Scientists say they‘ve seen clues to the reason for the rapid decline of the Maya civilization that once occupied much of modern-day Mexico and Central America.The Mayan civilization, known for its sophisticated calendar system and pyramid construction, sprang up in 300 A.D. but seemed to collapse between 800 and 1000 A.D.A study published in the Journal Science suggests the Maya civilization perished from the effects of extreme changes in climate.Unusual rainfall patterns doomed the Maya people

Canadian researchers say they have identified fossils found more than 50 years ago as a new species of horned dinosaur that roamed Alberta 78 million years ago.Xenoceratops foremostensis, identified from fossils originally collected in 1958, was around 20 feet long and weighed more than 2 tons and represents the oldest known large-bodied horned dinosaur from Canada, paleontologists said.Writing in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, researchers said the new dinosaur was identified from skull

When a person looks at the person he or she adores, parts of the brain linked to judgment, fear or other negative emotions close down, according to a new study by British scientists.“When you look at someone you are passionate about, some areas of the brain become active … But a large part is deactivated, the part that plays a role in judgment,” said Semir Zeki, professor from Department of Cognitive Neurology, University College London. In the study “The neural basis of romantic love,” Zeki and

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Forget political pundits, gut instincts, and psychics. The mightier-than-ever silicon chip seems to reveal the future.In just two weeks this fall, computer models displayed an impressive prediction prowess.It started when the first computer model alerted meteorologists to the late October disaster headed for the U.S. Northeast from a bunch of clouds in the Caribbean. Nearly a week later, that weather system became Hurricane Sandy and grew into a superstorm after taking a once-i

A University of Utah engineering professor say her smart insole design using sensors and gyroscopes can help correct walking abnormalities.Stacy Bamberg of the university‘s department of mechanical engineering says her insole, which she calls the Rapid Rehab system, will eventually help correct walking problems for people with artificial legs, hip replacements and broken legs.The system uses a custom gel insole with force sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect a person’s gait, or walki

An exoplanet that may be capable of supporting life has been found, according to European researchers.The distance between the planet HD 40307g and its host star HD 40307 suggests the planet may have liquid water on its surface, according to a study led by Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. This increases the possibility that the planet may support living organisms.“The longer orbit of the new planet means that its climate and atmosphere may be just right to su

One of Britain's foremost organizations for UFO experts said a meeting next week will discuss the waning popularity of the search for extraterrestrial life.Dave Wood, chairman of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, said a meeting next week will discuss the waning popularity of the search for UFOs and the shuttering of several other groups dedicated to their study, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday."It is certainly a possibility that in 10 years time, it will be a d

A cockatoo from a species not known to use tools has been observed spontaneously making and using tools for reaching food, Austrian researchers say."Figaro," a Goffin's cockatoo raised in captivity near Vienna, uses his powerful beak to cut long splinters out of wooden beams or branches in its aviary to reach and rake in objects out of its reach, researchers report in the journal Current Biology."During our daily observation protocols, Figaro was playing with a small stone," study leader Alice A

 A whale almost unknown to science was seen for the first time after a mother and a male calf were stranded and died on a New Zealand beach, scientists said.They were spade-toothed beaked whales, Mesoplodon traversii, a species previously known only from a few bones, researchers at the University of Auckland said."This is the first time this species -- a whale over 5 meters (16 feet) in length -- has ever been seen as a complete specimen and we were lucky enough to find two of them," Rochelle Co

A mysterious pattern in Western China’s sand dunes was recently found in the satellite images. It seems to be produced by the pinpointing of geographical research for nickel mines. A physicist at Italy’s Polytechnic University of Turin, Amelia Carolina Sparavigna discovered a mysterious grid of dots spanning 8 kilometers. In 2010, Sparavigna started investigating Google Earth satellite images of China’s Taklamakan desert to study the textures carved into the sand dunes by the wind. In the proces

Bee venom useful to boost immune system against neurodegenerative disease