Second only to COVID-19 recovery, the continued unity of the United Kingdom is the key political issue across the British Isles. Debates about independence have dominated Scottish politics for the past decade, while in Wales, polling suggests there is increasing support for Welsh independence. In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, many believeContinue Reading
They look like normal earthworms, but can writhe, jump and even shed their tails to escape danger. Some call them crazy worms. Pick one up, and you’ll see why, as the creepy-crawly jerks, writhes and springs out of your hand. (It may even leave its tail behind, as a grimContinue Reading
A high school student simulated how humans trace patterns in the night sky. The Big Dipper’s stars are a celestial landmark. Visible in the Northern Hemisphere’s night sky, the stars draw out a shape like a scoop with a handle. Beginner stargazers can easily pick it out. Now, scientists haveContinue Reading
Mosasaurus and other mosasaurs ruled the seas for millions of years. Mosasaurus was a ferocious predator in the ancient oceans of the Cretaceous period (145.5 million to 65.5 million years ago). While dinosaurs dominated the land, Mosasaurus used its long tail and stumpy, paddle-like limbs to cruise through the water,Continue Reading
The monster-like shark was first discovered in 2013. A 300 million-year-old shark relative, nicknamed the Godzilla shark after its discovery in 2013, has finally received a proper name after being classified as its own species. Paleontologists found the unusually complete and well-preserved 6.7-foot-long (2 meters) fossilized skeleton of the ancientContinue Reading
The flight in the Red Planet’s thin air is the first in a planned series of daring flights. NASA has just flown a helicopter on Mars. Named Ingenuity, the craft hovered for about 40 seconds above the Red Planet’s surface. This marks the first flight of a spacecraft on aContinue Reading
The 16th and 17th centuries were a notably litigious period in British history. New rights, wealth and obligations had to be protected through legal transactions – and that needed documentation. Such was the importance of deeds – legal documents concerning the ownership of property – that lawyers chose to writeContinue Reading
A remote planet isn’t ruled out, but evidence for one may be fading. Planet Nine might be a mirage. What once looked like evidence for a massive planet hiding at the solar system’s edge may be an illusion. That’s the conclusion of a new study. “We can’t rule it out,”Continue Reading
The study included nearly 4,000 U.S. health care and frontline workers. Two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine were 90% effective at preventing infection with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in a “real world” study of U.S. health care and frontline workers. The study, from the CentersContinue Reading
The science is firm, but the myth persists. One reason coffee isn’t usually given to kids may be the widely held belief that the caffeinated beverage can stunt children’s growth. But is there any truth to this idea? The answer is a resounding “no”: There’s no evidence that coffee orContinue Reading