing human discovery frontiers.
A recent paper in Nature Ecology and Evolution discusses the future of field-based sciences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors outline epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, its effects on field sciences, and propose remodelled working practices to overcome challenges.
A new study from Cornell University finds that Facebook anniversaries, like birthdays, prompt users to reflect on time and patterns in their lives. This tradition stems from newspapers' 'on this date' lists, which encourage people to put time into perspective by remembering significant events.
Researchers developed a neural network to distinguish between Middle and Late Stone Age assemblages by analyzing frequent tool combinations. The study found that the combined occurrence of backed pieces, blade technologies, and absence of core tools reliably identifies Late Stone Age assemblages.
Researchers have discovered hundreds of massive stone structures in northwest Saudi Arabia, dated to 7,000 years ago, suggesting they were used for rituals and social bonding exercises. The structures, called mustatils, consist of two large platforms connected by long walls and lack obvious openings.
Researchers found that ancient Arabians used fluted projectile points not just for functionality but also to demonstrate their technical skills and social status. The study provides evidence of independent invention across continents, highlighting the unique cultural practices of these ancient civilizations.
Distinctive fluted points were discovered on Yemeni and Omani sites, dating back to 7,000-8,000 years ago. The discovery of similar techniques in Arabia suggests cultural convergence without a connection between the populations.
Researchers reconstructed natural runoff history for the middle reach of the Yellow River from 1492 to 2013 CE, finding reduced runoff and sediment load due to human activities. The study provides an important model for distinguishing anthropogenic influence from natural variability in global change studies.
A new study by Bocconi University predicts a decline in fertility rates worldwide due to economic uncertainty and increased childcare burdens. In high-income countries, lockdowns, school closures, and deteriorating economic outlooks are likely to postpone childbearing, accelerating population aging.
Scientists have found conclusive evidence of contact between ancient Polynesians and Native Americans from Colombia using genetic analysis. The research traced common genetic signatures of DNA back hundreds of years, resolving a long-standing debate about the two groups' interaction.
Research found that owner behavior, rather than internal principles like the principle of least effort, affects the effort and accuracy of dogs' showing. Owners who encouraged their dog to show where a toy was hidden increased effort but decreased accuracy.
Researchers propose a new method to read magnetic pole reversals by analyzing ice cores, which could be applied to other bodies in the solar system. The team created artificial snowfall with magnetic dust and froze it into hard ice, detecting a small but detectible magnetic moment that matched the applied fields.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses major challenges to scientists from underrepresented groups, including women and minority communities. The international appeal emphasizes the importance of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in science to overcome these challenges. The authors recommend improved gender equality measures, targeted fun...
A new study using ancient DNA found evidence of at least three population dispersals that brought people to the Caribbean, with genetic differences between early settlers and newcomers from South America. The research suggests that the islands were settled and resettled several times from different parts of the American mainland.
A new methodology for assessing the credibility of historical global land use/cover datasets has been proposed, addressing temporal and spatial changes. The approach evaluates accuracy, rationality, and likelihood assessments through five case studies, providing a framework for improving data quality.
A new study reveals that adult comb jellies consume their own offspring blooms as a nutrient source, allowing them to persist in extreme conditions. This behavior enables the jellies to colonize further than climate systems and other conditions would allow, posing a threat to native species.
The Caribbean coral reef decline began in the 1950s and 1960s due to local human activities such as fishing and land-clearing. Researchers used fossil data, historical records, and underwater survey data to reconstruct the abundance of staghorn and elkhorn corals over the past 125,000 years.
Researchers analyzed 96 ancient genomes to understand the arrival and demographic structure of peoples with Steppe-related ancestry into late Neolithic, early Bronze Age Switzerland. Genetic analysis suggests a complex process involving gradual mixture of parallel, highly genetically structured societies.
Researchers developed CoproID, a reliable method to distinguish between human and dog feces based on ancient host DNA and microbiome composition. This technique enables the investigation of changes in the human gut microbiome throughout time, shedding light on food intolerances and other health issues.
The study reveals how ancient peoples in Arabia adapted to arid conditions through mobility, water management, and economic transformation. In contrast, southeastern populations relied on coastal resources during droughts, highlighting the importance of considering regional responses to climate change.
A new study refines radiocarbon dating to better understand Mediterranean history, including the tomb of Tutankhamen and a volcanic eruption on Santorini. Regional variations in cosmic radiation lead to small but critical periods of variation in radiocarbon levels.
Researchers analyzed ancient teeth and rib bones to reveal significant dietary diversification at the onset of Mongolia's earliest empires. Millet-based foods increased in consumption, suggesting imperial support for agricultural efforts.
Researchers analyzed dental calculus from ancient Mongolians and found evidence of dairy consumption dating back to around 3000 BCE. The study suggests that migration played a key role in the introduction of dairy pastoralism to East Asia, with multiple animal species being used for milk production.
Archaeological findings from India's Dhaba site reveal humans survived the massive Toba eruption with stone tools similar to those in Africa. The discovery contradicts theories of a 'volcanic winter' and supports genetic evidence of human interbreeding with archaic species.
A study found that historical wood panel paintings with developed craquelure patterns are significantly less vulnerable to environmental variations than previously assumed. The research team investigated the susceptibility of gesso layers, the most brittle component of a wood painting, to fracture under different environmental conditions.
The Event Horizon Telescope's image reveals a silhouette of the massive black hole at the center of M87, a galaxy nearly 55 million light-years from Earth. The image is the result of over 200 scientists' collaborative efforts and has captured the minds of people worldwide.
Researchers studied over 2,500 languages, finding that emotions like grief, fear, joy, and sadness are conceptualized differently globally. Emotions are primarily distinguished as pleasant or unpleasant, with similar levels of arousal.
Ostrich eggshell bead sizes in southern Africa increased with herding introduced around 2,000 years ago, while eastern Africa showed consistently larger sizes over several thousand years without correlation to herding. This suggests that cultural transmission of beads is more complex and not solely linked to herding practices.
Researchers investigated ostrich eggshell bead diameters at 30 sites in Africa, increasing published data and revealing new trends that oppose longstanding beliefs. The study found regional variation with the spread of herding, suggesting contact between eastern and southern African communities.
Research at University of Texas Health Science Center links concussions in high school students to depression and suicidal thoughts. The study reveals teenage males with concussion history are twice as likely to attempt suicide, while females have greater odds of reporting suicidal ideations.
A study published in Nature Astronomy reveals thousands of new globular clusters have formed over the last billion years, primarily from a cool gas network surrounding giant galaxies. These clusters are thought to be the result of precipitation from hot gas and aging of stars.
A study published in New Phytologist reveals the evolutionary history of oaks, showing that different lineages are driven by distinct sets of genes. The research highlights the key role oaks play in supporting ecosystems and provides insights into conservation efforts.