An international team of astrophysicists from South Africa, the UK, France and the US have found large variations in the brightness of light seen from around one of the closest black holes in our Galaxy, 9,600 light-years from Earth, which they conclude is caused by a huge warp in its accretion disc

For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. In the Kingdom of Judea it was a source of food, shelter, medicine, and shade. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again.

(opens in new tab) A never-before-seen ecosystem lurks in an underground river deep below the icy surface in Antarctica. Researchers recently brought this "hidden world" into the light, revealing a dark and jagged cavern filled with swarms of tiny, shrimplike creatures.

Sometimes the stress of work can get to be so overwhelming, so it's nice to get away for a while. However, even on an incredible vacation, it can be hard to leave all your worries at the office-especially when you're concerned about the mountain of important emails that will go unanswered in your absence.

Scientists knew swine were smart, but had never seen this skill

Researchers discovered an unusual property of a bacteria that can "breathe" in some metal and sulfur compounds and create materials that can improve electronics, energy storage, and medical devices. Specifically, the anaerobic Shewanella oneidensis bacterium can produce molybdenum disulfide, a material that can transfer electronics as well as graphene, explains the press release from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, whose team of engineers carried out the research.

A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year - a proliferation that has driven some unnerved homeowners indoors and prompted a flood of anxious social media posts.

In a find unlike anything seen before, a piece of opal from the island of java in indonesia holds some remarkable cargo: a stunningly preserved insect that may be at least four to seven million years old. Previously, plenty of ancient insects have been found in amber, a gemstone made of fossilized tree resin.