in Humans
An AI can tell whether ancient faeces came from a person or a dog
Archaeologists can learn a lot about ancient people by analysing their faeces, but only if they can be sure the remains weren’t left by a dog. Now AI can help More
Philippa Kaur
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A weird stellar explosion may have caused the brightest supernova yet seen
The brightest supernova ever seen may be the first known example of a rare type of stellar explosion. The supernova, spotted in 2016 in a galaxy about 4.6 billion light-years away, radiated about 5 sexdecillion (5 followed by 51 zeros) ergs of energy. That’s about twice the amount of radiation emitted by the previous record-holder, […] More
New images of the sun reveal superfine threads of glowing plasma
The sharpest images yet taken of the sun’s atmosphere reveal superfine threads of hot plasma draped across small regions that have appeared rather bland until now. Finding these slender strands is essential for understanding how energy moves around in the sun’s atmosphere, says Amy Winebarger, a solar physicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in […] More
A star orbiting the Milky Way’s giant black hole confirms Einstein was right
The first sign that Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity was correct has made a repeat appearance, this time near a supermassive black hole. In 1915, Einstein realized that his newly formulated general theory of relativity explained a weird quirk in the orbit of Mercury. Now, that same effect has been found in a star’s orbit […] More
- in Humans
Earth Day at 50: How an idea changed the world and still inspires now
Coronavirus will overshadow Earth Day’s golden anniversary, but the movement’s successes are worth celebrating, says Gary Paul Nabhan More
- in Humans
Baking without eggs: How to use aquafaba to make meringues
You don’t need eggs to make meringues, pancakes and a host of other baked goods. If you know the science behind it, there are ingredients such as aquafaba that can do the same job More
- in Humans
Altered Carbon 2 review: A great premise that’s become too serious
In Altered Carbon’s version of the future, our identities are stored in chips and can be switched between bodies. The first series was a hoot. The second, however, is a bit too earnest, says Emily Wilson More
- in Humans
The City We Became review: N. K. Jemisin pits New York against aliens
N. K. Jemisin’s latest book sees New York itself come alive to fight off aliens in the first part of a new trilogy with ethnicity at its heart More
