Millions of years ago, the megalodon ruled the oceans – why did it disappear?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsustheconversation.com.
When did the megalodon shark go extinct, and why? – Landon, age 10
Imagine traveling back in time and observing the oceans of 5 million years ago.
As you stand on an ancient shoreline, you see several small whales in the distance, gliding along the surface of an ancient sea.
Suddenly, and without warning, an enormous creature erupts out of the depths.

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X-ray ****** ecraft watches monster black hole wake up and fire cosmic bullets at starburst galaxy

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The joint NASA and ****** an Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission XRISM has spotted a monster black hole awakening in a distant "starburst" galaxy.
The research is revolutionary to black hole science, because it represents the first observation of the exact stage at which "winds" from a black hole begin to shape an entire galaxy.
Thus, the "switching on" of this supermassive black h

Jupiter's moons leave cold 'footprints' in the planet's auroras, James Webb ****** e Telescope finds

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Jupiter's moons can have surprising effects on the world's displays of auroral lights by "stomping down" on the planet's gigantic magnetic environment.These surprising effects, detected in observations from the James Webb ****** e Telescope (JWST), include a cold spot in Jupiter's atmosphere, and a rapid increase in the density of charged particles."The moons constantly interact with the m

Once deemed the riskiest asteroid ever observed, asteroid 2024 YR4’s path is now clearer

The possibility that a huge ******* e rock — once deemed the riskiest asteroid ever observed — could hit the moon now appears to be off the table.
Discovered at the end of December 2024, asteroid 2024 YR4 at first seemed a serious threat to Earth, with scientists estimating as much as a 3.1% chance of it impacting our planet on December 22, 2032. A series of observations from ground- and ******* e-based telescopes quickly helped rule that out, but by June 2025, a new concern emerged: a 4.3% chance YR4

Vinicius Jr scores as Real Madrid see off Benfica

UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid (3) 2 - 1 (1) Benfica FT
Vinicius Jr scored as Real Madrid secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with victory over Benfica at the Bernabeu.
The forward had been the centre of focus in the build-up to the game, having alleged he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni shortly after scoring the only goal in the first leg.
Prestianni was subsequently handed a one-match ban, meaning he missed Wednesday's return leg, while support was shown for Vinicius Jr by the home fans as a banner

Former NFL star Tre Johnson dies suddenly at 54 on family trip

Former NFL star Tre Johnson died “suddenly and unexpectedly” on Sunday while on a family trip, his wife announced on social media with a heartbreaking statement.
Johnson was 54 years old.
His wife, Irene, revealed her husband had been dealing with health issues and had taken a leave of absence from his job as a history teacher, but his death has shocked the family.
“If you know Tre’, you know what a devoted and loving father he was to his children,’ she wrote on Facebook. “Tre’ lived for his kid’s sports activities and suppor

During the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Elon Musk called human aging a “very solvable” problem.
“When we figure out what causes aging, I think we’ll find it’s incredibly obvious,” the billionaire claimed during a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. “It’s not a subtle thing.”
For many years now, youth-obsessed billionaires have been forking out immense sums to try experimental techniques that could turn back the clock on their aging bodies. Meanwhile, a cottage industry of anti-aging companies claiming to have the answer has cropped up, racing to test their treatments on h

NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory is considered one of the agency’s greatest achievements, but it’s not necessarily as recognizable as siblings like the James Webb and Hubble ****** e Telescopes. However, since 1999, the powerful ****** ecraft has peered deep into the cosmos to provide astronomers with never-before-seen glimpses of the Milky Way galaxy. As the observatory nears its 27th anniversary, NASA is highlighting its Chandra Source Catalog (CSC), an absolutely massive archive of visualization data collected over the years.
The most recent CSC update adds more than 400,000 unique compact

Bill Miller IV, chairman and CIO of Miller Value Partners, suggests that Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) could skyrocket to an astonishing $1.7 million per coin if it gains recognition as ‘digital gold’.
Miller’s statement comes amidst a period when gold is reaching record highs, leading skeptics to question any correlation between the precious metal and the top-ranking cryptocurrency. However, Miller argues that the absence of correlation is precisely the point.
The proposed price target of $1.7 million for Bitcoin is derived from a market cap parity calculation. If Bitcoin were to seize the entire m

As 2025 came to a close, Bitcoin (BTC) ended on a negative note, trading more than 30% below its all-time...
Bitcoin closed the year slightly in the red, marking a rare break in the long-observed four-year cycle pattern of one...
A well-known finance coach in the XRP community has urged patience, calling the cryptocurrency’s price sliding under $2 a rare...

https://www.newsbtc.com/ne...

