Reuters: Science News

Fossils from Mongolia, Argentina show some dinosaurs laid soft-shelled eggs

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:39:42 -0400

Scientists have unearthed the first fossils of soft-shelled eggs laid by dinosaurs - two disparate species from Argentina and Mongolia - in a discovery suggesting that the earliest dinosaurs produced such eggs before some lineages turned to hard shells.

Antarctica's 'deflated football' fossil is world's second-biggest egg

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 13:18:07 -0400

A mysterious 68-million-year-old fossil found on Seymour Island off Antarctica's coast that looked like a deflated football has turned out to be a unique find - the second-largest egg on record and one that may have belonged to a huge marine reptile that lived alongside the dinosaurs.

Baby dragons take their bow in a Slovenian cave

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 08:05:28 -0400

Three rare aquatic creatures known as baby dragons are going on display in an aquarium at Slovenia's Postojna Cave, one of the country's biggest tourist attractions.

China postpones Beidou satellite launch over technical problem

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 20:57:15 -0400

China indefinitely postponed on Tuesday the launch of the final satellite of its Beidou navigation network because of technical problems in the rocket meant to launch it into orbit.

KBR wins $570 million contract for NASA spaceflight operations

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 07:29:01 -0400

Houston-based engineering company KBR Inc said on Monday it was awarded a $570.3 million contract by NASA to develop and execute spaceflight operations at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Researchers in Thailand testing horseshoe bats for coronavirus

Sat, 13 Jun 2020 08:15:11 -0400

Researchers in Thailand began collecting samples from horseshoe bats to test them for coronavirus amid concerns they may pose a threat to local residents, a government statement said on Saturday.

China set to complete Beidou network rivalling GPS in global navigation

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:19:03 -0400

The Chinese Beidou navigation network will be complete this month when its final satellite goes into orbit, giving China greater independence from U.S.-owned GPS and heating up competition in a sector long dominated by the United States.

Researchers in Chile unearth 74 million year old mammal teeth

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:08:31 -0400

Chilean and Argentine researchers have unearthed teeth in far-flung Patagonia belonging to a mammal that lived 74 million years ago, the oldest such remains yet discovered in the South American country, the Chilean Antarctic Institute reported on Thursday.

Tiny 13,500-year-old bird statuette shows origins of Chinese art

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:02:45 -0400

A tiny statuette of a bird carved from burnt bone about 13,500 years ago reveals the origins of Chinese art, embodying a style different from prehistoric three-dimensional artwork by people in other parts of the world, researchers said on Wednesday.

Scientists create embryo-like research model from human stem cells

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:17:52 -0400

Scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to create an embryo-like research model to help them study some of the earliest stages of human development.

Ground-penetrating radar reveals splendor of ancient Roman city

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 08:13:30 -0400

In a glimpse into the future of archeology, researchers have used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire ancient Roman city, detecting remarkable details of buildings still deep underground including a temple and a unique public monument.

World's largest green turtle colony nearly twice as big as thought

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 07:28:31 -0400

The world's largest population of nesting green turtles is nearly twice as big as previously thought, scientists said on Wednesday, after drones enabled better surveys of the animals.

Russia's space chief complains about American jokes

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 11:23:28 -0400

Americans should show more respect for Russia's space program after relying on it for nine years as the only way to send U.S. astronauts into orbit, the head of Russia's space agency said.

Robot built for Japan's aging workforce finds coronavirus role

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 06:17:10 -0400

Mira Robotics developed its "ugo" robot to reinforce greying Japan's shrinking workforce, but as the coronavirus threat persists, the Japanese startup is offering its machine as a tool in the fight against the outbreak, the company's CEO said.

Pandemic offers scientists unprecedented chance to 'hear' oceans as they once were

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 10:14:40 -0400

Eleven years ago, environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel dreamed aloud in a commencement speech: What if scientists could record the sounds of the ocean in the days before propeller-driven ships and boats spanned the globe?

Does drug touted by Trump work on COVID-19? After data debacle, we still don't know

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 03:29:42 -0400

Scientists are resuming COVID-19 trials of the now world-famous drug hydroxychloroquine, as confusion continues to reign about the anti-malarial hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a potential "game-changer" in fighting the pandemic.

Tyson the alpaca takes heavyweight role in search for coronavirus vaccine

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 16:40:30 -0400

Scientists in Sweden are hoping an alpaca named Tyson can help deliver a knockout blow in the fight to develop a treatment or vaccine against the novel coronavirus that has killed nearly 400,000 people worldwide.

Fossilized stomach contents show armored dinosaur's leafy last meal

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 16:50:23 -0400

In a forest rebounding after a wildfire 110 million years ago, an armored dinosaur devoured a meal of tender ferns in western Canada before suffering a sudden death - perhaps drowning in a river or a flash flood - and being washed out to sea.

Convalescent plasma not helpful in China study; hydroxychloroquine doesn't prevent infection

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:48:38 -0400

The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Oldest and largest ancient Maya structure found in Mexico

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:29:13 -0400

Scientists using an aerial remote-sensing method have discovered the largest and oldest-known structure built by the ancient Maya civilization - a colossal rectangular elevated platform built between 1,000 and 800 BC in Mexico's Tabasco state.