It turns out that originally Thanksgiving was not intended as a day to overload on carbs and watch Football. Who knew? Here's an interesting articles with all the myth debunking details. So check it out and at the Thanksgiving table, you'll be able to say things like "did you know that turkeys can actually fly at speeds of 55 mph?" Or "Dinosaurs also possess wishbones, likely due to the fact that birds evolved from dinosaurs." You're going to sound like a freakin' geni... Read Full Story
It was on Nov. 24, 1859 that Darwin rushed his writings On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life into print after discovering that another scientist, Alfred Russel Wallace was working on a similar scientific journal with themes of natural selection. While evolution continues to be hotly debated even after 150 years, there's no denying that Darwin's influence on our understanding of our world and the way in wh... Read Full Story
A decades long marine life census has identified over 17,000 new species surviving in the dark and frigid depths of our oceans. These sea creatures were cataloged during the Census of Marine Life project involving thousands of scientists from around the world. The species range from transparent sea cucumbers and crab like creatures, to bizarre worms that feed on oil. Despite the wealth of discoveries, scientists believe there are more undocumented species than those they have disc... Read Full Story
While the Taliban may reserve their most venomous hatred for the Western World, other cultures and religions are not immune to their destructive influence. In Pakistan, the growing influence of the Taliban is threatening the preservation of the Buddhist heritage in that country. Some acts are direct and malicious, such as the destruction of a 1,500 year old Buddha statue with explosives. Others are less direct, but no less consequential. As the Taliban seeks to control... Read Full Story
Legend tells of a Persian Army dispatched by the emperor Cambyses 50,000 strong to destroy an oasis temple in the Sahara desert. It was the emperor's revenge on the oracle who spoke out against his plans for world dominiation. The story goes on to tell how a violent sandstorm consumed the army and scattered it across the desert where the soldiers were buried beneath the raging sands. Sounds like something out of the next "Mummy" movie starring Brendan Fraser, but it may wel... Read Full Story
I'm on a roll here. First dung...now toilets. Today's World Toilet Day, an opportunity for us all to reflect on the glory of the John...the good old Porcelain God. It isn't that what we do when we're sitting there? The perfect moment for reflection. Ok, I read a magazine. The creation of the toilet remains under dispute but the honor is most often attributed to the Scots or the Greeks. Neolithic settlements in the Scottish mainland dating back to... Read Full Story
It was today, November 18, 1978 that Jim Jones, cult leader, directed his followers to end their lives in a mass murder-suicide in the jungles of South America.Jim Jones was a charismatic preacher who believed he was the reincarnation of Ghandi, Buddha, Vladimir Lenin and Jesus Christ. His San Francisco-based "church" was 8,000 members strong by the mid-70s.As the controversial church headed by Jones began to garner unwanted attention with reports of financial impropriety, brainwashing ... Read Full Story
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Worlds has opened its exhibit the The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000–3500 BC which explores the culture of "Old Europe" considered to be a group of related cultures that existed in southeastern Europe during the fourth and fifth millennia BC. The epicenter of this culture was the Danube River, rich with fertile valleys where Neolithic farmers settled and the society prospered. One can see startling similarities betwee... Read Full Story
No you might think sifting through a pile of dung is a waste of time. But when it comes to figuring out what the lives of prehistoric creatures were really like - look no further than a pile of Mammoth poo. Let's face it, most of us spend our lives dealing with other people's crap. But when you're a paleoecologist, its serious business.Here's an interesting article about a recent examiniation of Mammoth dung.Looking for a fossil replica to add a littl... Read Full Story
No, this isn't about the next sequel to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Although if there were one, it's not a bad title. (note: Douglas Adams is dead - do not expect a sequel) It's a legitimate question scientists are asking. Recent discoveries suggest that there's a large and very deep ocean on the the moon Europa that orbits Jupiter and that ocean has more oxygen than previously believed. That discovery has led scientists to the conc... Read Full Story
