Mount Uturuncu, a Bolivian volcano, is not on the brink of a massive eruption as previously feared. New research reveals its ‘zombie’ behaviour stems from migrating hydrothermal fluids and gases, not an imminent magma buildup. A huge shadow has been hanging over the Bolivian Plateau for many years. Standing more than 6,000 meters above the…
In 1831, a sand-clearing resident on the Isle of Lewis unearthed 93 elaborately carved figures, the Lewis Chessmen, made of walrus ivory and whale teeth. Image Credits: British Museum, via Wikimedia Commons Long before the Isle of Lewis came to be known as a hiking paradise for history lovers, there was a hidden story that…
In 2001, a metal detectorist in Kent unearthed the Ringlemere Cup, a rare Bronze Age gold bowl. Image Credits: British Museum, via Wikimedia Commons While searching an average field in Kent, Cliff Bradshaw was accustomed to seeing the typical pieces of metal waste and junk common to the English landscape. But on an uneventful day…
An amateur treasure hunter’s discovery of the Watlington Hoard in Oxfordshire has rewritten English history. Image Credit: The Portable Antiquities Scheme/ The Trustees of the British Museum, via Wikimedia Commons Well before the undulating terrain of Oxfordshire came to be a peaceful haven for those on foot, the region around Watlington was a battleground in…
An ornate Roman pan, unearthed in Staffordshire, offers a unique glimpse into life on the empire’s frontier. Image Credits: Portable Antiquities Scheme from London, England, via Wikimedia Commons The Romans also had their own way of commemorating their travels, even before the invention of digital photography and refrigerator magnets. In 2003, an amateur archaeologist using…
The story of 1729 chronicles the remarkable relationship between British mathematician GH Hardy and Indian mathematical savant Srinivasa Ramanujan, who taught himself mathematics. One day in 1918, Hardy visited Ramanujan, who was at a nursing home. He mentioned that the number on his taxi, 1729, seemed singularly devoid of interest. As noted in a report…
Deep inside Earth, hidden structures may be steering the planet’s magnetic shield. Image credit – Wikimedia The Earth’s magnetic field protects our planet from the harmful effects of solar radiation, thus allowing the development of life on Earth. It is known that the magnetosphere of our planet is generated due to the movement of molten…
Deep inside Medellin, Colombia, scientists are breeding millions of mosquitoes every week and then releasing them into the environment on purpose. At first, that may sound strange, especially because mosquitoes are known for spreading dangerous diseases. But researchers say these insects are actually being used to help stop illnesses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow…
Somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, a giant metallic world drifts silently through deep space. Unlike ordinary rocky asteroids, 16 Psyche has captured global attention because scientists believe it may contain enormous quantities of valuable metals, including iron, nickel, platinum, and possibly more gold than has ever been mined on Earth. The asteroid’s…
In a discovery that feels almost unreal, scientists have revived a microscopic organism that had been frozen in Siberian permafrost for around 24,000 years. The tiny creature, often referred to in media reports as a ‘zombie worm,’ was thought to be long dead. Instead, it returned to life in a laboratory setting and showed signs…
