It sounds like the plot from a cheese science fiction movie: Scientists unearth something that’s been buried in the frozen ground of the Arctic for tens of thousands of years and decide to warm it up a bit. The creature stirs as its cells slowly wake up from their long stasis. As time passes, the …
Researchers have discovered a new type of taste cell that can detect the full rank of taste stimuli. The cells are different from the previously known taste bud cells in that they have multiple pathways to send signals to the brain, regardless of the type of taste stimuli. The research was conducted using mouse models. …
The brains of astronauts show permanent changes to volume even after returning to Earth, a new study suggests. Space station travelers had brain scans before and after their trips to space, and the changes in brain volume were noticeable. Researchers still aren’t sure how these changes may affect the astronauts over the long term. Visit …
A female Komodo dragon at the Chattanooga Zoo reproduced without a mate. DNA tests on her three hatchlings revealed she gave birth to them without fertilization. Few species are capable of this feat, called parthenogenesis. Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories. A female Komodo dragon named Charlie, under the care of Tennessee’s Chattanooga Zoo, has …
Scientist says that life almost certainly exists outside of Earth. However, based on the odds of RNA formation, life is likely very rare and will be near impossible for us to actually find. The work was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories. The question of whether or not …
NASA’s missions to Mars have offered scientists a glimpse at what ancient Mars might have been like. That’s exciting since it could reveal that Mars was once habitable, perhaps billions of years ago. But what if Mars were still habitable today? Believe it or not, it actually might be, and researchers are considering the possibility …
Earth has an incredible diversity of animal life. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and lives in just about every type of environment our planet has to offer. There are, however, a number of things that all animal life has in common. Now, according to a new paper published in Proceedings of the National …
If there’s one thing sci-fi movies have taught us over the year it’s that combining one animal with another animal almost always ends badly. Scientists in China aren’t trying to create mutant monsters, but they did successfully create baby pigs with monkey cells. Yes, you read that correctly. As NewScientist reports, a team of researchers …
NASA wants to send humans to Mars. Much of the technology to make such a mission a reality is already in place, and other vital systems could be developed in time for a crewed trip to the Red Planet in the 2030s. It’s exciting, but the journey will be long, and one serious question remains …
Tapeworms might not be the cutest or cuddliest of creatures cooked up by Mother Nature, but what they lack in charm, they more than make up for with a few very special abilities. You see, tapeworms have the incredible power to shed and then regrow huge lengths of their own bodies, and it’s an ability …
