14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists have been pretty busy these past few days. For those who’ve had plenty of work to do as well and, therefore, haven’t had the time to keep up with the latest discoveries and achievements, here are the 10 coolest science news of the week.
10. Volcano Found at the Bottom of the Pacific
Researcher James Gardner with the University of New Hampshire in the US and colleagues announced the discovery of a previously undocumented volcano at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of about 3.2 miles (5.1 kilometers).
This extinct volcano measures about 0.7 miles (1.1 kilometers) in height, and is believed to be about 100 million years old. Since it sits at a considerable depth and is no longer active, it does not constitute a threat to vessels and local marine biodiversity.
9. 39,000-Year-Old Engravings Might Be Neanderthal Art
Specialist Clive Finlanyson with the Gibraltar Museum and fellow researchers believe to have found evidence that Neanderthals were no strangers to art. Some engravings found in a cave in Gibraltar is the evidence they have in mind.
The engravings are estimated to be roughly 39,000 years old, and cover an area about the size of a Frisbee. Evidence indicates that these patterns were created deliberately by somebody who knew exactly what they were doing. Hence, they could be a work of art.
8. Alexander the Great-Era Mosaic Discovered in Greece
Archaeologists stumbled upon a gorgeous mosaic while exploring an Alexander the Great-era tomb in Greece. The mosaic comprises irregular white marble fragments fitted onto a red background, and is very well preserved.
This mosaic adorns the floor of an antechamber leading to the tomb. Researchers are yet to find bullet-proof evidence that this is indeed the case, but they suspect that the tomb, together with the mosaic found in its antechamber, is the work of Dinocrates, Alexander’s chief architect.
7. Science Finally Explained Why Polyester Clothes Reek
Experiments carried out by Chris Callewaert with Belgium’s Ghent University and his colleagues revealed that polyester clothes smell way worse than cotton ones do after worn for too long because bacteria that give sweat its unpleasant smell grow better on them.
Granted, the scientists haven’t yet been able to figure out why these bacteria, dubbed micrococci, thrive on polyester clothes, but they suspect that it has something to do with the makeup of polyester surfaces.
6. Stonehenge Was a Full Circle in Its Early Days
A prolonged drought in Wiltshire, England, revealed previously undocumented patterns in the ground that indicate that, during its first years of life, the Stonehenge monument was a full circle. Oddly enough, these patterns were first spotted by a groundskeeper.
Researchers don’t yet know how and why the rocks that formed these patterns disappeared. However, they expect that the discovery that Stonehenge was once a full circle will shed new light on the origin of this monument and the purpose it served in its early days.
5. 1,500-Year-old Piece of Papyrus Found to Be a Christian Charm
Dr. Roberta Mazza went public with the news concerning the discovery of a 1,500-year-old papyrus referencing the Last Supper and manna from heaven. The papyrus is believed to be one of the earliest Christian charms to have until now been discovered.
Interestingly enough, it appears that, before being turned into a Christian charm, this piece of papyrus was a grain tax receipt. Whoever wrote the charm simply turned the papyrus fragment on the other side and then scribbled down the Christian message.
4. Japan Detailed Plans to Blow Up an Asteroid
Japan announced to the world that, later this year, it would send a probe to an asteroid dubbed 1999JU3. After reaching the asteroid sometime in 2018, the probe is to fire a metal bullet at the space rock. The resulting explosion should birth a crater and dislodge enough material for the probe to be able to collect samples.
Scientists plan to study these samples obtained by space probe Hayabusa-2 in detail and hope to find traces of organic molecules, maybe even water. Information obtained during this ambitious research project might shed new light on how life emerged on our planet.
3. US FDA Gave Its Blessing to a New Skin Cancer Drug
Melanoma, i.e. an aggressive form of skin cancer, kills thousands of people on a yearly basis. This week, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a new drug designed to treat this condition. The drug, dubbed Keytruda, could help save many lives.
As detailed by scientists with the University of California, Los Angeles, Keytruda is an immunotherapy drug. This means that it is designed to treat cancer by boosting the immune system’s ability to fight this condition. Hence, it might be possible to use it to treat not just melanoma, but other forms of cancer as well.
2. Remains of 65-Ton Dinosaur Found in Argentina
T. rex was pretty big, but it was nothing compared to the 65-ton beast whose remains were not too long ago unearthed by paleontologists in Argentina. This dinosaur, dubbed Dreadnoughtus schrani, measured about 85 feet (roughly 26 meters) in length.
Despite its impressive size, Dreadnoughtus schrani, which lived in present-day South America 77 million years ago, was a herbivore. It probably did not have any natural enemies. In fact, chances are carnivorous dinosaurs in the area had to wait for one such massive creature to die of natural causes to be able to feed on it.
1. Earth Got a Brand New Address
Data obtained while analyzing the motion of galaxies with the help of telescopes revealed that the Milky Way sits in a galactic supercluster. This supercluster, dubbed Laniakea, measures over 500 million light-years across.
Astronomers estimate that, all in all, Laniakea packs about as much mass as 100 million billion Suns put together. This mass is distributed across approximately 100,000 galaxies. By the looks of it, our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is located in the outskirts of this recently discovered supercluster.
So, there you have it, the 10 coolest pieces of science news of the week. Tune in next Sunday to read the weekly round-up for September 8-14.