A metal detectorist in Germany has unearthed an Early Middle Ages hoard that contains 200 artifacts, including a pendant that may be a cross or an unfinished Thor's hammer. ... Read full Story
Astronomers have discovered a "teenage vampire" dead star in the process of devouring a companion star during a short-lived, "missing link" phase of its evolution. ... Read full Story
These large, flightless birds have powerful, muscular legs and tough, prehistoric-looking feet with claws that can deliver a powerful blow. ... Read full Story
June 14, 2025: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend. ... Read full Story
A legal scholar with a doctorate in wildlife genetics explains the promise biotechnology techniques hold for some animals that are currently endangered. ... Read full Story
When Israeli aircraft recently struck a uranium-enrichment complex in the nation, Iran could have been days away from achieving “breakout,” the ability to quickly turn “yellowcake” uranium into bomb-grade fuel, with its new high-speed centrifuges ... Read full Story
Earth's magnetic field and oxygen levels have increased more or less in parallel over the past 540 million years, suggesting the two factors are linked in some way, researchers say. ... Read full Story
In the world of particle physics, where scientists unravel the mysteries of the universe, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are making waves with how they're increasing understanding of the most fundamental particles. Central to this exploration are parton distribution functions (PDFs). These complex mathematical models are crucial for predicting outcomes of high energy physics experiments that test the Standard Model of particle physics. ... Read full Story
Low iron levels can flip the genetic switch on a mouse's sex during development, causing XY embryos to grow female features. But it's not clear whether the effect applies to humans. ... Read full Story
A cosmic particle detector in Antarctica has emitted a series of bizarre signals that defy the current understanding of particle physics, according to an international research group that includes scientists from Penn State. The unusual radio pulses were detected by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment, a range of instruments flown on balloons high above Antarctica that are designed to detect radio waves from cosmic rays hitting the atmosphere. ... Read full Story
Researchers armed with the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed that some of Uranus' largest moons have one side brighter than the other — but not the side they were expecting. ... Read full Story
Space weather experts warn that a "moderate" geomagnetic storm could rock Earth over the weekend, potentially lighting the skies with vibrant auroras across large parts of the U.S. and Europe. ... Read full Story
Breathing patterns among humans are so unique that they can work as an identification tool, scientists report. They propose someday using breath as a way to diagnose disease. ... Read full Story
The Colorado River basin has lost a Lake Mead’s worth of water in the last 20 years — and scientists say we’re passing a "critical point" where pumping groundwater will become too expensive. ... Read full Story
President Trump will attend the G7 summit on Sunday in a nation he threatened to annex. He will also be an outlier on climate issues ... Read full Story
"... flags should have simple elements, a limited number of colors, and no words. One of the tenets of vexillology is that the elements of the flag should be simple enough to be easily drawn by a child." — The Toledo (Ohio) Blade, 9 Jan. 2025
Did you know?
"The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history." Woodrow Wilson was speaking of the U.S. flag when he made that statement in an address in June of 1915, but those who engage in vexillology—that is, vexillologists—would likely find the comment applicable to any national banner. Vexillologists undertake scholarly investigations of flags, producing papers with titles such as "A Review of the Changing Proportions of Rectangular Flags since Medieval Times, and Some Suggestions for the Future." In the late 1950s, they coined vexillology as a name for their field of research, basing it on vexillum, the Latin term for a square flag or banner of the ancient Roman cavalry. The adjectives vexillologic and vexillological and the noun vexillologist followed soon thereafter.