New Discoveries: Reports on the Latest Scientific Discoveries - Page 188

Clay Seals
Suggest Kings
David, Solomon
Were Real

Dec 18, 2014 3:25 PM CST

Clay Seals Suggest Kings David, Solomon Were Real

Discovery bolsters theory of Iron Age kingdoms

(Newser) - Kings David and Solomon may be memorable figures from the Bible, but plenty of scholars think they were mere figments of somebody's imagination. One big reason is that the archaeological record doesn't mesh: These two supposedly ruled in the 10th-century BC, but where's the physical evidence? Now,...

More Than 50% of Kids Will Live With Single Mom

STUDY SAYS

Dec 17, 2014 1:20 PM CST

More Than 50% of Kids Will Live With Single Mom

Lack of biological dad in kids' lives also ups risk of antisocial behavior: report

(Newser) - In 1965, sociologist Daniel Patrick Moynihan (who later became the iconic New York senator) published a controversial study about the increasing number of black families headed by single moms, in which he asserted that black children growing up without male breadwinners would have a harder time breaking the poverty cycle....

Skeleton and His Dagger
Yield a Tale 4.2K Years Old

Dec 16, 2014 3:58 PM CST

Skeleton and His Dagger Yield a Tale 4.2K Years Old

Tests suggest he was likely a warrior who died in battle

(Newser) - He lay on his side, clutching a bronze dagger, undiscovered in a shallow field in the UK for four millennia til a metal detector hit upon his dagger. Then it took another quarter-century for tests to be funded and performed, but they're now telling the story of Racton Man...

Egypt Cemetery
Holds 1M Mummies

Dec 16, 2014 12:23 PM CST

Egypt Cemetery Holds 1M Mummies

Blonds, redheads buried together; one body is 7 ft. tall

(Newser) - For the past 30 years, scientists have been exploring a cemetery in Egypt whose origins are mysterious. One thing they have determined, however: "We are fairly certain we have over a million burials within this cemetery. It's large, and it's dense," says the project's director,...

Teeth Solve an
Easter Island
Mystery

Dec 16, 2014 8:08 AM CST

Teeth Solve an Easter Island Mystery

Scientists discover what the locals were really snacking on 800 years ago

(Newser) - Scientists have been pondering why people who lived on Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) appear to have eaten palm trees—a primary crop, reports Nature World News —for several centuries when other research suggests the plant went extinct right around the time of colonization in the 13th century. The...

'Alpha Males'
Pour This on
Their Food

study says

Dec 15, 2014 5:15 PM CST

'Alpha Males' Pour This on Their Food

Men with higher testosterone like adding spicy sauce, study says

(Newser) - Wonder if a guy has high testosterone? Just put a spice bottle next to him and see how much he pours on his dinner, according to a new study . Scientists at the University of Grenoble say that among 114 men aged 18 to 44, those who added the most spicy...

Statue Toppled 3K Years Ago Once Again Stands

3K Years Later,
Pharaoh Statue
Rises Again

Dec 15, 2014 9:07 AM CST

3K Years Later, Pharaoh Statue Rises Again

Amenhotep III effigy was felled by earthquake

(Newser) - In 1200BC, an earthquake took down a 43-foot statue of Amenhotep III, the grandfather of Tutankhamun. More than 3,200 years later, it's once again standing in Egypt, thanks to archaeologists who reassembled its 89 sizable pieces and many smaller fragments. Its 121 tons now lord over those who...

Men Far More Likely
to Die Stupid Deaths

Men Far More Likely to Die Stupid Deaths

Darwin Awards back up 'male idiot theory'

(Newser) - The winners of " Darwin Awards " die in a stunning variety of stupid ways, but the great majority of those killed trying to clean chimneys with grenades, ride in shopping trolleys hitched to trains, and so forth have one thing in common: They're men. A tongue-in-cheek study in...

How Birds Stopped
Growing Teeth

Dec 13, 2014 3:45 PM CST

How Birds Stopped Growing Teeth

Genetic mutations point to common toothless ancestor

(Newser) - Friday was a big day for bird lovers: Twenty-three new papers revealed all kinds of scientific information about the animals, ranging from how they learn to sing to how they got their feathers, Australia's ABC reports. Among the reports was one looking into how the creatures lost their teeth....

