All posts tagged: oldest

Try the Oldest Known Recipe For Toothpaste: From Ancient Egypt, Circa the 4th Century BC

Try the Oldest Known Recipe For Toothpaste: From Ancient Egypt, Circa the 4th Century BC

Published by José Betancourt

Image of Ancient Egypt­ian Den­tistry, via Wiki­me­dia Com­mons When we assume that mod­ern improve­ments are far supe­ri­or to the prac­tices of the ancients, we might do well to actu­al­ly learn how peo­ple in the dis­tant past lived before indulging in “chrono­log­i­cal snob­bery.” Take, for exam­ple, the area of den­tal hygiene. We might imag­ine the ancient Greeks or Egyp­tians as prone to ram­pant tooth decay, lack­ing the ben­e­fits of pack­aged, brand­ed tooth­paste, silken rib­bons of floss, astrin­gent mouth­wash, and ergonom­ic tooth­brush­es. But in fact, as tooth­paste man­u­fac­tur­er Col­gate points out, “the basic fun­da­men­tals” of tooth­brush design “have not changed since the times of the Egyp­tians and Babylonians—a han­dle to grip, and a bris­tle-like fea­ture with which to clean the teeth.” And not only did ancient peo­ple use tooth­brush­es, but it is believed that “Egyp­tians… start­ed using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 BC,” even before tooth­brush­es were invent­ed. In 2003, cura­tors at a Vien­nese muse­um dis­cov­ered “the world’s old­est-known for­mu­la for tooth­paste,” writes Irene Zoech in The Tele­graph, “used more than 1,500 years before …

300-million-year-old sea creature mistaken for the world’s oldest octopus

300-million-year-old sea creature mistaken for the world’s oldest octopus

Published by Jenni Sidey

For years, this fossil seemed to tell a thrilling story. Here was an animal from more than 300 million years ago that appeared to look like an octopus, complete with what were described as arms, fins and no visible shell. It was so important that it helped push the origin of octopuses far deeper into Earth’s past than many scientists had expected. Now that story has collapsed. A new reexamination of Pohlsepia mazonensis, a famous fossil from Illinois, has found that the supposed “oldest octopus” was not an octopus at all. Instead, researchers say it belonged to a nautiloid, a group related to today’s Nautilus, the shelled marine animal often called a living fossil. The real clue came from tiny teeth hidden inside the rock for hundreds of millions of years. “It turns out the world’s most famous octopus fossil was never an octopus at all,” said Dr. Thomas Clements, lead author of the study and a lecturer in invertebrate zoology at the University of Reading. “It was a nautilus relative that had been decomposing …

Fatou, the World’s Oldest Gorilla Living in Captivity, Celebrates Her 69th Birthday at Berlin Zoo

Fatou, the World’s Oldest Gorilla Living in Captivity, Celebrates Her 69th Birthday at Berlin Zoo

Published by Sam Flores

But no birthday cake, because sugar isn’t healthy for the aging primate. Fatou, a western lowland gorilla, arrived in what was then West Berlin in 1959. She was believed to be about 2 years old at the time, though her exact birth date isn’t known — April 13 is her designated birthday. Gorillas can live for around 35-40 years in the wild and longer in captivity. Fatou became the zoo’s oldest resident in 2024, following the death of Ingo the flamingo. The bird was believed to be at least 75 and had lived at the zoo since 1955. Fatou was likely born in the wild in western Africa, but the story goes that a French sailor took her out of Africa and bartered her to cover his bar tab in Marseille, France, according to the Guinness World Records. A French animal trader then reportedly sold her to the zoo. These days, Fatou lives in an enclosure of her own and prefers to keep her distance from the zoo’s other gorillas in her old age. She’s …

Jonathan, the giant tortoise, the world’s oldest living land animal ‘is alive’ after getting caught up in alleged crypto scam | World News

Jonathan, the giant tortoise, the world’s oldest living land animal ‘is alive’ after getting caught up in alleged crypto scam | World News

Published by skeptic

A giant Seychelles tortoise, believed to be the world’s oldest living land animal, is alive and well after claims he had died turned out to be part of an alleged crypto scam. Posts emerged on Wednesday claiming Jonathan, who is thought to be 193 years old according to the official website devoted to him, was dead. Reports of his demise were posted on X by the account @JoeHollinsVet, named after Joe Hollins, a vet who has taken care of Jonathan and previously spoken of his experiences. Image: Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise. File pic: St Helena/PA Image: Posing for tourists on St. Helena. Pic: AP The message read that he was “heartbroken” to announce that the “beloved” creature “has passed away today peacefully”. Describing himself as Jonathan’s “vet for many years”, he said: “Rest easy, old friend. You’ll be missed more than words can say” and later thanked people “for the outpouring of love for Jonathan as we mourn his passing”. But the Friends of the British Overseas Territories, quoting the island’s governor, Nigel Phillips, …

Is the UK’s oldest network still a winner?

