Monica Cull

1 week ago | discovermagazine.com | Monica Cull

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has reported "evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars," according to a recent press release . These new findings could help researchers better understand if and how Mars ever supported life. As Curiosity continues to traverse the Gale Crater, researchers are working to better understand the Red Planet's habitability and climate transitions that lead to the environment it has today. The findings have been published in the journal .

1 week ago | discovermagazine.com | Monica Cull

Seeing human-like robots, dolls, and AI-generated faces can trigger eerie, put-off feelings towards the figure, a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley. Though these figures look almost human, there is just something slightly off about them. It could be the unblinking eyes, unnatural stillness, or - for AI-generated figures - poorly synced facial and lip movements.

1 week ago | discovermagazine.com | Monica Cull

From the food we eat to the air we breathe, microplastics and their even smaller equivalent - nanoplastics - are just about everywhere. And while the body may expel some of the plastics we've consumed, there are still plenty that linger in our blood and organs, leading to other health issues. Recent research , as part of the FFG bridge project Nano-VISION, uses a new sensor platform that allows for a laser to be shone at clear, bodily fluids.

2 weeks ago | discovermagazine.com | Monica Cull

The Caspian Sea, considered the largest inland body of water on the planet, is shrinking. A new study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment reports that as global temperatures rise, the Caspian Sea will start to go dry, critically impacting the people and animals that call this place home. According to the new study, the water sources that typically feed the sea are contributing less and less water. So much so that these sources cannot keep up with evaporation.

2 weeks ago | discovermagazine.com | Monica Cull

Sea lions are typically not aggressive toward humans. However, these usually curious and playful marine animals have been making headlines recently for multiple attacks on people off the coast of California. The aggression is linked to a toxic algae bloom impacting nearly 400 miles of the Southern California coast, mostly in L.A. and Santa Barbara Counties. Aggressive and erratic behavior isn't the only way this toxic bloom can affect these animals, and sea lions aren't the only infected animals.