Discovery

Marine sand miners off Indonesia have stumbled on the first underwater hominin fossil trove in Southeast Asia, rewriting what we know about early humans and a continent now drowned beneath the Java Sea. Indonesia’s Madura Strait is usually a busy shipping lane, not a time machine. Yet a routine dredging job near Surabaya has exposed a … Read more

Archaeologists say a 23,000‑year‑old wall in Theopetra Cave rewrites the timeline of early architecture and pushes Egypt’s pyramids far down the list of “oldest.” First discovered in the 1990s and re‑dated in 2012, the low masonry barrier inside Greece’s Theopetra Cave has been confirmed—through optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) testing—to be roughly 23,000 years old. The finding … Read more

Archaeologists at the Magna fort in northern England have unearthed a remarkably intact leather sandal measuring 32 cm—evidence that a supersized soldier once patrolled Rome’s frontier. A freshly uncovered leather sandal from the 2,000‑year‑old Roman fort of Magna, just south of Hadrian’s Wall, is causing a stir among researchers. The shoe is so large—comparable to a modern … Read more

Century‑old relics emerge as North Carolina community dredges its storied lake. A routine cleanup turned time‑machine this week when crews lowering Lake Lure for post‑hurricane repairs exposed a rust‑caked Model T truck and a 32‑foot wooden boat nicknamed “Pooh Bear,” both believed lost since the 1920s. Who stands to gain from the surprise? History buffs, local officials and—perhaps—thousands … Read more

Tiny hydrozoan found off California sports four bulbs with seven eyes each, challenging long‑held evolutionary theories. Marine biologists at the University of California thought they were studying Tripedalia cystophora—until, in September 2021, an uninvited guest drifted into the tank. The newcomer, Bougainvillia cf. muscus, proved unforgettable: its 28 light‑sensing eyes set a new bar for strangeness and scientific intrigue. … Read more

New findings in the Smackover Formation could jump‑start domestic battery supply chains and cut U.S. dependence on imported minerals. Southwestern Arkansas might soon sit at the heart of America’s clean‑tech future. Geologists estimate that brine trapped thousands of feet below the Smackover Formation contains up to 19 million tons of lithium—enough to power millions of electric vehicles … Read more

YouTuber Silas turns routine land clean‑up into a once‑in‑a‑lifetime barn‑find story that has gearheads buzzing nationwide. An ordinary real‑estate deal in rural Kansas just rewrote every car‑lover’s daydream. Silas—best known for his channel Adventures Made From Scratch—picked up a long‑neglected farm, grabbed a rake, and uncovered something far more valuable than cornstalks: dozens of vintage Chevys, … Read more

It sounded like the ultimate lucky break: a heavy, rust‑red rock found in the fabled Maryborough goldfields that surely had to be precious metal. Instead, it became an even bigger story—and a scientific jackpot—for hobby prospector David Hole. Ever wondered how you’d react if your metal detector beeped over something heavy? In 2015 Hole took … Read more

Researchers say slow‑moving under‑ice currents could generate a third of America’s electricity, offering remote communities reliable, diesel‑free power. The race for energy independence may have found an unlikely front‑runner: the Yukon and other Alaskan rivers that never stop flowing, even in deep winter. Scientists testing new underwater turbines believe these hidden currents could supply up … Read more

With gold flirting with $3,300 an ounce, a little‑known stone called jadeite is shattering records, fetching millions for a single necklace and reshaping the precious‑metals pecking order. Jadeite, the rarer cousin of common jade, now tops every list of luxury minerals. Collectors, jewelers, and investors are scrambling for the vibrant green gem, whose price per … Read more

North Sea winds could feed a 300‑gigawatt network of turbines and electrolyzers, yielding up to 45,000 tons of green hydrogen a year for homes, factories, and trucks across the continent. Europe has just pulled back the curtain on what officials call the largest clean‑energy reserve ever identified beneath the ocean surface. Centered in the wind‑whipped … Read more

After decades of dependence on traditional silicon-based solar panels, scientists are unveiling a promising alternative that could reshape how we tap into the sun. Are you ready for a new era of greener and more affordable solar power? Tracing the roots of modern solar power leads us back to American inventor Charles Fritts, who created … Read more

On the Ely‑to‑Fernley leg of US Route 50, service stations disappear, phones fall mute, and the Great Basin sky swallows every other sound. If you crave a road so empty it echoes, Nevada has you covered. The 500‑mile middle section of Route 50—dubbed The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine back in 1986—still challenges motorists to bring … Read more

Ancient bones from horses, sloths and giant armadillos surface beneath the Steinhatchee River, giving scientists a rare window into Ice Age Florida. Divers exploring a quiet bend of the Steinhatchee River have stumbled onto a submerged sinkhole packed with remarkably preserved fossils dating back roughly 500,000 years. The unexpected haul promises to plug one of the … Read more

Beijing confirms a vast Ordos Desert reserve big enough to end its reliance on U.S. uranium, a move that could rattle prices and rewrite nuclear-energy politics. China just pulled an energy ace from its sleeve. The China Geological Survey has verified a 30-million-ton uranium cache in the Ordos Desert of Inner Mongolia—enough raw fuel to … Read more

One ordinary walk on Germany’s Baltic coast ended with a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. The light chunk Britta Krause almost kicked aside turned out to be ancient amber now under intensive study by paleontologists. Last month on Lindhöft Beach, Krause spotted what looked like battered plastic poking through the sand. Curiosity won: she picked it up, noticed … Read more