~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (16)

‘Black room’ with frescoes inspired by Trojan war described as one of most striking discoveries ever made at site in southern ItalyA banquet room replete with well preserved frescoes depicting characters inspired by the Trojan war has been unearthed among the ruins of Pompeii in what has been described as one of the most striking discoveries ever made at the southern Italy archaeological site.The...

Clues at Argentina site raise possibility mammal was buried with human owners about 1,500 years agoThe remains of a fox unearthed at a human burial site in Argentina dating back 1,500 years has raised the possibility the animal may have been kept as a pet, research suggests.Experts say the remains predate the arrival of domestic dogs in Patagonia, which occurred about 700–900 years ago,...

Spectacular aurora borealis caused by geomagnetic storms on sun’s surface may be visible in North America as far south as the midwestSolar eruptions are sending a stream of particles towards Earth, creating spectacular auroras in both hemispheres.The aurora borealis – in the northern hemisphere – will be potentially visible on Monday night in the US as far south as the midwest. The northern lights,...

Arthur Schubarth, 80, pleads guilty to trafficking in ‘audacious’ and unlawful scheme to cross-breed sheep for lucrative saleA Montana rancher illegally used tissue and testicles from wild sheep killed by hunters in central Asia and the US to breed “giant” hybrid sheep for sale to private hunting preserves in Texas, according to court documents and federal prosecutors.Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana, pleaded...

First attempt with private Kairos rocket was intended to test viability of homegrown commercial launch businessA rocket made by a Japanese company has exploded seconds after it was launched with the goal of putting a satellite into orbit.Tokyo-based Space One’s 18-metre Kairos rocket blasted off from the company’s launch pad in the Wakayama region of western Japan, carrying a small government test satellite, on...

Deliberately fashioned chipped stones date back more than 1m years and may have been used by homo erectusAncient stone tools found in western Ukraine may offer the oldest known evidence of the presence of humans in Europe, according to new research.The chipped stones, deliberately fashioned from volcanic rock, were excavated from a quarry in Korolevo in the 1970s. Archaeologists used new methods to date...

Tens of thousands of dengue cases recorded this year as high temperatures and rainy weather create ‘perfect formula’ for bugsIn his 20 years cleaning the Buenos Aires subway, Mauricio Ríos, 52, had never seen anything like it: a vast and noisy swarm of mosquitoes churning in dark clouds the length of the platform at Piedras station.Ríos pulled out his phone and filmed the growing...

Phrixus and Helle are depicted in vibrant colours with exquisite artistry in remarkable discoveryIn a remarkable discovery at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, archaeologists have unearthed a fresco depicting the Greek mythological siblings Phrixus and Helle.Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, described the find as a poignant reflection of history unfolding once more. Continue reading...

Intuitive Machines, private company behind lander, says mission will end after five days rather than the expected to seven to 10Flight control engineers expect to lose contact with the private US moon lander Odysseus on Tuesday, cutting short the mission five days after its sideways touchdown, the company behind the spacecraft, Intuitive Machines, said.It remained to be seen how much scientific data might be...

Unmanned Slim spacecraft responds to signal from Earth after touching down at awkward angle in JanuaryJapan’s moon lander has responded to a signal from Earth, suggesting it survived the two-week lunar night, the country’s space agency has said.The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (Slim) touched down last month at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way. But as...

Fresh from controversially suggesting adding salt to tea, Michelle Francl says eating fruit can prolong caffeine rush from your cuppaIf you find yourself feeling the energising effect of your morning cuppa has worn off before the bus arrives, the scientist behind controversial advice to put salt in tea has some more palatable advice: try some grapefruit.Michelle Francl, a professor of chemistry at Bryn Mawr...

Researchers used samples from populations deemed by experts and campaigners to be vulnerable to exploitation, including Uyghurs and TibetansA genetics journal from a leading scientific publisher has retracted 18 papers from China, in what is thought to be the biggest mass retraction of academic research due to concerns about human rights.The articles were published in Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine (MGGM), a genetics journal...

Structure stretches for almost a kilometre off coast of Germany and may have once stood by a lakeA stone age wall discovered beneath the waves off Germany’s Baltic coast may be the oldest known megastructure built by humans in Europe, researchers say.The wall, which stretches for nearly a kilometre along the seafloor in the Bay of Mecklenburg, was spotted by accident when scientists operated...

Slim spacecraft landed on the moon and is communicating with earth but is not generating electricityJapan’s Slim spacecraft lands on moon but struggles to generate power(I’m really enjoying the soft piano music being played in the background of this Japanese space agency live feed. Very calming in a tense situation!)The probe is now “scanning the surface” and looking for a place to land, space...

After four-month journey, Aditya-L1 will measure and observe sun’s outermost layersIndia’s solar observation mission has entered the sun’s orbit after a four-month journey, the latest success for the space exploration ambitions of the world’s most populous country.The Aditya-L1 mission was launched in September and is carrying an array of instruments to measure and observe the sun’s outermost layers. Continue reading...

There are now seven known species of soft-furred hedgehogs, which look like a cross between a mouse and a shrewScientists have identified five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs from south-east Asia.Two of the species discovered are entirely new to science, while three have been elevated from subspecies level by researchers, who carried out DNA analysis as well as detailed physical observations of the mammals....