Celebrating the start of the weekend with a global round up of positive news, including two remarkable discoveries.
Stone Age Voyagers
Ancient DNA shows Stone Age Europeans voyaged by sea to Africa. Thousands of years before Odysseus crossed the ‘wine-dark sea’ in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, hunter-gatherers island-hopped their way to Africa across the Mediterranean. The first genomic study of ancient people from the eastern Maghreb region - present-day Tunisia and northeastern Algeria - shows that Stone Age populations who lived there more than 8,000 years ago were descended, in part, from European hunter-gatherers. The discovery, reported in Nature, is the first direct evidence of trans-Mediterranean sea voyaging during this time, although previous archaeological finds have hinted at cultural exchange between European and North African hunter-gatherers.
Origin of Water
Water originated in primordial supernovae 13.6 billion years ago, according to a new study. Groundbreaking simulations by British astronomers show that water molecules formed in cooling clouds surrounding the universe's first supernovae just 100-200 million years after the Big Bang. This breakthrough discovery establishes water as a fundamental element of the earliest galaxies, suggesting this essential ingredient for life has existed almost as long as starlight itself.
UK Wild Camping
Campers looking for a back-to-nature experience this summer will be able to wild camp on land that was previously off-limits across Britain thanks to an initiative launched by camping booking platform CampWild and the nature recovery charity Rewilding Britain. The partnership will provide outdoor enthusiasts with access to nature restoration projects that have not previously permitted overnight stays – and campers can get involved in conservation and citizen science activities on-site, too. CampWild said: “Rewilding Britain is doing extraordinary work to help restore nature. This exciting initiative gives wild campers exclusive access to wild spaces where no one has been allowed to camp before."
Megalodon Reconsidered
Everyone's favourite prehistoric shark may have been much sleeker and much larger than previously thought. A new study suggests that the megalodon wasn't as stocky as the great white shark, and that it could have reached over 24 m (80 ft) in length. The new study was led by Prof. Kenshu Shimada of Chicago's DePaul University, and it involved the analysis of a rare fossilized megalodon vertebral column, unearthed three years ago in Belgium. The researchers report that this new evidence suggests a truly gigantic body length of 24.3 m (79.7 ft) and a weight of about 94 tons (85 tonnes). Might even have frightened Jason Statham.
Ice Cream 911
I scream, you scream, a 4-year-old boy called the cops after his mother ate his ice cream, police say. The incident occurred last week in the town of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, when police were contacted by a 4-year-old boy who said his “mom being bad,” according to a statement released by the Village of Mount Pleasant Police Department. “Officer Gardinier and Officer Ostergaard were dispatched for a 911 hangup,” authorities said. “A little boy called 911 saying his mom was being bad and needed to go to jail.” When officers arrived at their home, the young boy said, “his mom ate his ice cream and needed to go to jail for it.”
Cadillac Formula 1
It's official: Cadillac will be the 11th F1 team in the paddock in 2026, now that it's been approved to join the championship by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Cadillac F1 hasn't yet announced its roster of drivers, and it's still building out its crew of more than 200 people – inviting specialists in aerodynamics, mechanical and systems design, control systems engineering, and race strategy analysis to come on board. The arrival of Cadillac F1 next year will mark the first time the grid's been expanded since 2016, when Haas joined the fold.
"There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best." Joe DiMaggio
On This Day
15 March 1964: Following a highly publicized affair, American actress Elizabeth Taylor wed British actor Richard Burton in Montreal; they divorced in 1974 and briefly remarried (1975–76).
Today's Articles
Climatemaxxing: Talking about your carbon footprint is so last year, it's time to consider Climatemaxxing.
New Confirmation: The link between libraries and well-being. More ways than even the most avid bibliophile might expect.
Mood Boosting Video
Master of Disguise: Cuttlefish routinely display four distinct types of remarkable moving camouflage.