What Scientists Just Discovered

Education, Just for Fun

What Scientists Just Discovered Inside These Ancient Stones

Scientists have finally taken a deep look inside the massive stones of Sacsayhuamán, and what they found surprised even the experts. Petrographic tests, microscopic imaging, and geophysical scans revealed that the blocks don’t match the limestone from the nearby quarry—yet share the same chemical makeup. The crystals inside are far finer than normal limestone, and some stones contain natural veins that shouldn’t appear in man-made material. These discoveries suggest that the builders were working with an unusual type of naturally altered rock, rather than concrete or geopolymer mixtures. The results reshape what we thought we knew about one of Peru’s most mysterious ancient structures.

The Saqsehuan stones were quarried near Rumiqolqa, located about 35 kilometers southeast of Cusco, Peru. These quarries provided the massive stones used to construct the Sacsaywaman fortress, which is renowned for its remarkable dry-stone walls and precise fitting of the stones without the use of mortar.

How much are Doctors Paid?

Broken in the USA, Economics, Education

The average doctor in the US earned $350,000 in individual total income in 2017. That’s about 1.75 times what most people guessed ($200,050). But, of course, doctors of certain specialties earn more than others. And earnings vary by state — and the top state might surprise you.

  • The highest-paid doctors live in South Dakota. There, the average physician earned $432,800 in 2017. Compared to other states, South Dakota had a median household income below the national average, at $56,521 in 2017. 
  • Workloads for different specialties also contribute to income differences. Neurosurgeons earned an average of $623,500 in 2017, over three times more than family medicine doctors ($192,800). They also worked about 16 more hours per week on average: 63.6 compared to 47.4. 
  • Some jobs, like lawyers, have pay that tracks closely to state household income. Physician pay follows no such pattern. This is partly due to how Medicare adjusts reimbursements, particularly in rural areas.

The top 1% of the nation’s doctors earned an average of $4 million annually, largely from business income and

Galaxy GN-z11

Education, Just for Fun, Science

How is this possible?

Galaxy GN-z11 was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2023, and one of the farthest galaxies ever found at a distance of 32 billion light-years. How is this possible when the Universe is only 13.8 billion years old? Not to be outdone, JADES-GS-z14-0 is 33.8 billion light-years distant. My only explanation is that the universe has expanded at an average rate of 2.5 times the speed of light. I say average because there is evidence that the universe’s expansion is accelerating. Your thoughts?