PLANET EARTH

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Crowds gather at Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing to celebrate the start of the New Year on December 31 2022. Japan's sharply declining birthrate is a growing political problem, and its Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has warned that the country may be unable to function if births do not rise.

World’s population could plummet to 6 billion by the end of the century, study suggests

A new model has predicted that Earth’s population is likely to decrease in all scenarios across the next century and will peak nowhere near the 11 billion previously forecast.

Three tomato plants in pots sit on a table in a greenhouse. Each plant has two microphones set up near it.

Stressed plants ‘scream,’ and it sounds like popping bubble wrap

A study of tomato and tobacco plants suggests they emit ultrasonic popping sounds when dehydrated or physically damaged.

SPACE AND PHYSICS

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An illustration showing a bright pink flare surrounded by a pancake-flat shock wave

Extremely flat explosion dubbed ‘the Cow’ defies explanation

A bizarre object called “the Cow” is the flattest explosion ever detected, and the first example of a rare phenomenon called a fast blue optical transient (FBOT).

An illustration of a black hole surrounded by churning matter. New research suggests information about the black hole’s creation could be found as radiation in this region.

Stephen Hawking’s famous black hole paradox may finally have a solution

The ‘Hawking radiation’ emitted by black holes may be able to carry information after all, a new solution to Stephen Hawking’s famous paradox suggests.

HISTORY

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A researcher holding the hook.

Ancient fish hook suggests sharks were hunted off Israel’s coast 6,000 years ago

Researchers unearthed the “shark hook” at a newly discovered village buried under a known archaeological site. Experts say it could be one of the first of its kind made in the area.

A petroglyph of a horse and rider, likely created by the ancestral Comanche or Shoshone people. This carving was found at the Tolar site in Sweetwater County, Wyoming.

Indigenous people of the American West used ‘sacred’ horses a half-century earlier than previously thought

Indigenous oral histories and archaeological evidence are rewriting the story of how horses came to the American West.

HEALTH

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Best air purifiers

Best air purifiers 2023: Top picks from Levoit, Dyson and more

BUYING GUIDE Invest in one of the best air purifiers to keep on top of indoor air pollutants — tried and tested by Live Science.

BUYING GUIDE

Close up of Young Caucasian man looking at mirror worried about balding.

What is ‘male pattern baldness’?

Male pattern baldness begins at the top of the head and progresses over time.

An elderly woman celebrates her 100th birthday with a cake.

The secrets to extreme longevity may be hiding with nuns… and jellyfish

Some people live to be well beyond 100. But what genes and environmental factors contribute to such extreme longevity, and what can we learn from other long-lived animals?

ANIMALS

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Sunlight shining through the top of a ring of trees.

Scientists accidentally discover photosynthesis doesn’t work exactly like we thought it did

Researchers have serendipitously discovered that a key step in photosynthesis can occur much earlier in the process than previously believed.

A lipped dinosaur swallows another one whole.

T. rex had thin lips and a gummy smile, controversial study suggests

Paleontologists have suggested that thin, lizard-like lips concealed the gigantic teeth of T. rex and other predatory dinosaurs, but not all experts are convinced.

Polycirrus onibi, one of the three new glow-in-the-dark worm species discovered by the researchers.

Rare ‘demon fire’ worms discovered in Japan bear a ‘striking’ resemblance to ancient demons, scientists say

Three species of marine worm have been described by scientists in Japan, who named them after folkloric demons because of their spooky glow.

STRANGE NEWS

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A visual representation of Ramsey theorem for five nodes on a graph. Here, no triangle has edges that are all the same color, indicating no groups of three that are either all 'friends' or all 'strangers.'

Mathematicians make rare breakthrough on notoriously tricky ‘Ramsey number’ problem

The bounds on Ramsey numbers, which describe relationships between nodes in a network, have been narrowed.

The head and torso of the mummy, which likely belonged to a small monkey.

Haunting ‘mermaid’ mummy discovered in Japan is even weirder than scientists expected

A new analysis of a mummified “mermaid” found in a Japanese temple has revealed exactly what it is made from, and it’s not what scientists thought.

Air Force Avrocar - Project 1794

Flying saucers to mind control: 24 declassified military & CIA secrets

From programs to build supersonic flying saucers to atomic bombs, here are the most fascinating declassified military and CIA secrets.

CULTURE

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a colorful brain scan shows axons (wires) in a network that winds through the brain

Your native language may shape the wiring of your brain

The connections between different regions of the brain responsible for language processing depend on which language you grew up with.

Exhausted and frustrated male runner lying on a red running track covering his face with his hands.

What causes people to ‘choke’ under pressure?

People who “choke” under pressure underperform in high-stakes situations out of stress and worry. But what causes this phenomenon?

A horseshoe and clover leaf on a green wood background.

St Patrick’s Day: 5 facts about this most Irish of celebrations

Why we wear green and other holiday curiosities.

TECH

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iPad 9th Gen

Apple’s cheapest iPad is now even cheaper, down to $269 at Amazon & Walmart

DEAL This iPad is the cheapest way to use the App Store, and you can save up to $80 at Amazon & Walmart.

DEAL

Front view of the Celestron Outland X 10x42 binoculars.

Celestron Outland X 10×42 binocular review

REVIEW The Celestron Outland X 10×42 binoculars are average at best and while they are capable for everyday observations there are a few shortcomings.

REVIEW

Front view of the binoculars on a white background

Celestron Skymaster 12×60 binocular review

REVIEW High magnification views and big lenses make the Skymasters ideal for stargazing or getting a view of far-away subjects, even into twilight hours, but you’ll need a tripod.

REVIEW