Andrei Mihai ZME Science

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Northern Japan, small tsunami created

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake (initially 6.9) has struck Northern Japan earlier today, with a small tsunami striking the coast without any significant damage. The tsunami was on the order of tens of centimeters. There was some worry, despite Japan being one of the most well prepared countries in the world to deal with earthquakes. “Overall, the […]

New Silicone Technology Creates Super Slippery, Anti-Bacterial Surface

A new liquid-infused polymer can make sure that medical equipment is bacteria free by being extremely slippery. This technology, which involves silicone infused with a silicone oil also has a myriad of potential applications outside of medical equipment - in the oil industry, in air planes and cosmetics.

Dutch Windmill Might Revolutionize Wind Energy Generation

The Dutch Windwheel is a concept for a sustainable landmark that will not only generate wind energy silently, but also capture rainwater, recycle tap water, produce biogas - and most importantly, house 72 apartments. It will also have some rotating cabins providing a brilliant view of the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

Penguins Have Pretty Bad Taste, Genetic Study Shows

Penguins have lost most of their sense of taste - they can't detect the savory taste of the fish they eat, and they also can't enjoy fruits or sugar. For penguins, food come in two tastes: salty and sour.

Strange, Unexplainable Clouds Hover over Mars

Mysterious cloud-like formations hovering over Mars challenge our understanding of the Red Planet's climate. Interestingly, amateur astronomers spotted the bizarre feature rising off the edge of the red planet in March and April of 2012 and since then, no satisfying answer regarding to their formation has been put forth. Now, scientists have concocted a new theory, but there's only one problem - it poses more questions than it answers.

Time Lapse Video Shows Glacier Retreat

Fox Glacier is one of the most spectacular sights in New Zealand, receiving on average over 1,000 visits every day. Sadly, like many other glaciers, Fox Glacier is retreating rapidly due to climate change. A pair of before-and-after images 10 year apart highlightthis perfectly, just like the time-lapse video below does.

Book Review: "The Trilobite Book"

“The Trilobite Book: A Visual Journey” By Riccardo Levi-Setti University Of Chicago Press, 288pp | Buy on Amazon Trilobites are some of the most iconic and interesting creatures to ever walk the face of the Earth. Emerging in the Cambrian and lasting until the Permian extinction, trilobites roamed the planetary oceans for over 270 million years. Their […]

#FossilFriday: Pyritized Ammonite

This is a heavily pyritized Pleuroceras ammonite fossil collected near Forcheim, Germany. The fossil is approximately 185 million years old, from the Jurassic (the Pliensbachian stage). Naturally the color is much duller but these specimens have been brushed with a wire brush to create a brilliant gold shine. Ammonites are a group of extinct animals which roamed the […]

Crocs love to have fun, study shows

A new study has revealed the fun-loving side of crocodiles; the reptiles, generally regarded as ferocious and aggressive, are reported to surf waves, play ball and engage in piggyback rides to have fun.

Dogs can tell when you're happy or upset, study shows

Science confirms what every dog owner has known in his heart: our canine friends can tell when we're happy or upset. The discovery represents the first solid evidence that an animal other than humans can discriminate between emotional expressions on other species.

US drought will be the worst in 1000 years

In recent years, a number of independent studies have concluded that the American Southwest and central Great Plains will experience extensive droughts in the second half of this century – and global warming will make things even worse, exacerbating the already worrying conditions. Now, a new study says that things are even worse than previously imagined, […]

Oldest Man in Australia is Saving Penguins by Knitting Them Sweaters

Alfred “Alfie” Date is Australia’s oldest living person, at 109; he’s also a self-taught expert knitter who is doing his best to help penguins in Australia and New Zealand survive oil spills – by knitting them sweaters. He told 9stories he answered the call of Phillip Island’s Penguin Foundation which asked for knitters from around the world to make […]

Unemployment causes 45,000 suicides each year

A new study found that unemployment is one of the main causes for suicide across the world - between 2001 and 2011, unemployment caused approximately 450,000 cases of suicide.

Dont't Read the Comments - They Make You Mistrust the Real Experts

If you claim you're a doctor online, even without providing any proof, people may trust you more than the CDC. A new study has found that online comments have as much power as statements issues by health institutions - and in some cases, even more.

Pollution Damages Short Term Memory, IQ and Brain Metabolism

City smog significantly lowers children's IQ, while also raising the risk for Alzheimers disease. A new study has found that children living in highly polluted cities are at an increased risk for detrimental effects to the brain, including short-term memory loss.

Napping may reverse damage of sleep deprivation

Even after only sleeping for two hours a night, a half an hour nap can restore your protein and hormone levels to normal, a new study has found.

Smoking thins vital part of the brain - quitting reverses the effect

If you're a smoker, I've got some (more) bad news for you - long term smoking thins the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, responsible among others for memory, perception and language. The good news is that if you've quit smoking, then the effect is reversible.

