The Science Life

Math

Here’s a peek into the mathematics of black holes

The universe tells us slowly rotating black holes are stable. A nearly 1,000-page proof confirms it.

Anthropology

Two scientists’ trek showed how people of Chaco Canyon may have hauled logs

By carrying a log with the aid of head straps called tumplines, the duo demoed how people may have hauled timbers to Chaco about 1,000 years ago.

Environment

Air pollution made an impression on Monet and other 19th century painters

The impressionist painting style can be partly explained by the reality of rising air pollution from the industrial revolution, an analysis finds.

Chemistry

These chemists cracked the code to long-lasting Roman concrete

Roman concrete has stood the test of time, so scientists searched ruins to unlock the ancient recipe that could help architecture and climate change.

Anthropology

How mythology could help demystify dog domestication

The path that dog myths took around the world closely parallels that of dog domestication, a new study finds.

Animals

How death’s-head hawkmoths manage to fly straight for miles in the dark

By tailing death’s-head hawkmoths in an airplane, scientists have found that the nocturnal insects appear to navigate using an internal compass.

Chemistry

These researchers are unlocking Renaissance beauty secrets

An art historian has teamed up with chemists to uncover the science behind cosmetics used around 500 years ago.

Animals

Leeches expose wildlife’s whereabouts and may aid conservation efforts

DNA from the blood meals of more than 30,000 leeches shows how animals use the protected Ailaoshan Nature Reserve in China.

Animals

How scientists found an African bat lost to science for 40 years

African researchers had been searching for the Hill’s horseshoe bat since 2013. Now, the first recording of its echolocation call may help find more.

Earth

How climbers help scientists vibe with Utah’s famous red rock formations

Researchers teamed up with rock climbers to collect rare data that help them assess the seismic stability of red rock formations in Utah.

Animals

Mirror beetles’ shiny bodies may not act as camouflage after all

Hundreds of handmade clay nubbins test the notion that a beetle’s metallic high gloss could confound predators. Birds pecked the lovely idea to death.

Chemistry

One forensic scientist is scraping bones for clues to time of death

The bones of more than 100 cadavers are shedding light on a more precise and reliable way to determine when someone died.