Morgan Housel, on the art and power of storytelling: C. R. Hallpike is a respected anthropologist who once wrote a review of a young author’s recent book on the history of humans. It states: “It would be fair to say that whenever his facts are broadly correct they are not new, and whenever he tries to strike out on his own…
Tag: anatomy
Astronomers dissect the anatomy of planetary nebulae using Hubble Space Telescope images
Images of two iconic planetary nebulae taken by the Hubble Space Telescope are revealing new information about how they develop their dramatic features. Researchers from Rochester Institute of Technology and Green Bank Observatory presented new findings about the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302) and the Jewel Bug Nebula (NGC 7027) at the 237th meeting of the American Astronomical Society on Friday, Jan….
What are comets?
Comets are loosely packed balls of ice and dust orbiting our sun, that sometimes become visible in Earth’s skies. A comet’s tail may stretch across millions of miles of space. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-are-comets…
2,200-year-old Chinese text may be oldest surviving anatomical atlas
These ancient Chinese texts on human anatomy are as old, if not older, than their Greek counterparts. Source: https://www.livescience.com/oldest-known-human-atlas-china.html
Evolution: Why it seems to have a direction, and what to expect next
Does evolution always and inevitably generates greater diversity and complexity, having a predictable direction? Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/evolution-direction-what-to-expect-next…
Here’s how SOHO and a skywatcher discovered Comet SWAN
Almost every day, the SWAN instrument aboard the sun-watching SOHO spacecraft makes a map of the sky. Anyone with internet access them maps and join the search for new comets. To date, 12 comets have been spotted in the SWAN data! Source: https://earthsky.org/space/discovery-comet-swan-solar-watcher-soho…
Infographic for kids: Anatomy of the coronavirus
Here’s a coronavirus infographic just for kids, showing the anatomy of the virus, how it infects people and what can be done to slow the spread of the disease it causes COVID-19. Source: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-infographic-for-kids.html
This extinct horned turtle was the size of a car
Recently-discovered fossils shed new light on an enormous horned turtle that roamed South America 5 to 10 million years ago. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/extinct-horned-turtle-size-car…
Anatomy of a Rental Phishing Scam
Jeffrey Ladish writes: I was recently the (unsuccessful) target of a very well-crafted phishing scam. As part of a housing search a few weeks ago, I was trawling craigslist and zillow for rental opportunities in the SF bay area. I reached out to a beautiful looking rental place to inquire about a tour. Despite my experience as a security professional, I…
While still in the womb, humans have extra lizard-like muscles in their hands
Research involving a non-invasive scan of living human embryos shows that some muscles, thought to have been abandoned by our mammalian ancestors 250 million years ago, are still present before birth. They’re among the oldest, albeit fleeting, remnants of evolution yet seen in humans. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/evolutionary-remnants-muscles-human-embryos…