Whether they are a Siamese, Persian, Maine Coon, or Domestic Shorthair, there are hundreds of millions of cats living with people around the world. But despite their popularity as pets, the history of cat domestication has remained difficult for scientists to decipher. A new genome study is providing some insight into the matter by determining the timing of a key milestone in feline domestication - the introduction of domestic cats into Europe from North Africa. Domestic cats pounced into Europe roughly 2,000 years ago in early imperial Roman times, the researchers found, probably thanks to maritime trade. Some of these furry trailblazers
A: While year-end blockbusters hit cinemas, South Korea’s two-day 2025 Asia Artist Awards, known as “AAA,” is scheduled for this weekend in Kaohsiung. B: Saturday’s AAA award show will be co-hosted by IVE’s Jang Won-young and 2PM’s Lee Jun-ho. A: Apart from Park Bo-gum and IU from the K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, the lineup includes Lee Jun-hyuk, Kim You-jung, Yoon-a and Japan’s Satoh Takeru. B: And the performers include IVE, Le Sserafim, Monsta X, Stray Kids and Singapore’s JJ Lin. A: Sunday’s ACON music show will be co-hosted by I-dle’s Taiwanese member Susan Yeh and Cravity’s Taiwanese-American
You’re half-asleep with your head resting on the desk during your lunch break. All of a sudden, your leg kicks violently, your head snaps up, and you’re wide awake in a split second. This __1__ sensation is called a “hypnic jerk,” a common phenomenon that strikes just as your body starts to relax, but your brain mistakenly hits the panic button. A hypnic jerk is an involuntary muscle spasm that usually occurs during the __2__ from wakefulness to sleep, especially during the early stages of sleep. As the body begins to relax, muscles loosen and breathing slows down. One
Scientists at Argentina’s Marambio Station in Antarctica have detected high levels of ammonia gas in the air near an “Adelie penguin” colony. The ammonia, released from nitrogen-rich penguin guano, reacts with sulfur compounds emitted by oceanic plankton to form aerosol particles. These particles boost cloud formation and can sometimes lead to fog. Scientists found that even after the penguins left the area, the remaining guano continued to give off significant amounts of ammonia. Clouds created by the guano can influence the local climate by either reflecting sunlight or trapping heat, depending on environmental conditions. In other words, penguin waste