Is the UK’s oldest network still a winner?

Published by Sam Flores

We surveyed 1,022 Telegraph readers across the UK* to find out who provided their mobile network and what they thought about the service. Readers provided their verdicts for the three master brands (EE, O2 and VodafoneThree), as well as virtual networks (MVNOs): Tesco Mobile, Lebara, Sky Mobile, BT Mobile and Giffgaff. We excluded any provider used by fewer than 20 per cent of our readers. In addition, we categorised providers with an average rating of three stars or lower as “below average”. As well as speed, reliability, value for money and ease of contact, we asked our readers how helpful their providers were once they got through to them, as well as their experiences using data roaming while abroad. Score: 3/5 As mentioned previously, Vodafone isn’t the cheapest network. Certainly, if you’re the kind of person who only has a mobile phone for emergencies, you’ll want to look at rivals such as Lebara or Tesco Mobile for far cheaper entry-level deals. That said, some of Vodafone’s pay-as-you-go SIMs are competitively priced, and the ‘Unlimited Plus’ …

Oldest known dog extends the genetic history of our canine companions

Oldest known dog extends the genetic history of our canine companions

Published by skeptic

Evidence from Pınarbaşı in Turkey shows that hunter-gatherers were looking after dogs about 15,800 years ago Kathryn Killackey Ancient remains in Turkey from 15,800 years ago have been confirmed as coming from a dog, the earliest one ever found. Genetic evidence also reveals that our best friends were already widely distributed across Europe 14,300 years ago, when humans were hunter-gatherers and agriculture hadn’t yet emerged. When dogs were domesticated is a knotty question, given the physical and genetic similarities between dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and grey wolves (Canis lupus). Previously, the oldest remains genetically identified as being from a dog date to around 10,900 years ago. However, there are dog-like bones from as far back as 33,000 years ago from animals that weren’t quite dogs yet genetically, known as incipient dogs. To get a better handle on how the history of dogs played out, Lachie Scarsbrook at the University of Oxford and his colleagues have examined the genomes obtained from several early, dog-like remains at archaeological sites around Europe. The earliest remains confirmed as being …

The world’s oldest wild bird has a new grandchick

The world’s oldest wild bird has a new grandchick

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is shining a light on a new member of a famous feathered family—that of the world’s oldest known breeding bird, a Laysan albatross called Wisdom.   The agency posted a video on social media featuring a scruffy looking hatchling seemingly yawning as it hangs out in the sand in close contact with a giant bird—presumably one of its parents. The parent occasionally touches the baby bird with its long beak, and the entire sequence is, rather appropriately, accompanied by the sound of Olivia Dean’s So Easy (To Fall In Love). Indeed, it’s hard not to fall in love with the baby bird.  “This hatchling, recorded earlier this month on the refuge, belongs to Wisdom’s son born in 2011, easily identified with the red tag labeled ‘N333,’ an offshoot of his mother’s legendary ‘Z333’ tag,” reads the video’s caption. The hatchling’s grandmother is over 70 years old. The seabird was alive during President Eisenhower’s administration …

The Battle for Labour’s oldest stronghold:  Wales – POLITICO

The Battle for Labour’s oldest stronghold:  Wales – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

In May, Labour faces losing some of its oldest heartlands. In Wales, the party has dominated elections for 104 years, but is, according to polls, fighting for third or fourth place against powerful forces on the left and right — Plaid Cymru and Reform. Host Sascha O’Sullivan and POLITICO’s political editor Dan Bloom took the train to Newport and drove through South Wales, where the fight is fiercest, to find out how the parties are vying for the top spot in the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament. They spoke to first minister Eluned Morgan as she launched the Welsh Labour campaign in Newport Market. And newly-appointed Welsh leader of Reform Dan Thomas explained why the party there differs from the one led by Nigel Farage. Westminster Insider speaks to Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth about how the party has ditched their message on independence in a bid to scoop up voters on the left disillusioned with Labour. Source link