🔎 The Curiosity Files #11
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
There’s a ‘vast underground city’ below Egypt’s Giza pyramids, scientists’ wild theory claims — but experts debunk it as ‘fake news’.
Italian and Scottish scientists studying the pyramid of Khafre say the “groundbreaking study has redefined the boundaries of satellite data analysis and archeological exploration,” according to spokesperson Nicole Ciccolo.
Vat Phu Unveiled: The Quest into the Megalithic Khmer Stone Architecture.
The megalithic site of Vat Phu is more than mere ruins; they’re the earliest mention of Khmer stone architecture, a bridge from prehistory to the grandeur of Angkor.
Primordial Alphabet Soup.
Proto-Sinaitic script, which uses a set of alphabetic signs adapted from Egyptian hieroglyphics, is the earliest known system to rely on symbols alone to represent sounds and that could be mastered by someone who had never set foot in a scribal school.
Rarely seen cave art holds prehistoric secrets in France.
Deep inside a labyrinthine cave in southwestern France, ancient humans who lived around 30,000 years ago carved horses, mammoths and rhinoceros into the walls, a fabulous prehistoric menagerie that has rarely been seen—until now.
🌌 Cosmic & Space Mysteries
Oxygen discovered in most distant known galaxy.
This record-breaking detection is making astronomers rethink how quickly galaxies formed in the early universe.
🧠 The Mind, Consciousness & the Origins of Life
Why don’t we remember being a baby? New clues in memory mystery.
They may still exist—but we still don't know how to unlock them.
How the brain links related memories formed close in time.
If you’ve ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in their spiny extensions called dendrites.
Language creates an altered state of consciousness.
By drawing parallels between language loss from brain injuries and the experiences reported during deep meditation or psychedelic states, UCL neuroscientist Jeremy I Skipper argues language creates an altered state of consciousness. Only by losing language can we start to dismantle the scaffolding that supports our notion of the world and the self.
🦠 Evolutionary Oddities & Life on Earth
Lifespan Is Shaped More By Your Choices Than Your Genes, Study Finds.
The findings were striking, suggesting our environment and lifestyle play a much greater role than our genes in determining our longevity.
Global sea levels rose a whopping 125 feet after the last ice age.
After the last ice age, sea levels rose rapidly over a period of about 8,000 years, new research reveals.
The cell’s powerhouses: Molecular machines enable efficient energy production.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses in our cells, producing the energy for all vital processes. Using cryo-electron tomography, researchers at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel have now gained insight into the architecture of mitochondria at unprecedented resolution. They discovered that the proteins responsible for energy generation assemble into large “supercomplexes”, which play a crucial role in providing the cell’s energy.
Bizarre fossil may have been an entirely new type of life
Chemical analysis suggests the 400-million-year-old fossil Prototaxites was neither plant, animal or fungus – hinting at a mysterious life form that went extinct long ago.
🚀 Cutting-Edge Science & Technology
Can Earth’s Rotation Generate Electricity? Physicists Divided over Controversial Idea.
Experiments suggest an unusual magnetic material could help harness energy from Earth’s rotation. But not everyone is convinced
Bonkers Video Shows Boston Dynamics Robot Breakdancing.
It's an impressive show, demonstrating Atlas' considerable agility — and how far humanoid robotics have come.
🛸 The Unexplained & the Unusual
UFO whistleblower believes Trump’s 2nd term will reveal further proof.
Luis Elizondo testified before Congress that he managed an advanced aerospace threat identification program for the Pentagon. CNN's Nick Valencia speaks to the former intelligence officer about his claims that the US is in possession of non-human craft and "biological samples" from crashes.
Burchett calls for government transparency on UAPs, spending: ‘We deserve to know.
“They’re spending tens of millions of dollars on this subject. And then they turn around tell us they don’t exist,” the Tennessee Republican told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill” Friday.
🌀 Beyond the Known
Groundbreaking study unveils new complexities in synchronisation phenomena.
First experimental demonstration of fundamental patterns that govern oscillatory systems in nature and technology. Known as Arnold’s tongues they are observed in natural phenomena such as heartbeats, pendulum swings and flashing lights.
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!
Love your collection. Will subscribe when I sort out cashflow... :-(
I love the idea of a primordial alphabet!