Ecology

Who was the witches' familiar and why did it often look like a black cat

Who was the witches’ familiar and why did it often look like a black cat

Credits: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The world of witches it is made up not only of potions and spells, but also of silent black, winged or furry companions: i families. But what does this evocative word really mean and why has it always been associated with witches? The term derives from the Latin familiaris ...

Two volcanic eruptions at the origin of the Little Ice Age: the discovery in the ice of Antarctica

Two volcanic eruptions at the origin of the Little Ice Age: the discovery in the ice of Antarctica

Abraham Hondius’ 1677 painting of the frozen Thames. Credit: Museum of London To cause the Little Ice Agethe period of intense cold that mainly affected Europe from the 16th to the 19th century approximatelythey would have been two almost simultaneous volcanic eruptions: that of Kuwae volcano in Vanuatuin Oceania, and of another volcano in the southern hemisphere which has yet ...

NASA has not activated any planetary defense protocol for comet 3I/ATLAS: what is true

NASA has not activated any planetary defense protocol for comet 3I/ATLAS: what is true

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS imaged by the Gemini South telescope in Chile. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons For the first time, NASA would have activated a planetary defense protocol in response to the passage of an interstellar object in the Solar System, in this case the comet 3I/ATLAS: well, if you’ve read something ...

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is about to hit Jamaica: it is the strongest storm of 2025

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa is about to hit Jamaica: it is the strongest storm of 2025

An image of Hurricane Melissa preparing to make landfall in Jamaica. Credit: NOAA THE’Hurricane Melissa is about to make landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds expected up to 280 km/h and torrential rains with accumulations estimated between 380 and 762 mm. According to what was reported by National Hurricane Center, Melissa is currently moving in a ...

What stretching is and what it is for: why it is used in sport

What stretching is and what it is for: why it is used in sport

The stretching it is an activity that has always characterized the training of athletes of all levels. In fact, just think of how easy it is to observe footballers, runners or volleyball players performing these exercises at different moments of their physical activity. Although it is the subject of extensive discussions among professionals, especially regarding methods and timing, numerous studies ...

How is inner language generated? The science of thinking and “talking to yourself”

How is inner language generated? The science of thinking and “talking to yourself”

The inner language it constantly inhabits the mind of each of us. It is an invisible dialogue with ourselves that appears from the first years of life, capable of appearing as a monologue that resonates with our own voice, a debate between multiple different positions, or sometimes even a chorus or the internalization of someone else’s voice. We don’t know ...

The Roman tortoise was a formation of the army of ancient Rome: here's how it was made

The Roman tortoise was a formation of the army of ancient Rome: here’s how it was made

There Roman tortoise it was a military formation of the infantry of the Roman army that served for protect the legionaries from arrows and other projectiles thrown by the enemy. It consisted of deploying soldiers in multiple rows, with large rectangular shields, both in front and above the formation. According to the story of Plutarch and Cassius Diowas used for ...

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Who were the Etruscans and why are they considered the first great Italian civilization

You’re watching Ancient peoples Don’t miss out on more content from Geopop The Etruscans are considered the first great Italian civilization: they lived in the area between present-day Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria mainly between the 10th and 4th centuries BC. Much of their history has been lost – particularly after their conquest by the Romans. We know for sure that ...