Murder is an unfortunate crime that we see daily on the nightly news, and people have been committing this act for centuries. However, new evidence shows that we might have been killing others as far back as 430,000 years ago. A fossilized skull discovered within a Spanish cave has scientists believing that homicide was a real …
Author: Prentice, the Science Platypus
Prentice is the mascot of Insanitek.
Why a platypus? Well, why not? It's unusual, somewhat crazy, and evolution pretty much smashed a bunch of concepts together and said, "Try that."
The Science of Sun Safety
Our whole world revolves around the sun, both literally and figuratively. It promotes the growth of the food we eat, provides a timeline by which we order our days, and gives us physical light, which greatly aids in vision. Although we rely on the sun to meet some of our most vital needs, the constituents …
DNA Shows that Dogs May Have Split Sooner From Wolves
The similarities between wolves and domesticated dogs is fairly obvious to us today, but exactly how long ago did our pups split from their descendants? Research published in Current Biology shows that it may have been more recently than we originally thought. The current assumption is that it occurred 15,000 years ago while humans were …
Study: Why Are People Dying in Your Neck of the Woods?
We would all ideally like to go out in a blaze of glory, but sometimes, death just isn’t that attractive. A new study led by New York State Cancer Registry Research Scientist Francis Boscoe gives us a glimpse into the most distinctive causes of death in various areas of the country. The study shows that the most …
Slow Down! Report Shows 24,400 Injuries Linked to Treadmills in 2014
With more Americans becoming obsessed with losing weight, the treadmill seems like an obvious tool to use in the quest to be thin. However, more people appear to be taking safety less seriously in the process. A study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that in 2014, there were more than 24,400 …
Here are 5 Newly Discovered Creatures You Need to See to Believe
Although we’ve been on this planet for quite some time, there are still new creatures being discovered on a regular basis. In fact, the College of Environmental Science and Forestry has recently composed a list of about 18,000 newly discovered species discovered over the past year. In honor of their discoveries, the researchers typically release a “Top 10” list …
4 Common Mental Health Stigmas That Slow the Process of Healing
The days of rash lobotomies and electro-shock therapy as “cures” for mental illness may be gone, but the stigma surrounding these diseases are not. As an individual with first-hand experience, I’ve faced some of the most interesting and unfortunate misconceptions out there. In addition to having to address these conditions, stigmas give patients even more …
Research Shows Bi-Polar and Depressed People Feel Sadness Differently
What does sadness mean to you? If you happen to have a mental health condition such as bipolar disorder or depression, it could be a world of difference. A new study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands shows that there are differences in the brain activity of individuals with clinical depression and bipolar disorder. This would …
Some Americans are Concerned About Climate Change, But Which Ones?
So you say you care about the planet. But how much? According to a new study published in Nature Climate Change, your outlook on the environment and global warming may be dependent on your region. Research has found that more than 50 percent of the population of Hawaii, California, Vermont and Massachusetts are concerned about …
America on (Prescription) Drugs
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. Sports reports, nighttime news, and even Hollywood headlines all tell of a commonly occurring tragedy in American culture: death by medication overdose or abuse. The development and production of prescription medication has dramatically changed modern …