Africa’s great divide: Why the continent’s split is so exciting for science

The African continent is splitting along a triple junction of rifts that converge in Afar, Ethiopia. A new ocean may take millions of years to form, but that is giving scientists ample time to glean ...

An American physicist and Canadian computer scientist devised a way to keep secrets safe from hackers

An American physicist and Canadian computer scientist received the A.M. Turing Award on Wednesday for their groundbreaking work on quantum key cryptography.
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Scientists are one step closer to testing ancient skeletons for pregnancy

Scientists say they have found a way to test ancient human remains for hormones linked with pregnancy, a breakthrough that may allow archaeologists to determine whether a woman was pregnant or had ...
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Earliest evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens discovered

In a rocky outcrop on Mount Carmel, in what is now Israel, a group of ancient humans buried their dead about 140,000 years ago. Scientists uncovered the site, called Skhul Cave, in 1928, and about ...

A NASA spacecraft is set to make an uncontrolled plunge back to Earth. Here are the risks

A spacecraft could plunge into Earth’s atmosphere as soon as Tuesday. While most of the probe will likely burn up during reentry, a few components are expected to survive.
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New research upends theory that Indigenous Australians hunted large animals to extinction

Recent analysis of two fossils from Australia, estimated to be about 50,000 years old, suggests that Australia’s First Peoples valued big animals for their fossils as well as for their meat, ...
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Six species of North American bats glow under UV light, adding to growing list of fluorescent mammals

Glowing bats may sound like Halloween decor, but researchers in Georgia have discovered certain species of North American bats that are capable of the unusual trick. When placed under ultraviolet ...
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She was supposed to be the first teacher in space. 40 years later, her mission continues

NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off 40 years ago with an unusual crew. In addition to six astronauts, the mission took flight with a teacher on board. Christa McAuliffe, the first educator ...
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Oldest known evidence of human mummification discovered in Asia, scientists say

Hunter-gatherers in parts of ancient Asia prepared their dead for burial with smoke-drying up to 14,000 years ago, resulting in the oldest known evidence of human mummification, according to a new ...
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Tomatoes in the Galápagos appear to be evolving backward. Here’s what it could mean

Hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador, in the very place that inspired Charles Darwin’s seminal theory of evolution, a wild-growing species appears to have hit rewind. A small tomato found in the ...
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Newly discovered species spotted swimming by underwater camera

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