Science

A new study links a particular gene and a protein variant found only in humans to the origins of spoken language.Researchers used CRISPR gene editing to replace the NOVA1 protein found in mice with the type exclusively found in humans, and it changed the way the animals vocalized when they called out to each other.The author of the study, Dr. Robert Darnell, hopes the recent work could lead to new ways to treat speech-related problems.Why did humans start speaking? Scientists suggest genetics played a big role – and they say the evolution of this singular ability was key to our survival.A new study links a particular gene to the ancient origins of spoken language, proposing that a protein variant found only in humans may have helped us communicate in a novel way. Speech allowed us to s...

A NASA astronaut at the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday reported hearing a "strange noise" coming from the Boeing Starliner spacecraft just days before it is set to leave the station and return to Earth on autopilot.The astronaut, Butch Wilmore, radioed Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston to inquire about the noise. On an audio recording of the exchange, Wilmore holds up a phone to the speakers so that Mission Control could hear the noise he was referring to. A pulsating sound emanating at steady intervals can be heard through Wilmore’s device. "Butch, that one came through," Mission Control says after not hearing it the first time. "It was kind of like a pulsating noise, almost like a sonar ping." NASA PLANS TO SEND 2 ASTRONAUTS INSTEAD OF 3 TO ISS SO PAIR...

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft touched down on Earth early Saturday morning, with two test pilots left behind in space until next year over NASA's concerns that their return was too risky.Starliner parachuted into New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range six hours after leaving the International Space Station, landing at 12:01 a.m. ET."I am extremely proud of the work our collective team put into this entire flight test, and we are pleased to see Starliner’s safe return," Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement."Even though it was necessary to return the spacecraft uncrewed, NASA and Boeing learned an incredible amount about Starliner in the most extreme environment possible," he added. "NASA loo...

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is monitoring a "potentially hazardous" asteroid that is moving past Earth on Tuesday.NASA told Fox News Digital that the rocky object, which has been named 2024 ON, is 350 meters long by 180 meters wide, which roughly equals 1,150 feet by 590 feet – larger than previous estimates. NASA has deemed the asteroid "stadium-sized" and reported it was 621,000 miles away from Earth on Tuesday morning, which is considered relatively close. Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Fox News Digital that an asteroid of this size coming this close to Earth only happens every five to ten years.Farnocchia, who works at the laboratory's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, said that the last time a lar...

Scientists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, say potentially dangerous asteroids could possibly be deflected by exploding a nuclear warhead more than a mile from its surface and showering it with X-rays to send it in a different direction.Previous methods, as seen in blockbuster movies like "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact," involved blowing up a nuclear warhead on an asteroid or comet and shattering it into multiple pieces.But scientists now say the method would change the space object from a lethal bullet headed toward Earth into a shotgun blast of multiple fragments.Last year, the National Academy of Sciences released a report calling planetary defense a national priority, and according to an ongoing NASA sky survey, the threat is credible.STADIUM-SIZED ASTEROID DEEMED ‘POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS...

The Earth is expected to experience a geomagnetic storm this week following the autumnal equinox.A sunspot erupted on Sunday, generating a coronal mass ejection (CME) on a trajectory toward Earth.The solar plasma, propelled toward the planet at 650,000 mph, is expected to glance off the magnetosphere on Wednesday, according to Space.com.GEOMAGNETIC STORM HITS EARTH CREATING NORTHERN LIGHTS, DISRUPTING RADIO COMMUNICATIONS A view of the Sun through a solar telescope, showing solar prominences, sunspots and filaments. (Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images)The CME could create a geomagnetic storm in part of the world due to its occurrence near the autumnal equinox, which passed on Sept. 22. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the Earth's magnetic poles are aligned with the sun's, ma...

Venomous creatures were spotted washing up on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and the National Park Service sent out a warning about the punch these slugs pack.The Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted on Facebook that Blue Sea Dragons (Glaucus atlanticus) have been spotted on the beaches."This venomous sea slug lives in the open ocean and occasionally gets stranded on land following strong winds," officials from the National Seashore posted to Facebook. "They may only grow to about an inch long, but don't let their size fool you. They pack a punch!"According to Oceana.org, Blue Sea Dragons go by other names like sea swallow or blue angel and can grow to about 1.3 inches.12 OF THE OCEAN'S CREEPIEST CREATURES THAT ARE SURE TO MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL Blue Sea Dragons are...

A comet not seen for more than 80,000 years will be visible from Earth, potentially during two separate time periods over the next month.Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, is believed to have an orbit around the sun of more than 80,000 years, according to earth.com. The comet was first visible starting on Sept. 27 and will continue until shortly before sunrise on Oct. 2. It is expected to appear like a fuzzy ball with a tail stretching across the sky."C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of approximately 80,000 years, classifying it as a long-period comet. This means its behavior and appearance can be unpredictable, with potential changes in brightness and tail development as it approaches the sun," Minjae Kim, a space expert in the University of Warwick's astronomy department...

Scientists are deploying monitors at the volcanic Mount Adams in Washington State, after a spike in seismic activity.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said Mount Adams typically experiences an earthquake every two to three years, but in September, there were six earthquakes alone, marking the most in a single month since monitoring began in 1982.The earthquakes were monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and ranged in magnitudes from 0.9 to 2.0. None of the earthquakes were felt at the surface, the USGS said.With only one seismic station near the volcano, the USGS said monitoring capabilities are limited.LAVA CONTINUES FLOWING FROM ICELAND VOLCANO AFTER ERUPTION Washington, Mount Adams in the Cascade range is the second-hi...

NASA has released the clearest view of Mars to date, with blue rocks observed across the planet's landscape.The images were captured by the Perseverance rover as it explores the planet.Dark blue, jagged rocks of volcanic basalt were found on top of the dried remains of an ancient lakebed, according to the Daily Mail.10 FUN FACTS ABOUT MARS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE RED PLANET NASA has released the clearest view of Mars to date, with blue rocks observed across the planet's landscape. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)NASA found the boulders on what has been dubbed "Mount Washburn," a rocky field on the Jezero crater, where an ancient lake is believed to have been located billions of years ago.The name "Mount Washburn" was given to the field of rocks in honor of a mountain in Yellowstone National Park.SPACEX ...