Science

Revealing the secret behind Mercury’s mysterious “darkness”, a team of scientists has confirmed high abundance of carbon at Mercury’s surface that was most likely originated deep in the crust. The study, carried out at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory found that the planet’s outer core is largely made of graphite, which floated to the top of the initially molten …

A top secret airbase more mysterious than Area 51 has been spotted in the Nevada desert on Google Earth. Area 6, a shielded airbase used for testing unmanned aircraft, has got conspiracy theorists wondering what the US Government might be hiding at such a remote location.

Scientists have found a large population of Sumatran orangutans that was not counted in the previous studies. With this discovery, the total population has reached 14,600, more than double the past estimate of 6,600. Sumatran orangutans live exclusively in the North of the Indonesian island Sumatra and are critically endangered. This great ape is threatened by poaching and forest loss, …

The close bond between human and dog has deep roots — thousands of years in fact, according to a University of Alberta scientist. It turns out that the look of mutual recognition between human and dog reflects thousands of years of evolution, a bond programmed into our very body chemistry. Last spring a research team in Japan discovered that both …

The wreck of a large, iron-hulled Civil War-era steamer was recently discovered off the N.C. coast near Oak Island. A shipwreck discovered off the coast of North Carolina is likely one of three Confederate blockade runners known to have been lost in the area, archaeologists said on Monday. The remains of the iron-hulled steamer were located on Feb. 27 near …

An albino whale named “Gallon of Milk” made a rare appearance during a yearly whale census off Mexico’s Pacific coast. Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) was in the midst of making the animal count when it spotted the distinctive marine mammal and captured this video:

Researchers from Russia and South Korea are using the remains of Ice Age Cave Lion cubs to try and clone the extinct creature. The two cubs were found last August in Russia. The cubs are well preserved because they have been in “deep freeze” conditions since they died. Dr Albert Protopopov, head of the mammoth fauna studies department of the …

Scott Kelly is enjoying his first week back on planet Earth after spending 340 days in space. Naturally, people are curious about how he’s doing. On Friday, the NASA astronaut held his first press conference since he’s been back, answering questions about readjusting to gravity, staying healthy, and lining up the future of his career Among some of the things …

Scientists have analyzed amber fossils of lizards found in modern day Myanmar, which show the diversity of life in the tropics during the mid-Cretaceous period. Researchers have studied the oldest collection of lizards preserved in amber, which gives an insight into life in the tropics around 100 million years ago, during the middle Cretaceous period. The early chameleon was creeping …

Researchers discovered a new species of octopus while on a deep sea dive near Hawaii. A team found a small octopus at a depth of about 2.5 miles in the ocean near Necker Island, said Michael Vecchione of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The long-running secrecy behind the identity of British street art legend Banksy may have finally come to an end. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Texas State University say they have unmasked the man behind the darkly satirical, anti-consumerist street art that has become famous around the world. Using a criminological method known as geographic profiling, they were …