Researchers speculate the leaders of the ancient Wari empire used beer spiked with a hallucinogenic drug to win over neighboring communities during large feastsJ. OCHATOMA PARAVICINO/M. E. BIWAR ET. AL., ANTIQUITY (2021)A recent study in Antiquity reveals that an ancient South American civilization intentionally spiked a beer-like drink with psychoactive drugs to strengthen social...
Credit: PixabayOur Solar System moves through the Milky Way at about 200 km/s, following a complex orbit around the galaxy's center. Along its journey, it has encountered different cosmic environments, some of which may have influenced Earth's climate. New research suggests that around 14 million years ago, the Solar System passed through the Orion...
Model of a quantum tornado in momentum space. (think-design/Jochen Thamm)Physicists in Germany have demonstrated that electron inertia can create "tornadoes" inside a quantum semimetal, revealing a new layer of complexity in electron motion.Electrons rarely stay still, and their movements can take unexpected forms. In tantalum arsenide, a quantum material, researchers found that electrons form vortices—not...
At the intersection of robotics and social science, researchers explore how heterogeneity, influence, and uncertainty drive smarter collective decisions—whether in human groups, robot swarms, or biological collectives. Credit: SCIoIWhen groups make decisions—whether humans, robots, or animals—not all members contribute equally. Some have more reliable information, while others hold greater social influence. A new study...
Earth shines above as the Sun slowly sinks below the Moon's horizon. (Firefly Aerospace)A private U.S. lander has captured striking high-definition images of a lunar sunset, offering NASA a new opportunity to investigate the mysterious haze first observed on the Moon in the 1960s.Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, which released the images on Tuesday, recently became the...
Water droplets with different charges could trigger "microlightning" strikes that kickstarted life on EarthDepositphotosDr. Frankenstein may not have needed a lightning bolt to spark life after all. A new Stanford study suggests that constant "microlightning" between water droplets could have provided the jolt that jumpstarted life on Earth.One of the biggest mysteries in evolution...
Since its first synthesis in a post-WWII American lab in 1949, berkelium has stood out on the periodic table, defying quantum mechanics by adopting an extra positive charge that its relatives typically avoid.Now, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory—berkelium's birthplace—have successfully bonded this elusive element with carbon, creating a rare organometallic complex. This breakthrough...
Credit: PixabayA gravity battery generates electricity by releasing a heavy load, converting potential energy into power when grid demand is high. When surplus energy is available, the system lifts the load back up for future use.A common example is pumped-storage hydroelectric systems, where water flows downhill to generate power and is pumped back up...
SpaceX Crew-10 members arriving at the ISS. (ISS/X)SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, paving the way for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to finally return home after more than nine months in space.The Crew-10 mission, which launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening, reached...
BiVACOR founder and CTO Daniel Timms tests the artificial heartBiVACORA man in his 40s has lived for over 100 days with an artificial maglev heart sustaining his circulation. In a groundbreaking achievement, he walked out of the hospital earlier this year, becoming the first person to live outside a medical facility with the device...