5 Most Incredible
Discoveries of the Week

Dec 13, 2014 9:25 AM CST

5 Most Incredible Discoveries of the Week

Including a tip for worrywarts and how parchment DNA has something to say

(Newser) - The mystery of skeletons found in shackles make the list this week:

Scientists Near Creepy Ancient Arena Make Even Creepier Find : In France, there's an old Roman amphitheater that once hosted gladiator fights and had a "Door of the Dead" through which people would be carried to their

...

Cave Find Suggests When Humans Figured Out Fire

Dec 12, 2014 8:33 AM CST

Cave Find Suggests When Humans Figured Out Fire

Researchers in Israel say it happened about 350K years ago

(Newser) - As early human milestones go, it's as big as they get: the "invention" of fire. Or more precisely, the mastering of fire. Now archaeologists studying an ancient cave in Israel say they've figured out when humans managed the feat: about 350,000 years ago, reports Science . Researchers...

N. America's Oldest Horned Dino Was Size of Bunny

Dec 11, 2014 3:24 PM CST

N. America's Oldest Horned Dino Was Size of Bunny

Triceratops relative from early Cretaceous period also picky eater: scientists

(Newser) - When paleontologists on a National Geographic Society expedition dug up a 100-million-year-plus sample sticking out of the dirt in Montana in 1997, they initially thought it was a rock—until they saw it had teeth. Now, 17 years later, they've finally gotten around to naming and describing the creature,...

Want to Worry
Less? Go to
Bed Earlier

study says

Dec 9, 2014 3:47 PM CST

Want to Worry Less? Go to Bed Earlier

What time you turn in may play a role in your anxiety level

(Newser) - Those who feel stressed and anxious all the time might want to try one simple remedy before others: Go to bed earlier. It's not just a matter of getting a good night's sleep, however. Researchers at Binghamton University say that when you go to sleep matters when it...

The Way You Walk Can
Change Your Mood

STUDY SAYS

Dec 9, 2014 8:22 AM CST

The Way You Walk Can Change Your Mood

Researchers find a bouncier gait can affect happiness

(Newser) - Being happy may very well put a little bounce in our step, but new research suggests that if we purposefully walk this way we may be able to actually elevate our mood. Reporting in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry , researchers say they enlisted a group of volunteers...

Parchment Itself
Holds Clues to Past

Dec 8, 2014 9:42 AM CST

Parchment Itself Holds Clues to Past

Researchers investigate DNA of writing surface

(Newser) - Plenty of historical knowledge comes from writings on parchment—but now, researchers are learning about the past using the parchment itself. DNA analysis of the writing surface is revealing genetic information about the animals used to make it, and how their genomes differ from similar animals today, according to research...

Medieval Palace
May Be Buried
Underground

Medieval Palace May Be Buried Underground

Archaeologists uncover what's under the grass at Old Sarum

(Newser) - A prehistoric fortress is home to a much later structure: what may be one of the biggest medieval palaces ever discovered, one whose remnants remain buried beneath the ground, the Independent reports. The site in southern England is surrounded by huge earthworks that date to the Iron Age. Researchers used...

That White Mug
Makes Your Coffee
Taste Bitter

That White Mug Makes Your Coffee Taste Bitter

Cup color can affect flavor, study says

(Newser) - Forget the latest pour-over trend. A much simpler method could improve the taste of your coffee: To make it less bitter, it may be that all you need to do is change the color of your mug, researchers say. Psychology researcher George Van Doorn got the idea for his experiment...

5 Ancient Skeletons
Found in Shackles

Dec 6, 2014 1:50 PM CST

5 Ancient Skeletons Found in Shackles

Child's remains among those discovered at Roman site

(Newser) - Investigating an ancient Roman burial site in southwest France, researchers came upon a creepy find: Five skeletons—one of them a child's—were stuck in shackles, the Independent reports. Iron chains were locked around the ankles of three of the skeletons, while another had shackles on its neck. The...

Richard III's DNA Reveals Secret: Female Infidelity

But it's unclear when 'false-paternity event' occurred

(Newser) - Richard III's remains continue to give up secrets the English king would probably prefer be kept buried. Since discovering his remains under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012, scientists have determined he had a bad case of roundworms and died a brutal death . Now they say an analysis...