Alfred Nobel (Image: Wikipedia) Love, feelings and human connection have always been some of the most complicated aspects of life. For centuries, philosophers, scientists, writers and thinkers have sought to explain why people feel affection, attachment, trust or distance. Alfred Nobel made a very thoughtful remark on this point when he said, “A heart can…
Building a city on Mars has long been a symbol of human ambition, but the practical reality behind it is far more complicated than the dream suggests. A recent preprint study led by Serena Suriano explores one of the biggest hidden challenges: where the construction materials will actually come from. Mars does have iron, but…
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia have introduced NESCOD, a new passive cooling technology. This innovative system addresses the rising global need for cooling solutions without depending on energy-consuming air conditioners. Mechanically, NESCOD leverages the thermodynamic properties of endothermic dissolution to offer an eco-friendly alternative for communities that are…
A centuries-old mosaic map has helped archaeologists identify what may be a long-lost Byzantine city hidden beneath the desert landscape near the Dead Sea in Jordan. Researchers believe the settlement is Tharais, a city marked on the famous Madaba Mosaic Map, one of the oldest surviving maps of the Holy Land. The discovery emerged after…
Chinese researchers have made a significant advancement in circular resource recovery by creating a new way to turn nitrate-laden wastewater into valuable ammonia for fertilisers. They used artificial intelligence to find a super-effective dual-atom catalyst, which led them to a process that tackles two major global issues: water pollution and the heavy energy use of…
A buried glacier hidden beneath the Canadian Arctic is giving scientists a rare glimpse into Earth’s distant climatic past. Researchers studying permafrost on Bylot Island in Nunavut discovered ancient glacier ice believed to be at least 770,000 years old, making it one of the oldest known glacier remnants preserved in Arctic permafrost outside Greenland and…
Gloucester’s abandoned Debenhams site has yielded a significant archaeological find during its transformation into a university campus. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Gloucester is a place where history walks around in plain sight, in its imposing cathedral and historic docks. However, as it has now become apparent, some of its most poignant tales have been buried…
Ancient rocks in Quebec, dating back 3.77 billion years, may hold the oldest evidence of life. Microscopic tube-like structures and filaments, resembling modern microbes, were found alongside chemical signatures of biological activity. Image credits: James St. John, via Wikimedia Commons In the wilds of northern Quebec, near the shore of Hudson Bay, there is a…
A simple Arctic freezing trick helped revolutionise food preservation. Image credit – Wikimedia Frozen foods have become a staple in American cuisine today. The supermarkets are filled with frozen vegetables, fish, ready-to-eat products, and desserts. Nonetheless, the whole history of the frozen food industry goes way back to a simple observation in the Arctic in…
Back in 1964, the two scientists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson found themselves at Bell Labs with a mission. Their main goal was to clear the noise from a sensitive horn antenna. However, they encountered a persistent, low-frequency hum that remained regardless of where they pointed the telescope. Initially, they thought equipment interference or bird…