🔎 The Curiosity Files #10
Curiously exploring the mysteries of our past, present, and future
“Curiosity is its own reason. Aren’t you in awe when you contemplate the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure behind reality?” Albert Einstein
Welcome to The Curiosity Files!
Twice a week, I’ll journey through the most fascinating discoveries across ancient history, human origins, space, consciousness, cutting-edge science and the unexplained.
🗿 Ancient Mysteries, Archaeology & Lost Civilizations
The complex history of returning Mungo Man and Australia's oldest skeletons to country.
The discovery of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, some of the most significant remains ever found in Australia, helped to re-write the history of this country and its First Peoples. The reburial of the final skeletal remains into undisturbed and unmarked grave sites — overseen by a group of elders — is currently underway.
Echoes of the Ancients: The Hurrian Hymn and the Legacy of Mesopotamian Music.
The famous Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal is the oldest surviving written melody that can be reconstructed. This hymn, dating back to around 1400 B.C., was written in cuneiform on a clay tablet and discovered in the ruins of Ugarit (modern-day Syria). It is unique because it contains lyrics and musical notation, making it the oldest known example of a written melody that scholars have attempted to reconstruct.
Humans Arose From Two Ancestral Populations That United 300,000 Years Ago.
The evolutionary path leading to the rise of modern humans is full of twists and turns, and the latest surprise reveals that our species likely sprung forth from two ancient intermingling populations. A new study has confirmed that these groups first diverged from each other around 1.5 million years ago and later merged back together 300,000 years ago, initiating a genetic mixing event that culminated with the birth of modern humans.
Archaeologists Make Groundbreaking Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Fortress in Romania Lost for Millennia.
A 5,000-year-old fortress has been uncovered deep in the forests of Romania, hidden by centuries of thick vegetation. Advanced LiDAR technology revealed intricate details that had been obscured for millennia.
🌌 Cosmic & Space Mysteries
Is Dark Energy Getting Weaker? New Evidence Strengthens the Case.
Last year, an enormous map of the cosmos hinted that the engine driving cosmic expansion might be sputtering. Now physicists are back with an even bigger map, and a stronger conclusion. Take a flight through the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument’s new map of millions of galaxies.
Weird meteorite may be relic of lost planet that no longer exists.
A meteorite discovered in north-west Africa in 2023 didn’t come from a large asteroid or any of the known planets of the solar system – but it might have formed on a planet that was destroyed long ago.
Readings Show Evidence of Huge Ocean Under Mars' Surface.
"Many studies suggest the presence of water on ancient Mars billions of years ago," said professor Ikuo Katayama in a statement, "but our model indicates the presence of liquid water on present-day Mars."
🧠 The Mind, Consciousness & the Origins of Life
How to think about the sublime.
An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason.
Vagus nerve stimulation changes brain chemistry, hinting at therapeutic potential.
Researchers found that a single 30-minute session of vagus nerve stimulation led to notable reductions in a specific protein associated with synaptic activity in rats. This change was observed in key brain areas linked to cognition, motor control, and mood regulation.
Mastery of language could predict longevity.
Everyone ages, but, sometimes, people outlive all predictions. Previous research has uncovered an unlikely factor related to longevity: intelligence. However, intelligence isn’t a simple characteristic. There are many traits that contribute to it that can be tested—from memory to mathematical logic. Paolo Ghisletta linked longevity specifically to one of those traits: verbal fluency, the measure of one’s vocabulary and ability to use it.
Meditation Changes Your Brain Structure in a Good Way.
From reducing anxiety to possibly slowing dementia, learn more about the benefits meditating has on your brain.
🦠 Evolutionary Oddities & Life on Earth
Discovery of organic molecules in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones rocks paleontology.
For many years, paleontologists believed that the fossilization process completely eradicated any original organic molecules in ancient remains. Now, scientists have discovered that some Mesozoic fossils still preserve vestiges of their original organic compounds. The findings shed light on how proteins like collagen may survive for millions of years within dinosaur bones.
Scientists Capture Early Stages of DNA Unwinding.
For the first time in scientific history, the intricate moment of DNA unwinding has been directly witnessed, a groundbreaking event that elucidates the essential molecular dynamics necessary for the molecule that encodes all life.
Humans aren’t the only animals with complex culture − but researchers point to one feature that makes ours unique.
Extensive data has emerged suggesting that other animals, including bees, chimpanzees and crows, can also generate cultural complexity through social learning. Consequently, the debate over human uniqueness is shifting in a new direction.
Asteroid Bennu Holds Traces of Ancient Water – And Maybe Life’s Origins.
The asteroid harbors traces of ancient briny water, salty minerals, and even organic molecules – potential clues to life’s origins. Even more exciting, they’ve found amino acids and nucleobases, the essential building blocks of life, suggesting asteroids like Bennu may have played a role in seeding life on Earth.
Tunneling nanotube–like structures regulate distant cellular interactions during heart formation.
During cardiac development, heart muscle cells and inner lining cells are separated by a space filled with cardiac jelly. Despite this physical separation, the two cell types communicate with each other through tiny structures called tunneling nanotube-like microstructures.
🚀 Cutting-Edge Science & Technology
Never-Before-Seen: UCLA Physicists Discover Mysterious Spiral Patterns on Solid Surfaces.
A curiosity about tiny dots on a germanium wafer with metal films led to the discovery of intricate spiral patterns etched by a chemical reaction. This breakthrough marks the most significant advance in studying chemical pattern formation since the 1950s. Understanding these complex systems could shed light on natural processes like crack formation in materials and the effects of stress on biological growth.
Digital afterlife: Will your AI self outlive you—and what does that mean?
Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022.
🛸 The Unexplained & the Unusual
UFO whistleblower claims about ‘non-human’ aircrafts investigated by Pentagon.
The Defense Department confirms it is investigating claims made by government contractor Jake Barber on NewsNation that he helped the military retrieve UFO technology.
🌀 Beyond the Known
Our Universe Was Born With 'Anti-Universe' Twin, Claims Physicist.
The universe may have been born out of nothing, with an "anti-universe" twin where time runs in the opposite direction—rather than exploding from an infinitely small and dense point, or "singularity."
Gravity may arise from quantumness of space.
Scientists have long sought the particle that carries the force of gravity, but a new theoretical model tosses out that idea entirely – and shows how it could be tested in experiments.
Dark Matter Might Lurk in Its Own Shadow World.
Dark matter could be an entire dark sector of the universe, with its own particles and forces.
Which story intrigued you the most? Let me know in the comments below and provide links to any curiosities you have found!
Until next time, stay curious!
Evolution: years ago I read a book that promoted an Out of Asia theory of homospien origins, as opposed to the Out of Africa theory. Can't recall the author or title, but it was quite persuasive. Focussed on Orangutans I think.
And, human consciousness is always fascinating. I read Julian Jaynes' classic book, and been Interested ever since.
Thanks
The one about the anti universe