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Read the latest news stories about recent scientific discoveries on Newser.com

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Our Narrative About Leprosy Just Changed
Our Narrative
About Leprosy
Just Changed
new study
May 6, 2024 9:25 AM CDT

Our Narrative About Leprosy Just Changed

Medieval squirrels had it, suggesting a possible new origin

(Newser) - Scientists have long believed that leprosy originated with humans, but a medieval squirrel suggests a different possibility. Researchers examined the bones of red squirrels from an ancient furrier, along with the bones of leprosy victims who lived at about the same time in the UK roughly 900 years ago, reports...

Orangutan Seems to Treat Wound With Medicinal Plant

It's the first documentation of a wild animal applying a strong treatment directly to injury

(Newser) - An orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant in what is being described as a scientific first. Scientists observed the animal pluck and chew up leaves of a medicinal plant used by people throughout Southeast Asia to treat pain and inflammation, the AP reports. The...

Bottom of World's Deepest Blue Hole Proves Elusive

Taam Ja' extends at least 1,380 feet below sea level, far deeper than previously known

(Newser) - The deepest known ocean sink hole is so deep, researchers using advanced equipment can't find the bottom, though they've found evidence of a whole network of underground tunnels somewhere in its depths. The Taam Ja' Blue Hole in Mexico's Chetumal Bay was formerly considered the second-deepest blue...

Skeletons Found at Hitler's Most 'Heavily Guarded Complex'

Find made in Hermann Göring's home at Wolf's Lair HQ

(Newser) - "There are many theories" but few answers regarding five skeletons—all without their hands and feet—that were recently unearthed on the grounds of Adolf Hitler's Wolf's Lair headquarters in Poland's northeastern forests. The bones were unearthed within the brick house that had been occupied by...

Starting the Menopause Journey? This Could Be a Risk

Fluctuating hormone levels may trigger depression symptoms or worsen existing ones

(Newser) - Women approaching the onset of menopause face a 40% higher risk of depression than in their earlier years, according to new research, showing the need for support and screening. Experts from University College London performed a meta-analysis of seven studies involving more than 9,000 women in the US, Australia,...

Charred Scroll Tells Lost Secrets of Plato

Advanced techniques help to virtually unwrap papyrus scroll buried by Mount Vesuvius

(Newser) - Read for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, an ancient papyrus scroll buried in ash after the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius describes the final hours and burial place of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. It's an "extraordinary outcome that enriches our understanding of ancient history,...

Job Seekers Get Callbacks Based on Their Names

A new 'Discrimination Report Card' is out, and white-sounding names seem to get more callbacks

(Newser) - In 2004, a study found that job applicants with stereotypically white-sounding names got callbacks for interviews 50% more than applicants with Black-sounding names. Now, scientists have rebooted that research, and while the results are better than they were two decades ago, they show that racial bias still appears to come...

One Big Company Is Tied to 11% of Branded Plastic Waste
One Big Company Is Tied to
11% of Branded Plastic Waste
in case you missed it
Apr 28, 2024 4:10 PM CDT

One Big Company Is Tied to 11% of Branded Plastic Waste

That would be Coca-Cola, though PepsiCo isn't too far behind

(Newser) - More than 50% of plastic pollution around the world can't be traced to a company, as the elements have erased all branding. But of the pollution that remains branded, more than half can be traced to 56 companies, and more than 10% to just one, according to a new...

In George Washington&#39;s Basement, a &#39;Spectacular Find&#39;
In George Washington's
Basement, a 'Next Level' Find
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Apr 27, 2024 4:25 PM CDT

In George Washington's Basement, a 'Next Level' Find

Bottles containing whole cherries were likely buried 250 years ago

(Newser) - A bottle of 250-year-old cherries likely intended for George Washington has been found in his former home in Virginia—a discovery that's both sweet and distasteful, as enslaved people likely picked and preserved the fruit at Washington's mansion overlooking the Potomac River. Archaeologists working at the Mount Vernon...

It May Have Been the Biggest Snake Ever
It May Have Been
the Biggest Snake Ever
new study
Apr 22, 2024 12:15 PM CDT

It May Have Been the Biggest Snake Ever

Experts estimate that Vasuki inidicus in ancient India was up to 50 feet long

(Newser) - Scientists in India may have unearthed the biggest snake ever to have slithered across the planet. From a mine, they unearthed skeletal remains of an ancient beast estimated to have been up to 50 feet long—meaning longer than a typical school bus, reports Smithsonian . Paleontologists, who published their findings...

