This hebdomad we may finally have expose why human race have such big brain , a Harvard astronomer claims to have recovered spell of an interstellar object , the role of predator in keeping ecosystem tidy has been explore in a myriad of ways , and ancient step propose human beings were jade shoes 148,000 yr ago . Finally we take a look at Dollo ’s law of irreversibility and what it means for phylogenesis .

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Indian Moon Rover Hits Jackpot, Detects Wealth Of Elements At Lunar South Pole

India ’s Chandrayan-3 lunar mission is turn out a scientific succeeder as well as a technical triumph , with its Pragyan rover successfully analyze the composition of the Moon ’s surface close to the lunar south pole and discover a riches of elements there , include sulfur , Ca and oxygen . Read the full story here .

We May Finally Know Why Humans Have Such Big Brains

The size of the human brain has roughly triple over the past 4 million age of hominid evolution , yet the factors drive this expansion are not to the full translate . Attempting to solve this conundrum , a very brainy life scientist has machinate a computer model that recreates the development of our cognitive contraption , let out that the human cerebrum may owe its size to our pattern of sexual maturation . Read the full story here .

Harvard Team Claims They Have Recovered Pieces Of An Interstellar Object

A controversial Harvard physicist who claims outlander may have visited the Solar System spend last month searching the Pacific Ocean for remnants of an interstellar target , and exact he found it . Read the full report here .

Predators Are Crucial For Healthy Ecosystems, And Not Just As Hunters

Staring down the toothy jaws of a wolf , you might not imagine it ’s an fauna that needs the assistant of us bald emulator to get by – but across the world , we ’ve catch that marauder population are declining . Protecting these specie is n’t just essential for their own natural selection , but also for the continued salubrious function of ecosystems , as new research has pinpointed the unreplaceable role they dally . Read the full narration here .

Ancient Footprints Suggest Humans May Have Worn Shoes 148,000 Years Ago

A new analysis of ancient footprints in South Africa suggests that the man who made these tracks might have been wearing hard - soled sandal . While researchers are reluctant to shoehorn in any unshakable conclusions regarding the use of footwear in the distant past , the prints ’ strange characteristics may provide the oldest evidence yet that people used shoe to protect their feet from sharp rock’n’roll in the Middle Stone Age . Read the full story here .

Feature of the week:

Is Reversing Evolution Possible? Exploring The Implications Of Dollo’s Law

Back in 1893 , Belgian paleontologist Louis Dollo developed the precept that , once a structure is misplace in evolution , then it is lost always . It basically treats phylogeny like a one - way street and that phylogeny is not reversible . This wide-eyed conception became known as Dollo ’s law . However , the law of nature may not be as simple as you might think . Read the full story here .

More content:

Check out time of year 3 of IFLScience’sThe Big Questions Podcast , so far we ’ve ask :

• Is Jurassic Park potential ?

• How Is clime Change Affecting Polar Bear Populations ?

• Why Is Space detritus Such A Big Deal ?

• Can We Save A Species On The Very Brink Of Extinction ?

• How Does A Quantum Computer Work And How Will They Change The humans ?

• What Is Space Weather And How Does It move Us ?

• What Is Ancient Ice Telling Us About The Future ?

PLUS , have you seen our devoid e - magazine , CURIOUS ? Issue 27 February 2025 is out now . break it out for exclusive interviews , book extract , long read , and much more .