Joshua Learn

Washington, D.C., United States

Expat Albertan reporter in DC. NG, Discover, NYT, Hakai, Smithso. Español, français, português. Outraged about the constant outrage. ig: vagabondreports

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Articles

Were Hominins in Europe 6 Million Years Ago? Footprint Find Sparks Debate

6 days ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

Footprints that stroll through a patchy area of Grecian beach 6 million years ago has caused researchers to rethink the timeline of hominin presence outside of Africa. "These are perfectly [obvious] footprints," says Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden. If these are indeed footprints, then that would put hominins outside of Africa 4 million years before Homo erectus , which researchers have traditionally believed began to emigrate into Asia about 2 million years ago.
Should Scientists Inject Saturn’s Moon Enceladus With Life?

1 week ago | smithsonianmag.com | Joshua Learn

A new study proposes that seeding the orb’s underground ocean with microbes might help us learn how to make other worlds habitable Injecting far-flung ice-covered lunar oceans with earthly microbes to see how life is shaped may seem like the diabolical plot of a comic book supervillain.
Blue Light Exposure Can Impact Sleep, Skin, and Eyes

2 weeks ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

In today's ever more connected world, it's fair to say that some of us receive nearly as much screen time as we do actual sunlight - if not more, depending on your job and the time of year. A growing body of research shows that the blue light that these screens emit might have effects on human health, whether it's our vision, skin, or our sleep.
These are the rules of king cobra fight club

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Joshua Learn

The braided motions of two cobra males twisting around each other is so hypnotic that if you didn’t know better, you might think it was an intimate mating ritual—and in a way it is. The 12-foot-long males will wrap around each other for up to half an hour in a highly ritualized struggle to push their opponent’s face into the dirt with an ignominious thud. Presumably, the snakes spar over access to females.
Experiencing Nature Both in Reality and Virtually Could Ease Pain

1 month ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

More studies are exposing that nature can soothe the mind and body, but new research shows that idyllic outdoor scenes may also soothe a more visceral type of pain. "From past studies we know that being in contact with nature is associated with this very broad range of beneficial effects for human physical and mental health," says Maximilian Steininger, an environmental neuroscientist at the University of Vienna.
Water Levels on the Dark Side of the Moon are Drier, but Give Insight to Its Evolution

1 month ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

The far side of the moon has a drier mantle than researchers previously believed, giving scientists more insight into its water content and the way that the moon has evolved. "Water abundance is crucial for understanding the origin and subsequent evolution process of the moon," says Sen Hu, an astrophysicist with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
How science can help you train your puppy

1 month ago | sciencenews.org | Joshua Learn

A puppy’s thinking ability may indicate how responsive the dog will be to training and whether it’ll grow up to be well-behaved. Traits such as impulsivity, ability to follow gestures and reaction to unsolvable tasks in 3- to 7-month-old puppies were linked with desirable behaviors in those dogs in adulthood, researchers report in the May Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Theropod Dinosaurs Could Have Had Hollow Bones Like Modern Day Birds

1 month ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

Paleontologists in Argentina recently found the first unambiguous evidence that a group of theropod dinosaurs had hollow bones capable of holding air sacs - an ability that helps birds fly, according to a published in PLOS One. The discovery adds to a growing body of research that has revealed that all theropods and sauropods may have had bones with air sacs.
What Did Dinosaurs Taste Like? Probably Not Like Chicken

2 months ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

If an expansive Mesozoic menu was laid out in front of you, what would you order? Tyranno tenders or triceratops-burgers with triple cheese? Would you go for a slow-cooked stegosaurus steak or the velociraptor ribs - the Cretaceous fast-food option? Determining what dinosaurs tasted like is not an easy question to answer. "I don't know if you can really say too much definitively about it," says David Varricchio , a paleontologist at Montana State University.
Scented Candles and Products Could Create Indoor Air Pollution

2 months ago | discovermagazine.com | Joshua Learn

Sweetened vanilla, calming lavender, or fragrant jasmine and lotus may fill your home with enticing aromas. But new research shows that the supposed stress-reducing and mood-enhancing effects of scented products may come with unwanted indoor pollution. "While these products are widely used to create a cozy atmosphere, their emissions can impact indoor air quality, especially in spaces with limited ventilation," says Nusrat Jung, a civil engineer at Purdue University.