Livescience.com
Science - LiveScience.com

The Many Mysteries of Neanderthals

Sat Nov 7, 8:51 AM ET

Editor's Note: This is Part 6 in a 10-part LiveScience series on the origin, evolution and future of the human species and the mysteries that remain to be solved.

  • Alps Grow and Shrink at Same Time Fri Nov 6, 3:12 PM ET

    The European Alps are both growing and shrinking, with two dynamic processes acting against each other for a net effect of ... nothing.

  • A Simple Sneeze Raises Fear of Death Fri Nov 6, 1:15 PM ET

    In the current atmosphere of heightened concern over the H1N1 virus, the everyday sneeze can trigger fears of totally unrelated hazards, including heart attacks, new research suggests.

  • Before Flowers, Odd Bugs Pollinated Plants Thu Nov 5, 2:30 PM ET

    Before there were flowers, pollination of plants by insects was likely rare, and scientists had no idea of the insect culprits. But a new discovery suggests at least one flittering pollinator.

  • Frigid Antarctica Loaded with Viruses Thu Nov 5, 2:30 PM ET

    Antarctica's icy lakes are home to a surprisingly diverse community of viruses, including some that were previously unidentified.

  • Incriminating Photo of Lee Harvey Oswald Not Faked Thu Nov 5, 1:35 PM ET

    An incriminating photograph of accused John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald is not a fake, as Oswald and others had claimed, a new analysis concludes.

  • 9 of Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars Are Hybrids Thu Nov 5, 12:34 PM ET

    The latest fuel economy ratings for 2010 models have been published, and nine of the top 10 are hybrid electric cars.

  • Newborn Babies Cry in Native Tongue Thu Nov 5, 12:18 PM ET

    From their very first days, the cries of newborns already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, scientists now find.

  • The End of Silicon May Be in Sight Thu Nov 5, 8:06 AM ET

    Silicon Valley's name may as well be Steam Locomotive Alley if some scientists have their way - they have come up with a way to replace the silicon used in semiconductor chips with another element called gallium, producing much faster circuits.

  • Unhealthy Food Ads Pervasive on Kids' Shows Wed Nov 4, 9:41 PM ET

    If you think SpongeBob puts junk in your kids' heads, then you need to pay closer attention to the commercials.

  • Human Evolution: Our Closest Living Relatives, the Chimps Wed Nov 4, 6:36 PM ET

    Editor's Note: This is Part 5 in 10-part series LiveScience series on the origin, evolution and future of the human species and the mysteries that remain to be solved.

  • File picture of a seismograph. A 4.9-scale earthquake struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas early Wednesday injuring at least 209 people, according to the official news agency Irna(AFP/File/Nicolas Asfouri)
    Recent Midwest Quakes Called Aftershocks from 1800s Wed Nov 4, 1:17 PM ET

    The small earthquakes that sporadically rattle the central United States may actually be aftershocks from a few extremely large quakes that occurred in the region almost 200 years ago, according to a new study

  • Eating Fast May Make You Fat Wed Nov 4, 11:26 AM ET

    Eating meals on the go may be unwise for those wanting to lose weight. New research reveals that scarfing down a lot of food, quickly, curbs the release of certain gut hormones that make you feel full.

  • 10 Failed Doomsday Predictions Wed Nov 4, 9:17 AM ET

    With the upcoming disaster film "2012" and the current hype about Mayan calendars and doomsday predictions, it seems like a good time to put such notions in context.

  • T. rex's Oldest Relative Discovered Tue Nov 3, 8:00 PM ET

    Spanning just 10 feet in length and sporting a tiny horn on its nose, a newly identified dinosaur has become the oldest known relative of the fierce meat-eater, Tyrannosaurus rex. The discovery suggests such tyrannosaurs were quite petite before they evolved into giant killing machines just before their demise.

  • Where Great White Sharks Lurk: Close to Home Tue Nov 3, 6:51 PM ET

    Great white sharks tend to patrol specific neighborhoods for weeks on end, a new study finds.

  • The world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas dwarfs the Isle of Wight ferry as she enters The Solent, near Portsmouth, in southern England,  en route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Monday, Nov. 2, 2009.  The ship is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. (AP Photo / Chris Ison, pa)
    How the World's Largest Cruise Ship Floats Tue Nov 3, 3:05 PM ET

    The world's largest cruise ship is making its first transatlantic crossing from Finland to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where it will make its U.S. debut. Though colossal, the ship relies on the same physical principles as its smaller brethren to stay afloat.

  • Bite Marks Show T. Rex Teens Fought Viciously Tue Nov 3, 12:14 PM ET

    If human teenagers seem terrible at times, be thankful we don't have young tyrannosaurs to deal with.

  • Caffeine Cuts into Sleep, Even Hours Later Tue Nov 3, 11:52 AM ET

    Add one more insult to the injury of working the night shift: Drinking coffee during work hours may just keep you awake during the day.

  • Wireless Devices Overwhelm Nature's Signals Tue Nov 3, 8:20 AM ET

    A crowd of consumer gadgets such as cell phones and wireless devices may overwhelm the small band of scientists straining to detect faint radio emissions from offbeat sources ranging from hurricanes here to galaxies in the distant cosmos.

  • Giant Crack in Africa Will Create a New Ocean Mon Nov 2, 5:43 PM ET

    A 35-mile rift in the desert of Ethiopia will likely become a new ocean eventually, researchers now confirm.

  • The figure of a spider is seen in a desert plain in this undated file photo of an aerial view of the Nazca lines south of Lima, Peru. REUTERS/file
    Ancient Civilization Cut Path to Demise Mon Nov 2, 4:33 PM ET

    The ancient South American Nasca civilization may have caused its own demise by clear-cutting huge swaths of forest, a new study has found.

  • Human Evolution: Where We Came From Mon Nov 2, 12:56 PM ET

    Editor's Note: This is Part 4 in 10-part series LiveScience series on the origin, evolution and future of the human species and the mysteries that remain to be solved.

  • Sneaky Spider Skips Long Sex Dance Mon Nov 2, 8:42 AM ET

    In the arachnid version of trying to get some, male suitors of a female cannibalistic spider must perform a 100-minute-long dance on the gal's web lest they be eaten before copulation is complete.

  • Rest Easy: Retirement (and Money) Can Improve Sleep Sun Nov 1, 9:32 AM ET

    It's no secret the stress of work can keep you up at nights. Now research shows that retirement can spur less fitful sleep, at least for people who are financially stable.

  • Surprising Sex Behavior Found in Bats Sat Oct 31, 9:21 AM ET

    When they do their thing, female Chinese fruit bats add oral sex to get the males to prolong the act, scientists now find, suggesting the behavior confers evolutionary benefits.

  • Oldest Known Spider Webs Discovered Fri Oct 30, 8:15 PM ET

    Silken spider webs dating back some 140 million years have been discovered preserved in amber, scientists announce today.

  • New Dinosaur Built Like a Sherman Tank Fri Oct 30, 2:35 PM ET

    A husband and wife team of paleontologists has discovered a newfound species of armored dinosaur that lived 112 million years ago in what is now Montana.

  • Sex Offenders Not a Halloween Scare Fri Oct 30, 11:52 AM ET

    Each year at Halloween, parents have concerns about trick-or-treating, and many believe that a danger far graver than chocolate overdose awaits their children in quiet neighborhoods: sex offenders.