As 2025 came to a close, subtle changes in Federal Reserve activity started to catch the attention of traders watching both macro markets and crypto. Unusual moves in short-term funding and a series of quiet policy adjustments suggested that liquidity pressures might be easing. For some observers, that raised the possibility that Bitcoin could start moving higher before traditional markets show clearer signs of recovery in 2026.
On December 31, 2025, banks drew a record $74.6 billion from the Federal Reserve’s Standing Repo Facility. That spike pointed to stress in short-term funding markets

Bitcoin Reclaims $90K as U.S. Bid Returns

Bitcoin broke the psychological $90,000 barrier on Friday, trading at $90,742 (+3.2%) during the New York session, effectively snapping a Q4 2025 trend where U.S. trading hours were dominated by selling pressure.
The reversal reflects the end of end-of-year tax-loss harvesting that drove Bitcoin down 23% in Q4.
Buying volume accelerated at 09:30 ET, contrasting sharply with the “4 p.m. sell-off” pattern observed throughout December. CoinGlass data show futures open interest jumped 2.16% to $130 billion in the last 24 hours, indicating renewed leve

1 person dead and another injured in midair New Jersey helicopter crash, officials say

HAMMONTON, N.J. (AP) — Two helicopters crashed midair in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities say.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision betwe

Researchers aboard a Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute vessel recently captured rare footage of a seven-armed octopus, offering a vivid reminder of how patient observation and careful environmental management can unlock new knowledge.
Senior scientist Steven Haddock spotted the elusive animal on November 6th, while piloting a remotely operated vehicle in Monterey Bay, an encounter so uncommon it had not been documented since 2017, reported Monterey County NOW.
As Haddock told the outlet, "You never know what you're going to see."
The octopus, Haliphron atlanticus, was observed nearly

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Retail crypto's mood is "extraordinarily negative," but institutional investors are "unremittingly bullish," according to Bitwise ******* et Mangement's Matt Hougan.
Amberdata's Greg Magadini expects interest in bitcoin as a "debasement hedge" to pick up next year.
The rise and subsequent retreat of bitcoin perfectly encapsulates the crypto industry's year. It won big—but it doesn't have much to show for it yet.
The price of bitcoin, the world's most well-known cryptocurrency, soared above $126,000, a record, but those gains evaporated and it's poised to finish down for 2025.

Some Bitcoin developers are no longer arguing about whether quantum computing will break the network, but letting onlookers know how long it would take to prepare if it ever did.
That shift was crystallized this week by longtime Bitcoin developer Jameson Lopp, who said that while quantum computers are unlikely to threaten Bitcoin anytime soon, any meaningful defensive changes could take much longer than many ******* ume.
"No, quantum computers won't break Bitcoin in the near future," Lopp posted. "We'll keep observing their evolution. Yet, making thoughtful changes to the protocol (and an un

Bitcoin’s price may still dominate headlines, but among ***** ysts and institutional strategists, attention is quietly shifting elsewhere.
Instead of debating whether Bitcoin can reclaim upside momentum in the near term, market observers are increasingly focused on a deeper question: whether the structural signals that once reliably guided Bitcoin’s four-year cycle are beginning to fracture.
The shift comes on the backdrop of fading demand indicators, rising exchange flows, and a growing divide between ***** ysts.
On the one hand, some believe Bitcoin is entering a traditional post-peak cor

Economists cast doubt on inflation report: 'Hard to take this data seriously'

How much is inflation really cooling?
Thursday’s release of November’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data showed inflation unexpectedly eased to an annual rise of 2.7% that month. But monthly comparisons — October data was never collected due to the government shutdown — were absent from the Labor Department’s report, leaving more recent price swings a bit of a mystery for dozens of product categories.
Economists treaded lightly following the report.
Heather Long, chief economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union,

Numerous stories have been written about the growing swarm of Starlink satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) over the past few years, as astronomers grow increasingly worried about the crafts’ impact on their observation equipment. Launched by Elon Musk’s ******* eX, each satellite has the potential to disrupt astronomy through both radio emissions and light pollution — and as the number of satellites grows, so too does the amount of interference.
Now, a new study by researchers at NASA is warning that obstructions caused by ******* eX and other private satellite companies are becoming so sever

Maggots may be the key to more accurately determining when people died, according to Florida researchers, pointing to the genetic makeup of larvae.
The findings build on previous methods that investigators have used to determine when people died. Currently, investigators rely on the outer appearance of maggots and the presence of eggs on decomposing bodies to estimate people's death dates.
However, researchers at Miami’s Florida International University (FIU) have found that by observing maggots’ genes and metabolic changes, investigators can better estimate when people died.
Calling the di

