Tag: discovery

5-Planet Parade Set to Grace the Pre-Dawn Sky on June 17—Just Days Before Summer Solstice

Skywatchers can expect an extraordinary celestial show over the next 24 hours, as five planets are set to form a “planet parade” in the morning sky on June 17. Early risers gazing skyward in the northern hemisphere may observe a quintet of planets—Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, and Mercury—forming a somewhat ragged ascending arc across a…


This Jewel-Like Bird Is so Small, Its Often Mistaken for a Bee—But It’s Really the Bee Hummingbird

Can you imagine a bird no larger than your thumb? Needless to say, this teeny chap is the smallest bird in the world. He is the bee hummingbird, and he weighs less than a U.S. penny. The jewel-like avian is only found in the Cuban archipelago, where it spends its days zipping around forests and…


Intelligent Brains Are Slower In Processing Complex Information: Study

You would think that intelligent people think faster, correct? However, a recent study has found that this is only partially true when it comes to simple problem-solving. When the difficulty level is higher, those with high IQs like to take their time. This surprising finding was made by researchers at the BIH and Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin,…


Man-Made ‘Living Bridges’ Are Grown to Stand for Centuries—Without Nuts or Bolts: VIDEO

The beautiful phenomenon of “living root” bridges, expertly sculpted by Indian tribes, is a testament to what can be achieved when man and nature work together. These incredible structures have stood the test of time owing to a simple and effective, centuries-old technique. Living root bridges are commonly found in southern Meghalaya state in northern…


Spectacular Footage of Kilauea, One of the World’s Most Active Volcanoes, Erupting After a 3-Month Pause

HONOLULU — Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting in the early hours of June 7, after a three-month pause, displaying spectacular fountains of mesmerizing, glowing lava at a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big Island. A glow was detected in webcam images…


Bizarre and Beautiful: These Strange ‘Earth Pyramids’ Have Giant Rocks Balanced Atop Them

Land deep in a forest on the border of Italy and Austria, and you’ll discover an otherworldly range of clay structures that look like an army of pyramids, topped by little hats. Also likened to organ pipes, the strange conical structures are almost 200 years old and the natural result of a huge storm that…


Milky Way Photographers Show Off Best Shots of Our Galaxy in 2023—Here Are the Competition Winners

Stars, stars, and still more stars! Digital has made all the difference—it’s been a game changer for would-be astrophotographers everywhere, training their lenses skyward at night to capture the splendor of the Milky Way. In the foregoing era of film, the light insensitivity of cameras in dark conditions confounded photographers trying to portray this dimly-lit spectacle….


These Ancient Windmills Were Built Over 1,000 Years Ago From Mud, Clay, Straw—And Still Work Today

When we think of wind power as a source of energy, we might think of huge, ugly turbines blighting the landscape. But one village in Iran reveals how our ancestors built turbines using wood and clay, not steel and concrete; with such smarts, they are still being used today—some thousand years on. The name of…


VIDEO: Biologists Discover Adorable Trio of All-Female Mountain Lion Kittens in Den North of Los Angeles

A trio of not-so-ferocious-looking furry faces stare back at the cameraman peering inside their den. Toothless mouths breathe silent roars as the lens probes deeper inside to take footage of the three newborn mountain lion kittens. They are all females. The cubs’ mother, known as mountain lion P-77, is estimated to be between 5 and…


Real ‘Sword in the Stone’ and Knight Believed Inspired King Arthur Legend—But Plots Quite Contrary

The ruthless knight Galgano Guidotti was done fighting. The son of a noble lord during the time of the Crusades, in his early 30s he experienced a vision of Saint Michael that changed his life. Galgano was called upon to renounce worldly trappings and submit himself to God, so he relinquished station and arms to become…