Scientists from Japan and Taiwan may have solved an old mystery: how did ancient people with simple tools and little scientific knowledge make long, dangerous ocean trips to new places? To test their ideas, the researchers made a trip of their own in a canoe they built from a tree using stone tools.
Published in “Asia”
If you feel like yesterday just flew by, you're not wrong. Yesterday was the second shortest day this year - about a thousandth of a second faster than normal. For a number of reasons, the Earth will spin slightly faster on several days this summer.
On Saturday, China began building what is expected to be the world's largest dam. The dam, which is in Tibet, will produce massive amounts of electricity. But it has upset people in India and Bangladesh, who are worried about how the dam will affect them.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered US forces to attack nuclear sites in Iran. The move added to Israel's continuing war with Iran. Yesterday, Iran struck back, hitting a US military base in Qatar. Despite concerns that the conflict could grow, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was announced yesterday evening.
On Tuesday, a volcano in Indonesia called Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, erupted. The eruption sent a huge cloud of ash and smoke 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) into the sky, causing serious problems with air travel to and from popular tourist sites in Indonesia. No injuries have been reported.
Last Friday, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran. The attack hit Iran's nuclear sites as well as other important military targets. Iran responded with attacks on Israel. Since Friday, the fighting has increased, raising concerns that the conflict could grow, and perhaps even involve other countries.
Last Thursday, the United Kingdom signed an agreement which will return control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In exchange, the UK will be able to continue using the largest island as a military base for the next 99 years.
Last year, the world lost more forests than ever before. The biggest cause of this loss was fires. Land clearing for farming and other human activities was also a major cause. The results are very worrying for the planet, which relies on forests to help fight climate change.
Actions by US President Donald Trump are raising serious questions about how he is using his position as president to make himself and his family richer. Some of Mr. Trump's actions would have been enough to force earlier presidents from office.
In March, Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas and restarted its war in Gaza. Israel's attacks and efforts to cut off food and other supplies have left hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people in Gaza struggling to survive.
On Earth Day - April 22 - the XPrize announced the winners of its Carbon Removal contest. A company called Mati Carbon won the $50 million prize. Their method is simple, but it could remove huge amounts of carbon dioxide and also help farmers grow more food.