New study suggests Big Bang never occurred, Universe existed forever

Climate change is a threat to all life and vegetation here on Earth, but some places are worse off than others. Take Mongolia for instance. Over the past 30 years, a quarter of the country's surface has turned into a desert, while 850 lakes and 2,000 rivers have dried out. This rapid desertification has severely disrupted habitats, making it very difficult for both man and beast to adapt. Even to this day, 25% of Mongolians living in the country are thought to be nomadic, still holding on to ancient traditions from the times when the great Khans swept the world and made it tremble, from Beijing to Rome. In the face of such diversity, the Mongolian people risk losing their heritage and way of life, as they've come to know it for thousands of years.

WATCH: This is an astronaut’s view of Earth

People see our planet in different ways - and it's safe to say that astronauts have a different perspective from most people. Speaking to Derek from Veritasium Colonel Chris Hadfield, the former commander of the International Space Station, explains how it feels to see Earth from orbit.

Are Birds Really Dinosaurs -- according to scientists, they are

It's remarkable what evolution can do in millions of years.

Spanish is the happiest language in the world, new study reveals

Researchers have theoretized for some time that our languages are skewed towards happy words - with some more skewed than others. A new study conducted on 10 different languages confirmed this idea, and also found that Spanish is the happiest language, while Chinese is the most balanced.

400 Year Old Pollution Found in South America

We tend to think of pollution as a modern thing; after all, industrial pollution should be, well… industrial, right? Well, not quite: a group of researchers found 400 year old traces of pollution in the Peruvian Andes. The pollution was caused when the conquistadors forced the Inca to mine silver from “mountaintop mines”. Ancient Pollution […]

The Heaviest Living Organism in the World

What is the heaviest living creature in the world? It’s not an elephant or a blue whale, the heaviest organism is actually an Aspen. Pando, as it is called, is a clonal colony of a single male quaking aspen; basically, it looks like more trees, but it’s actually just one living creature with one massive underground […]

DNA survey of New York subway finds traces of Anthrax, the plague and Mozzarella Cheese

The most extensive DNA survey of the NYC subway has revealed that New Yorkers really like pizza and mozzarella, but also that drug-resistant microbes are widespread. They also found traces of the plague, anthrax, and learned that a tasmanian devil never took the subway in the city. In a way, the human body is very similar […]

Ice Ages Make The Earth's Crust Thicker

It’s hard to think that the crust’s thickness (which varies between several and several tens of km) can be affected by what happens on the surface – but that’s exactly the conclusion of a recent study conducted by British researchers. They found that during an ice age, when sea levels are low, the magma that spreads […]

Tapeworms Can Cooperate or Fight to Control Host

If two tape worms infect the same host, they can either cooperate to thrive, or battle it out for complete control. A new study has found that the parasites actively sabotage each other in a competition to seize control of the host. Tape worms are nasty creatures. They live in the digestive tracts of vertebrates […]

Fungal Disease Kills 5 million North American bats in only Seven Years

In just 7 years, a disease called white-nose syndrome has killed more than 5 million North American bats, almost wiping out entire colonies. The disease has been reported in caves and mines of 25 states throughout the Northeastern U.S. and no treatment or practical way of halting the disease has been proposed. The disease is caused by […]

The largest organism in the world

If you want to know what the biggest organism in the world is, then you’re in for a big surprise – it’s not an elephant or a tree, it’s not even a blue whale! It’s 2 miles across, and you don’t even see most of it – because it’s a mushroom. That’s right, the largest living […]

Doggerland -- the land that connected Europe and the UK 8000 years ago

We all know that Earth used to look very different in the geological past, but few would imagine that Europe was such a different place just 8,000 years ago. Back then, continental Europe was connected to the UK with a land mass called Doggerland. The area had a thriving history both for wildlife or for […]

The oldest living animal

So, we’ve already discussed about the largest and heaviest organisms in the world, now it’s time to see what the world’s oldest animal is – spoiler alert, this one is also a surprise. If you’re thinking it’s a turtle or an elephant… you’re way off. If you think it’s a whale, you’re a bit closer, […]

Icelandic turf houses are cute and surprisingly cozy

They're cozy, beautiful, and surprisingly efficient!

The history of a picture that changed the world

National Geographic chose this as the best picture of 1987, and for good reason.

NASA Wants Mission to Search for Life on Jupiter's Moon

NASA is requesting 30 million dollars to begin working on a mission to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, hoping to unlock some of the secrets of alien life. Despite having a frozen surface, the satellite is one of the likeliest candidates for extraterrestrial life in the solar system. Europa is a weird place. At a first […]

Only 8 Big Cities in China Meet Air Quality Requirements

A whopping 66 out of the country’s 74 major cities don’t meet the basic air quality requirements, China’s Ministry of Environment said in a report they released. Beijing, the country’s capital, is actually the 8th most polluted city of the country. China has a long standing history with pollution, and despite some laudable measures being […]

16 Pictures that Put China's Pollution into Perspective

We often hear about China being polluted, about the hard to breahe are, the smog, the soot, the carbage flowing on the rivers, but these pictures show just how bad the situation really is. Keep in mind though that an image is just a moment captured in time and they don’t tell the whole story. […]

What gives coffee its distinctive color and flavor?

