Science Megathread

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The Universe Should Not Actually Exist, Scientists Say

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Newsweek

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Turning emissions into fuel:
MIT-developed method converts carbon dioxide into useful compounds.

David L. Chandler | MIT News Office
November 28, 2017

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Not only do we share our genes with Neanderthals and Denisovans -we share a passion for art as well:

World's Oldest Cave Art Found—And Neanderthals Made It

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Diamonds reveal sign of the deepest water known inside Earth

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Scientists discover evidence of early human innovation, pushing back evolutionary timeline
Evidence of innovation dates to a period when humans faced an unpredictable and uncertain environment, according to three new studies

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The inland Clovis First theory suffers yet another body blow:

13,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Found—Oldest Yet From North America
Leading theories support the idea that prehistoric Americans first populated Alaska and may have migrated south along the coast.

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It challenges the Out of Africa theory on several fronts:

1. Humans migrated out of Africa tens of thousands of years earlier than once thought.

2. They didn't just migrate along the coast to the rest of the world, but also through the Arabian hinterlands which were much wetter and more humid than they are today.

3.  They left in several (successful) waves, not just one.  

An 85,000-year-old finger fossil may challenge theories about how early humans migrated from Africa

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New Source Of Global Nitrogen Discovered

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NASA, SpaceX to launch spacecraft to find another Earth

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Sometime in the future, some of us could evolve to look something like this:



Larger spleens may help ‘sea nomads’ stay underwater longer
DNA tests reveal the genetic underpinnings of this adaptation in the ethnic Bajau divers

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This isn't proof that Mars had life per se -rather it shows that it has the basic building blocks for life to exist.  One step at a time:

Building Blocks of Life Found on Mars

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Largest ice sheet on Earth was stable throughout last warm period (the Pliocene Era)

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Oldest Tools Outside Africa Found, Rewriting Human Story
New evidence suggests that our ancient cousins left the continent much earlier than thought.

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Humans Did Not Evolve From A Single Population In Africa, New Study Claims

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Ancient Stone Toolmakers Came To North America Far Earlier Than Clovis People

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The Moon, like Mars, once could have supported life in its distant past:

The Moon May Have Supported Life 4 Billion Years Ago, Scientists Say

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NASA Releases Roadmap For New And Sustainable Lunar Missions

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The Neanderthals gave us a 'gift' before they went extinct, it seems:

Modern Humans Inherited Virus Defenses From Interbreeding With Neanderthals: Study

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And for those with an interest in astrobiology:

Scientists Unveil Their New Strategy To Find Alien Life

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Stone Tools Found In Algeria Could Rewrite Existing Theories On Human Origins

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Enjoy it while it lasts -Saturn's rings may not be there much longer:

Saturn's rings could vanish much sooner than expected
A new NASA study shows the planet's iconic rings are circling the cosmic drain.

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Scientists find additional evidence for the 'Snowball Earth' theory:

Earth is missing a huge part of its crust. Now we may know why.

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Striking New Study Proposes Model Of The Universe That Can Explain Dark Energy

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The first truly reliable energy source of the future that isn't a fossil fuel could finally be coming within our grasp:

Finally, Fusion Power Is About to Become a Reality
Long considered a joke, or a pipe dream, fusion is suddenly making enormous leaps

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Next time you put on sunscreen, think about this:

Sunscreen and cosmetics compound may harm coral by altering fatty acids

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