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Why wait for Black Friday? The Celestron 114LCM computerized telescope is $115 off right now
By Paul Brett published
Deal This powerful Newtonian reflector telescope has hundreds of 5-star Amazon reviews and a previous Black Friday best price-beating discount.
Massive blue 'melt pond' in Arctic glacier is an eerie sign of things to come
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2014 photo shows a massive, iceberg-littered pool of vibrant blue meltwater sitting alone on top of a glacier in Alaska. Similar "melt ponds" are becoming increasingly common in the Arctic due to climate change and are further accelerating the rate of ice loss across the region.
Lasers reveal Maya city, including thousands of structures, hidden in Mexico
By Sierra Bouchér published
The new city, dubbed Valeriana, was a dense urban settlement with temple pyramids and a ball court.
How forensic DNA analysis can falsely link people to crime scenes
By Patrick Pester published
Researchers have found that forensic "DNA mixture analysis" is less accurate for certain groups of people with lower genetic diversity, which could falsely link them to crime scenes.
1,200 years ago, a cat in Jerusalem left the oldest known evidence of 'making biscuits' on a clay jug
By Margherita Bassi published
Around 1,200 years ago, a cat "made biscuits," kneading on a drying clay jug in Jerusalem, leaving behind the oldest evidence of this feline behavior on record.
Our brains can understand written sentences in the 'blink of an eye,' study reveals
By Ben Turner published
Language processing happens at speeds significantly faster than it takes to speak one word aloud.
Computers normally can't see optical illusions — but a scientist combined AI with quantum mechanics to make it happen
By Peter Ray Allison published
A deep neural network was trained using quantum tunneling to mimic the human ability to view optical illusions.
What's the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave?
By Richard Pallardy published
Tsunamis and tidal waves are the powerful types of wave on Earth, but very different processes are involved in their formation.
Pazyryk Swan: A 2,300-year-old plush swan from Siberia tied to the 'creation of the universe'
By Tom Metcalfe published
Archaeologists think the felt figurine was used as a symbol of life by the Iron Age people of the region.
What's the fastest recorded wind speed?
By Hannah Loss published
Wind can whip up to surprising speeds, depending on if it's natural or human made.
High school students who came up with 'impossible' proof of Pythagorean theorem discover 9 more solutions to the problem
By Sascha Pare published
In a new peer-reviewed study, Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson outlined 10 ways to solve the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, including a proof they discovered in high school.
From black cats to white spirit bears, 'superstitions, lore and myths can shape your subconscious' − biases that have real effects
By Elizabeth Carlen, Tyus Williams published
What may be scariest about a spooky black cat is the way superstition and tradition shape people's perceptions and biases about animals based only on their color.
Rain helps the ocean trap more carbon
By Veronika Meduna, Eos.org published
Rain has so far been ignored in calculations of the ocean's capacity to take up carbon, but a new estimate shows it enhances the ocean sink by 5% to 7%.
AI 'can stunt the skills necessary for independent self-creation': Relying on algorithms could reshape your entire identity without you realizing
By Muriel Leuenberger published
"If you constantly use an AI to find the music, career or political candidate you like, you might eventually forget how to do this yourself." Ethicist Muriel Leuenberger considers the personal impact of relying on AI.
James Webb Space Telescope sees lonely supermassive black hole-powered quasars in the early universe
By Robert Lea published
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered lonely quasars in the early universe, with "empty larders" that defy theories surrounding their growth to monster sizes.
Space photo of the week: Hubble spots a stellar 'H-bomb' exploding in Aquarius at 1 million mph
By Jamie Carter published
A pulsating red star and its spectacular nebula have been captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
Will Mount Everest always be the world's tallest mountain?
By Katherine Irving published
The Himalayas' massive heights result from a unique combination of geologic factors.
Earth's mantle is split into two halves thanks to supercontinent Pangaea
By Stephanie Pappas published
The mantle is split up into two domains — the African and the Pacific — that emerged when supercontinent Pangaea broke apart.
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