Coffee beans undergo several processes before they become the delicious brew we all know. The coffee beans we’re used to seeing, the brown ones with a delightful flavor, are roasted. Raw coffee beans have a different color and smell very differently. So what makes roasted coffee look, smell, and taste so different from raw coffee? The […]

World Health Organization: Let's focus on ending Ebola epidemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that after more than half a year, the number of new cases of Ebola in West Africa has fallen under 100 - which means that the focus is shifting from containing the epidemic to actually ending it.

Big Difference Between What the Science Says and What the Public Believes

At least in the US, there is a huge difference between what the general public thinks and what scientists think – and this is a big problem. Science is at the core of any nation – it influences the economy, the public life, the health… pretty much everything – everybody agrees on this; but despite this […]

David Attenborough - We are a plague on the Earth

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is an English broadcaster and naturalist, with a voice recognized by millions. In an interview from 2013, he used his well known voice to speak against the damage that people are causing to the planet. He said that we need to drastically limit our population growth, as we are currently acting like […]

Dr. Oz "miracle green coffee pills" pulled, marketers fined $9 million

If you’re one of those people who believe green coffee pills can do wonders for your health, then I’ve got some bad news for you. Not only do they not work, but the marketer who supported them was given a huge fine for misleading and lying about his product. Remember the “magic” green coffee pills […]

Beautiful Extreme Close-ups of Everyday Things

Book Pages In one of the most beautiful projects I’ve seen in a while, artist Pyanek uses macro photography to show everyday things in astonishing detail. This is the first public release of his work (that I could find at least). Be sure to follow him on Facebook and YouTube. If you enjoy his work, you can […]

Expensive Placebos Work Better Than Cheap Placebos

Although generic drugs are often identical to their brand-name counterparts, the effect is often not the same. It's not because the more expensive drugs do something different or better - in fact, it's all in your head. A new study has found that expensive placebos can work better than cheap placebos.

"only god can change the climate" - US chief of Environment & Public Works Committee

When the US Senate finally agreed that global warming is real, I thought we’re finally going to get some progress. The leaders of the US were finally starting to acknowledge the environmental damage we’re causing and maybe even start taking measures against it… it was too good to be true. While the senate agreed that […]

Neanderthals and humans interbred in the Middle East over 50,000 years ago

An ancient skull found in Israel indicates that early Homo sapiens likely interbred with Neanderthals 50,000 years ago. The female skull is the first skeletal evidence to support the idea that Neandertals and moderns mated. The finding is published in the journal Nature. The Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) are closely related to modern humans, differing in DNA by only 0.12%. Genetic […]

"Global Calculator" shows we can all live better while reducing CO2 emissions

The living standard of everybody in the world can be increased while also reducing CO2 emissions and limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius – that’s the conclusion of The Global Calculator, a new free, interactive tool developed by UK scientists in collaboration with organisations from India, US, China,and Europe. Calculating the future The Global Calculator can be […]

The Art (or Science?) of Balancing Rocks

If life is a balancing act, then I hope it looks like Michael Grab‘s work. The artist and photographer first dabbled into rock balancing in 2008 while exploring the beautiful landscape of Boulder Creek, Colorado. Since then, he’s come a very long way. Grab finds the process spiritual and therapeutic – it has become a source […]

Novel Production Technique Could Make Graphene 1000 times cheaper

A PhD student from Netherlands has demonstrated a technique which could massively cut down the production costs of graphene. With this technique, producing the “wonder material” could be 1,000 times cheaper. For his thesis, Shou-En Zhu from the Delft University of Technology described a way to create an “endless sheet” of graphene. The way he does it […]

Thousands of Fish To Be Freed From Abandoned Mall in Thailand [with Photos]

The Bangkok’s New World Mall is one of the most dystopian places on Earth – initially 11 stories high, now the building can only boast 4, and it has no roof. A population of fish thrived in the post-apocalyptic setting, but now, with the building being set for demolition, the fish are finally going to be […]

Asteroid Vesta once had flowing water

According to a new study, water once flowed on the surface of Vesta, the second-largest asteroid in the solar system. This took astronomers by surprise, as no one was really expecting to find this.

Mexican Researchers Turn Old Plastic Bottles Into Waterproof Paper

A team of Mexican researchers found a way to save 20 trees and 56,000 liters of water for every ton of paper produced – just make them from old plastic bottles. Plastic is one of the main pollutants in the world – the ocean is basically a cemetery for used plastic, with at least 5 […]

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