Here’s an interesting bit of information for your next trivia night: by and large, kangaroos are left-handed. This might seem like really weird news, but the study that backs this up may help scientists get a better handle on the evolution of mammals — in addition to dispelling the notion that true “handedness,” the tendency to favor one limb over another, is uniquely human trait.
… Read More → "Kangaroos are left-handed, which means humans aren’t all that unique"

In 1999, two men went hunting for buried treasure in the Seigelroda Forest in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany near a town called Nebra. Though they didn’t find traditional treasure, their metal detectors led the unlicensed artifact hunters to an equally unbelievable find: a collection of two bronze swords, two hatchets, a chisel, bracelet fragments, and, according to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, “one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.”

Read More → "See the oldest depiction of the universe in human history"

3D Printing has been around long enough for playable 3D-printed instruments to exist, but most musicians will still opt for one made using traditional methods. That could soon change, however, as researchers have found a way to design and 3D print musical instruments capable of producing unique notes that traditional instruments can’t.

Researchers from the& … Read More → "3D-printed flutes can produce notes that regular flutes can’t"

Music therapy has been a thing for a while. But British researchers just hit upon some of the first concrete evidence that it’s actually, like, a thing.

According to Laura Donnelly at The Telegraph:

 “Research presented to the the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester found that listening … Read More → "Scientists just discovered that listening to a Beethoven symphony could be good for your heart"

In 2017, Dutch designer Joris Laarman will wheel a robot to the brink of a canal in Amsterdam. He’ll hit an “on” button. He’ll walk away. And when he comes back two months later, the Netherlands will have a new, one-of-a-kind bridge, 3-D printed in a steel arc over the waters. This isn’t some proof-of-concept, either: when it’s done, it will be as strong and as any other bridge. People … Read More → "This robot will 3-D Print a steel bridge in mid-air"

During periods of chronic stress, we often up our caffeine consumption. This works better than you might expect—the increase can reduce some of the negative effects of long-term stress, including depression and memory deterioration. In a new study published in PNAS, researchers dug further into this finding, examining the signaling networks that caffeine influences within the brain. One of the proteins they identify is a potential treatment target for the symptoms … Read More → "Caffeine could limit damage of chronic stress"

It pays to be an astronomer when you can name newly discovered galaxies after your favorite sports heroes.

A group of scientists has dubbed a recently discovered galaxy COSMOS Redshift 7, or CR7. That’s also the nickname of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who wears No. 7 on his jersey, and the inspiration for a Nike cleat dubbed CR7. The lead astronomer, who hails from Ronaldo’s native Portugal, cited Ronaldo as inspiration for the … Read More → "Astronomers name newly discovered galaxy after Cristiano Ronaldo"

You can see a lot of wonderful things via Google Street View. Google Maps’ photographic service can take you to the Colosseum in Rome or inside a museum. Or it can give you a glimpse of the secret lives of sheep. 

Photographers Ding Ren and Mike Karabinos started Google Sheep View as a virtual substitute for the pastoral ovine views they get riding trains through the … Read More → "Google Sheep View finds all the sheep on Google Maps"

If you discover ants in your apartment, your first reaction is probably to stomp em’ fast. But maybe you’re averse to violence and would prefer to peacefully relocate your six-legged housemates. Now, there’s a robotic arm capable of doing just that.

To be fair, we aren’t going to see a commercial version of this tiny robotic tentacle … Read More → "Tiny robotic tentacle can pick up ants without crushing them"

Top officials with the St. Louis Cardinals are under investigation from the FBI and Justice Department for allegedly hacking into the network of the Houston Astros, The New York Times reported today.

According to the Times, evidence suggests the Cardinals officials may have broken into a database containing “[i]nternal discussions about trades, proprietary … Read More → "The St. Louis Cardinals are being investigated by the FBI for allegedly hacking the Houston Astros"