Earlier this month, workers with the D'Bone Collector Museum in the Philippines recovered the remains of a beaked whale that had appeared near Davao City. In its most recent update about the deceased animal, the museum revealed the whale's cause of death: the ingestion of approximately 88lbs of plastic. The materials were primarily composed of plastic bags, including shopping bags and rice sacks.
A common calcium-channel blocking heart medication has been tentatively linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The research comes from the European Sudden Cardiac Arrest network (ESCAPE-NET), though additional work is needed to determine whether the findings can be replicated. At the heart of the study were medications amlodipine and nifedipine, which are prescribed for high blood pressure and chest pain called angina.
Researchers with the University of Tokyo and Caltech have found evidence that humans may have the ability to sense magnetic fields. Many animals are known to possess magnetoreception, including birds and bees, but questions have remained over whether humans have the same ability. A newly published study potentially has the answer, detailing brain wave changes observed in isolated participants.
This week a set of scientists discovered a meteor explosion that occurred in early December, 2018. The event was detected by other instruments soon after taking place, but now we've got our first visual evidence in fire red and orange. This explosive image comes from the Japanese Himawari-8 weather satellite, and was first reported globally on the 15th of March by Peter Brown at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Researchers have documented a thunderstorm with the most electric potential ever recorded. The powerful storm had an electric potential of about 1.3 billion volts, which is ten times greater than the previous record-setting storm. The storm confirmed that thunderstorms are possible with several-billion-volt potentials.
Some of the creatures in the animal kingdom have incredible abilities to regenerate parts of their bodies. Salamanders, for instance, can regrow a leg if one is cut off. Some creatures have even more astonishing regeneration capability. Jellyfish, for example, can regenerate their bodies after being cut in half.
Research out of Ohio State University has found a link between green tea and reduced obesity in mice, according to a newly published study. The work focused on lab mice fed a diet that included 2-percent green tea extract, which was linked to a reduction in inflammatory biomarkers associated with poor health, as well as a decrease in obesity levels. The study found that changes in gut bacteria may contribute to the positive effects.
Scientists at NASA JPL are creating alien atmospheres to better understand distant exoplanets. The space agency detailed part of this project, which involves using a special type of 'oven' to heat a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, simulating the very high temperatures on giant gas exoplanets. Using the simulated atmosphere, researchers are able to study environments and learn things about the planets.
NASA has announced that its astronauts Christina Koch and Nick Hague safely arrived at the International Space Station and have since boarded the vessel. The trip took place on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft alongside Roscosmos' Alexey Ovchinin; the vehicle launched for the ISS at 3:14PM EDT on March 14, according to NASA, which says the crew boarded the ISS late last night.
Of all the conditions that affect the elderly, one of the hardest for family and medical providers to deal with is Alzheimer's disease. This condition impairs memory to the point that some afflicted with the condition can't remember their loved ones. MIT researchers have found a new potential treatment that has shown promise in testing.
Multiple companies are working on the technology needed to return man to the moon. Part of the tech is giving the astronauts a place to live and work while they are on the moon. Lockheed Martin is working on a moon habitat and has announced that its full-scale prototype, known as Habitat Ground Test Article (HGTA) has been finalized.
The European Space Agency has conducted a series of tests that involve blowing up batteries as part of research into preventing space debris. The work took place in bunkers and involved engineers using a variety of methods to destroy lithium-ion space batteries, including short-circuiting them, shooting them, and causing them to overcharge and overheat.