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The pyramids, pharaohs and artifacts of ancient Egypt delight the imagination, rekindling the wonder of the distant past in every generation.
Today, archaeologists are still making fascinating discoveries in the Nile Valley. An expedition in Damietta, Egypt, recently discovered 63 graves from more than 2,500 years ago, along with a hoard of coins, gold objects and pottery.
Experts are also using the latest techniques to unravel the secrets hidden within discoveries made decades ago, with new research this week “digitally deconstructing” an unusual mummy found in 1935.
With her mouth open, the mummified woman appears to be forever locked in an anguished cry — a feature noted by archaeologists who first found her remains in a tomb near Luxor during an expedition nearly a century ago led by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. in New York City.
What could have caused this disturbing facial expression?
Aiming to solve the mystery, Sahar Saleem, a professor of radiology at Kasr Al Ainy Hospital at Cairo University, used CT scans to reveal details about the woman’s morphology, health conditions and preservation. Infrared imaging and other advanced techniques also helped shed more light on her life.
The woman was 48 years old when she died and surprisingly her organs were still in the body, contrary to typical burial rites, Saleem revealed. While Saleem couldn’t pinpoint an exact cause of death, the information she gathered led to a terrifying hypothesis.
Scientists believe that the smallest planet in the solar system may hide a diamond layer up to 18 kilometers thick. According to a recent study, it may have formed shortly after Mercury merged into a planet about 4.5 billion years ago.
To understand how diamonds might have formed, the researchers conducted an experiment using a large machine called an anvil press and a synthetic mixture of elements that mimicked the theorized composition of Mercury’s early interior.
The research team found that one of the ingredients, graphite, a form of carbon, turned into diamond crystals under those conditions. Without samples from the planet’s surface, it is not possible to know for sure whether the same process occurred there.
However, a mission led by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency called BepiColombo, which is expected to begin orbiting Mercury next year, may tell scientists more.
Venus, sometimes called Earth’s evil twin for its lead-melting surface temperatures and clouds of corrosive sulfuric acid, is perhaps the most hostile place to life in the solar system.
However, scientists have discovered two gases, phosphine and ammonia, that on Earth would be considered biomarkers for life.
Four years ago, when phosphine was first unexpectedly discovered in the Venusian clouds, the finding caused controversy. Now, scientists say they have stronger evidence that phosphine is present and have discovered ammonia.
The results are only preliminary and require independent confirmation, but they make future missions and flybys to Venus such as the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer and DAVINCI particularly important and exciting.
Homo sapiens, our species, shared the planet with Neanderthals, archaic humans who lived in Europe and much of Asia, for at least 250,000 years.
An enduring mystery is why Neanderthals became extinct while early modern humans continued to dominate and inhabit every corner of the Earth.
A new analysis of ancient DNA suggests that there were multiple waves of interbreeding between the two groups, and these population dynamics may have meant that the Neanderthal population grew smaller and less diverse over time, as the group their genes were absorbed into the modern human population.
Some of the genes inherited from our Neanderthal ancestors still have an impact on our lives today.
“Every rose has its thorn,” glam metal band Poison sang in their famous 1980s ballad. But a new discovery by geneticists could open the door to thornless roses.
Emerging from stems to ward off animals looking for a snack, the spiny features are a defense mechanism shared by many plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, barley and rice sprouts that evolved over the course of 400 million years.
A new study has identified an ancient family of genes responsible for this trait, referred to as Lonely Guy, or LOG, that can be targeted with gene editing techniques. Removing thorns can allow for easier gathering and harvesting and bring less popular produce into grocery stores..
Take a deep dive into these fascinating finds.
— A similar sea creature that lived half a billion years ago looked a bit like a taco and had one key feature that many animals share today and another that still baffles researchers.
— Scientists have spotted unexpected X- and C-shaped structures in the atmosphere, and they’re trying to explain them.
— To keep swimmers and beachgoers safe, scientists are using artificial intelligence to detect juvenile sharks that like to hang out near shore.
— A forest complex in Thailand is offering new hope for endangered tigers in Southeast Asia.
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