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An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently captured a striking image of the Trou au Natron volcanic caldera in northern Chad, which resembles a giant skull. Taken on February 12, 2023, and shared by NASA Earth Observatory on Halloween, the photograph reveals the caldera's 1,000-meter depth and irregular diameter of 6 to 8 kilometers, with a white salt crust made of natron covering its base. The dark features resembling eyes and a nose are actually cinder cones formed around volcanic vents. Located in the remote Tibesti Mountains, the area is home to diverse wildlife, including golden jackals and fennec foxes, and is the ancestral land of the semi-nomadic Toubou people. Despite its intriguing geology, the caldera remains poorly understood due to its isolation and the surrounding political instability. Trou au Natron was once a glacial lake approximately 14,000 years ago. 
Published: Jan 05 2025, 3 ameznews.inNew research suggests that Gunung Padang, a site in Indonesia previously thought to be a natural hill, may actually be the world's oldest pyramid, constructed by humans around 25,000 years ago. A multidisciplinary team of researchers conducted extensive surveys from 2011 to 2014, revealing that the structure was built in four distinct phases over millennia, with the earliest dating back to the Palaeolithic era. Utilizing advanced techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography and ground-penetrating radar, the team uncovered evidence of multiple construction stages and hidden chambers within the site. The findings challenge the notion that advanced building techniques emerged only after the advent of agriculture, suggesting that sophisticated masonry skills existed much earlier. However, the study has faced scrutiny, leading to a retraction by the publisher due to methodological concerns. The research was published in the journal *Archaeological Prospection*.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 5 pmeznews.inIn the 1990s, Romanian-Australian economist Stefan Mandel devised a method to win the lottery repeatedly, achieving a remarkable 14 victories. Rather than relying on luck, Mandel's strategy involved purchasing every possible combination of numbers in certain lotteries where the jackpot exceeded the cost of buying all combinations. This approach, while not explicitly against the rules, raised ethical questions about the spirit of the game. After successfully winning smaller lotteries in Australia, Mandel targeted the Virginia lottery, which had only 7,059,052 combinations. With a jackpot of $15.5 million, his team managed to buy 6.4 million tickets, ultimately securing the winning ticket. Despite investigations by the FBI and CIA, no wrongdoing was found. Mandel's exploits earned him and his investors millions, allowing him to retire to a beach house in Vanuatu.
Published: Jan 07 2025, 3 ameznews.inNewly released documents from Ireland reveal the fate of a lunar rock gifted to the country by the US, which was destroyed in a fire at Dunsink Observatory in 1977. The sample, collected during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, was presented to Irish President Éamon de Valera in 1970 but remained in storage for three years due to uncertainty over its display. A second lunar rock was later donated, prompting the Irish government to exhibit the first. This incident highlights a broader issue, as a 2011 NASA audit found that over 517 lunar samples have been lost or stolen since 1970, with an estimated 160 of the 270 moon rocks given as diplomatic gifts to various countries now missing. The report attributed these losses to a lack of control over the loans and the actions of various individuals, including researchers and archivists.
Published: Jan 07 2025, 1 ameznews.inNASA is set to provide an update on its Mars Sample Return mission during an audio-only media teleconference on January 7, hosted by Administrator Bill Nelson and Associate Administrator Nicky Fox. The ambitious project, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, aims to collect Martian soil and rock samples, launch them from the planet, and return them to Earth—a feat never attempted before. However, the mission has faced significant challenges, including underestimated costs and an unrealistic timeline, prompting a reassessment in 2023. The briefing, scheduled for 1 PM EST (6 PM GMT), will outline NASA's strategies to achieve its goals while reducing costs and complexity. Nelson has previously acknowledged the mission's complexity, emphasizing the need for a more feasible budget and timeline. The public can listen to the announcement live on NASA's website, as the agency seeks innovative solutions to ensure the mission's success.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 8 pmeznews.inDespite extensive exploration of the Titanic wreck since its discovery in 1985, no human remains have ever been found, a fact that continues to intrigue and perplex. James Cameron, who has visited the site 33 times, noted the absence of remains, despite evidence of clothing and shoes suggesting bodies were once present. Several factors contribute to this mystery: many victims' lifejackets kept their bodies afloat, leading to their swift dispersal by storms and ocean currents. Additionally, deep-sea scavengers likely consumed flesh, while the calcium carbonate compensation depth, found below 3,000 feet, causes bones to dissolve in the deep ocean's conditions. Some speculate that sealed areas of the ship, like the engine room, may still contain preserved remains, but after over a century, the likelihood of finding recognizable bodies diminishes. The absence of remains continues to fuel conspiracy theories and fascination with the Titanic's tragic history.