Socializing at Start of a New Job Benefits Men More
Men Are Rewarded More
When Socializing at Work
NEW STUDY
Apr 21, 2024 5:00 PM CDT

Men Are Rewarded More When Socializing at Work

Study saw men reap greater benefits when making an effort to get to know new colleagues

(Newser) - A new study led by researchers from Rutgers University suggests that men receive greater benefits than women when they make an effort to socialize with new co-workers after starting a job. The university writes that the findings show a stark contrast in how men and women must navigate workplace culture...

Bad Sleep Is Different for Men and Women
Bad Sleep Is Different
for Men and Women
NEW STUDY
Apr 20, 2024 8:00 AM CDT

Bad Sleep Is Different for Men and Women

Research finds males and females often experience different sleep patterns and disorders

(Newser) - Sleep issues differ for men and women, with women more likely to struggle with insomnia and poor sleep quality, while men suffer from sleep apnea more often, according to a new study in Sleep Medicine Reviews . Sleep patterns and disorders don't discriminate by sex, but a few factors are...

Underwater Mountains Serve Up Dozens of New Species

On this expedition in the South Pacific, at least 50 new ones emerged

(Newser) - Over 40 days exploring an 1,800-mile underwater mountain chain extending from Chile to Easter Island, an international team of scientists discovered an entirely unknown species once a day on average. The team led by Erin Easton of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Javier Sellanes of Chile'...

Study Upends Our Thinking on Bonobos


Study Upends
Our Thinking
on Bonobos
new study
Apr 15, 2024 11:20 AM CDT

Study Upends Our Thinking on Bonobos

They're not as peaceful as we thought, say researchers

(Newser) - Bonobos have long been thought of as "hippie chimps" in conservation circles because of their supposedly peaceful nature, notes the New York Times . A comprehensive new study, however, appears to have ended that.
  • The stats: Researchers found that male bonobos were nearly three times as likely as chimpanzees to
...

In Ancient Pompeii, This Was a Conversation Starter

Newly uncovered frescoes in ancient banquet hall depict Trojan War characters

(Newser) - Archaeologists excavating new sites in Pompeii have uncovered a sumptuous banquet hall decorated with intricately frescoed mythological characters inspired by the Trojan War, officials said Thursday, per the AP . The hall, which features a mosaic floor, was uncovered as part of a project to shore up the areas dividing the...

Brown Rats Arrived in America Earlier Than Thought

They have since become the dominant rat of the nation, as a new study explains

(Newser) - Brown rats are the undisputed winners of the real rat race. New research suggests that they crawled off ships arriving in North America earlier than previously thought and out-competed rodent rivals, per the AP . It didn't take long for them to push aside the black rats that had likely...

Scientists Find &#39;Super Cool&#39; Way to Spy on Insects
'Super Cool' Mapping
Tracks Down Tiny Invaders
NEW STUDY
Apr 2, 2024 2:11 PM CDT

'Super Cool' Mapping Tracks Down Tiny Invaders

Airborne laser mapping could speed tracking of invasive insects, study finds

(Newser) - Scientists in search of insects can spend 1,000 hours checking roughly 10,000 trees across 40 acres. Or, with a more convenient approach, they can do the same in about an hour. More and more, researchers are turning to remote sensing technology to ease the burden of searching landscapes...

Kids Have a Shaky Sense About Alexa&#39;s Feelings
Kids Have
a Shaky Sense
About Alexa's
Feelings
new study
Apr 1, 2024 8:43 AM CDT

Kids Have a Shaky Sense About Alexa's Feelings

Study finds that children are a little confused about the capabilities of smart devices

(Newser) - Young children don't have a great sense about whether smart devices such as Alexa and Siri have feelings like us, a new study suggests. Researchers in Scotland surveyed more than 160 kids ages 6 to 11 and found that many are unclear about whether the devices can think for...

Eclipse Day Is a Dangerous One for Driving
Eclipse Day
Is a Dangerous
One for Driving
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 30, 2024 6:00 AM CDT

Eclipse Day Is a Dangerous One for Driving

But that appears to have more to do with eclipse parties than the eclipse itself

(Newser) - The upcoming total solar eclipse brings an unexpected risk—and it has to do with the roads, not people's vision . Researchers have found that traffic accidents spike around the time of an eclipse, similar to the way they do around a holiday such as Thanksgiving, reports CNN . A research...

Obese Kids Claim Higher Risk for MS Than Others
Obese Kids May
See More Risk of MS
NEW STUDY
Mar 29, 2024 9:02 AM CDT

Obese Kids May See More Risk of MS

Children with obesity had more than double the risk of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis than slimmer kids

(Newser) - Scientists have long suspected that childhood obesity could play a role in the development of multiple sclerosis down the line, but now they appear to have verification, according to a new study. Per the Guardian , research out of Sweden's Karolinska Institute has found that kids who were obese had...

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