NASA warns satellite boom could ruin 96% of telescope images

A new NASA-led study shows that the increasing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit could ruin up to 96% of images from some orbiting telescopes and **** e observatories.
“The urgency starts in the moment we’re seeing a very rapid increase in the number of satellite constellations, in particular, not the satellites that have been launched, but in the satellites that are being proposed,” Dr. Alejandro Serrano Borlaff, research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center and co-author of the study, told ABC News. “Before these satell

Artificial intelligence companies are quickly expanding without the protections experts say are needed.
According to NBC News, the Winter 2025 AI Safety Index reviewed eight companies across 35 indicators and found that these companies are rolling out increasingly powerful systems while leaving gaps in oversight.
The index evaluated areas such as risk-assessment procedures, information sharing processes, governance structures, and safety-research support and documented inconsistent or absent protocols and protections across the industry. The organizations scoring lowest are racing to match o

A rare technical signal that preceded Bitcoin’s explosive rally in late 2023 has reappeared, with the Bollinger Bandwidth indicator dipping below 100 and flashing a green alert that could reshape Bitcoin price prediction for the remainder of December.
Macro strategist Gert van Lagen observed that every previous trigger of this indicator has been followed by a direct parabolic leg upward, raising expectations of a potential 40% surge before year-end.
Van Lagen noted the current setup mirrors Google’s parabolic run before its final blow-off wave ahead of the 2008 financial crisis, characterize

Scientists debate a 70-year-old UFO mystery as new images come to light

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More than 70 years ago, astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in California photographed several star-like flashes that appeared and vanished within an hour — years before the first satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into orbit.
New peer-reviewed research revisiting those midcentury sky plates repo

Sunday Night Football: How to watch the Denver Broncos vs. Washington Commanders game
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The Washington Commanders have been struggling as of late, racking up six straight losses and dealing with the absence of injured quarterback Jayden Daniels, whose dislocated elbow has kept him off the field since Week 9. With Daniels out for yet another week, backup QB Marcus Mariota will make his third straight start for the Commanders this Sunday night when the team

To commemorate 25 years since the International Gemini Observatory achieved full operations, Chilean students selected the stunning ***** erfly Nebula (NGC 6302) as the celebratory image for the Gemini South telescope in Chile.
Operated by NSF’s NOIRLab and located atop Cerro Pachón, the 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope captured a breathtaking new image of the glowing, wing-shaped planetary nebula as part of the “Gemini First Light Anniversary Image Contest.”
The contest invited students from the observatory’s host communities in Chile and Hawaii to choose an object that honors the observato

We learn more and more about our universe all the time, but there’s recently been a huge spike in stunning cosmic observations. An increase in funding, dramatic advancements in telescopes, AI, image-processing algorithms, and data ******* ysis has unleashed a flood of great new discoveries in 2025.
As fact-finders, it’s nice to know that a universe as big as ours keeps the new facts rolling in. We know the multiverse is just theory as of now, but if we ever prove there are other universes out there, we’ll try to gobble up facts about those, too. It’s never enough for us! Hopefully this pace o

Barbara Scollin, grandniece of Major Gen. Kenneth D. Nichols, continues her series on his life.
***
Ample reasons, most notably leadership skills, personality traits and qualifications, led to choosing General (then Colonel) Kenneth D. Nichols as Deputy District Engineer and subsequently as District Engineer of the Manhattan Engineer District (MED). In this capacity he had supervision of the research and development connected with, and the design, construction and operation of all plants required for the production of plutonium and uranium-235, including the construction of the towns of Oak

Few things in the universe are as perplexing as dark matter — the invisible and exotic “stuff” that is thought to make up most of the matter in galaxies.
The theory goes like this: To reconcile our current understanding of physics with what we observe in the cosmos, there must be massive amounts of matter that we can’t see. Scientists are sure that this “missing matter” exists because of the gravitational effects it exerts, but detecting it firsthand has eluded scientists, who have had to indirectly infer how dark matter occupies the universe.
Nearly a century after dark matter was first the

Bitcoin is attempting to regain upward momentum after recent declines, but the crypto king’s recovery is being met with caution.
While sentiment has softened, the current structure suggests consolidation rather than a major bearish reversal.
One of the clearest signals of cooling momentum is the sharp decline in Realized Cap Change, which has fallen to 1.4%. This marks a 28.1% drop and places the metric below its lower band. The shift reflects softer net inflows and lighter demand across the market. These conditions are consistent with consolidation phases, where investors prefer to observe