Published: Jan 03 2025, 7 pmeznews.inRecent research suggests that the ancient miniature humans known as *Homo floresiensis*, or "Hobbits," likely did not go extinct due to competition with modern humans, as previously thought. Instead, they disappeared around 50,000 years ago, approximately 4,000 years before *Homo sapiens* arrived on the Indonesian island of Flores. A new study indicates that climate change, particularly a significant decline in rainfall, may have led to the extinction of the Hobbits and their cohabiting pygmy elephants, *Stegodon*. As water sources dried up, the elephants faced severe resource scarcity, which could have resulted in their mass die-off or forced migration. The Hobbits may have followed the elephants in search of food, potentially encountering new challenges and even *Homo sapiens* along the way. The findings highlight the complex interplay between climate and species survival, with implications for understanding human evolution.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 10 pmeznews.inResearchers have identified the world's oldest forest, dating back 386 million years, in a sandstone quarry in Cairo, New York, rather than the more expected locations like the Amazon or Malaysia. This ancient forest, discovered in 2019, spans an estimated 400 kilometers and features early fern-like plants and the tree _Archaeopteris_, known for its complex root systems. Dr. Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist, noted that the forest would have appeared as an open landscape with coniferous-like trees and smaller tree ferns. Fossils of fish found at the site suggest the forest may have been destroyed by flooding. Previously, the Gilboa Forest, located just 40 kilometers away, was considered the oldest, but it is believed to be 2-3 million years younger. The evolution of these early forests is crucial for understanding the historical decline of atmospheric carbon dioxide and the subsequent rise in oxygen levels, which facilitated the evolution of larger animals and insects.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 10 pmeznews.inA resurgence of New World Screwworm (NWS) fly larvae (_Cochliomyia hominivorax_) has prompted concerns in southern Mexico, where the larvae were discovered in a single cow, breaking a 34-year eradication streak. This outbreak, believed to be linked to illegal cattle trade across Central and South America, poses a potential threat to the United States. Wildlife Conservation Society's Jeremy Radachowsky highlighted the rapid spread of the parasite, which can travel nearly 700 miles in just two and a half months. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has urged vigilance among residents for signs of NWS infections, which can include behavior changes, loss of appetite, and the presence of larvae in wounds. The USDA's successful eradication strategy, the sterile insect technique, has historically controlled NWS populations, but officials stress the need for caution until the threat is contained. Residents are advised to use insect repellent and cover wounds outdoors.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 11 pmeznews.inFive years ago, an interactive map captured public imagination by showing where one would emerge if they could dig straight through the Earth, with most results landing in oceans. While various teams have attempted deep drilling, China's recent project aims to reach 10,000 meters (32,808 feet) into the Earth to study Cretaceous rocks, though it won't surpass the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, which reached 12,263 meters (40,230 feet). The Kola project revealed unexpected wet rocks and metamorphic granite, providing evidence for plate tectonics. However, both projects fall short of penetrating the Earth's lithosphere to access the mantle. Drilling deeper presents immense challenges, including extreme pressure—over 1.1 trillion hectoPascals—and temperatures reaching 5,200 degrees Celsius (9,392 degrees Fahrenheit). These conditions would likely render drilling equipment ineffective, highlighting the formidable barriers to exploring the Earth's depths.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 8 pmeznews.inTahlequah, the orca renowned for her profound display of grief, has been spotted once again carrying the body of her deceased calf, J61, just days after giving birth. The female calf, observed in Puget Sound on December 20, 2024, tragically died on New Year’s Eve, only 11 days after her birth. The Center for Whale Research (CWR) noted that J61's death is particularly devastating as she was a female who could have contributed to the population's future. Concerns have been raised about Tahlequah's health, as she had previously shown signs of poor condition. This heartbreaking behavior mirrors her actions in 2018, when she carried another dead calf for 17 days, covering over 1,600 kilometers. Experts suggest this behavior reflects the strong maternal bond orca mothers share with their young, and the CWR plans to monitor Tahlequah closely to ensure her well-being.
Published: Jan 06 2025, 8 pmFor the fastest, latest, not so wokest news, 'experts say' you need to visit Eznews
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