Roman-era tomb scattered with magical 'dead nails' and sealed off to shield the living from the 'restless dead'

Why is it so hard to walk on sand? | Bizarre sand dunes on Mars are 'almost perfectly circular,' and scientists don't know why | 10 discoveries that prove Einstein was right about the universe - and 1 that proves him wrong Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( March 14, 2023 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [Roman-era tomb scattered with magical 'dead nails' and sealed off to shield the living from the 'restless dead']( [Roman-era tomb scattered with magical 'dead nails' and sealed off to shield the living from the 'restless dead']( (Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project (KU Leuven)) In ancient Roman times, people may have feared the "restless dead," according to the discovery of a cremation tomb sprinkled with intentionally bent nails and sealed not only with two dozen bricks but also a layer of plaster, a new study finds. The unusual grave had 41 bent and twisted nails scattered along the edges of its cremation pyre, 24 bricks that had been meticulously placed on the still-smoldering pyre, and a layer of lime plaster on top of that. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/13) [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [Why is it so hard to walk on sand?]( [Why is it so hard to walk on sand?]( (Bernd Opitz via Getty Images) For some people, nothing beats a long walk on a sandy beach. But there's no denying that it's not as easy or as fast to get around on the beach as it is on a road or a sidewalk. But why is it so hard to walk on sand? Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/13) [] Space Exploration [] [Bizarre sand dunes on Mars are 'almost perfectly circular,' and scientists don't know why]( [Bizarre sand dunes on Mars are 'almost perfectly circular,' and scientists don't know why]( (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona) NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has captured stunning images of almost perfectly round sand dunes on the surface of the Red Planet. While sand dunes of all shapes and sizes are common on Mars, circular dunes like these are a rare sight. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/14) [] Math & Physics [] [10 discoveries that prove Einstein was right about the universe - and 1 that proves him wrong]( [10 discoveries that prove Einstein was right about the universe - and 1 that proves him wrong]( (James Jarche/Popperfoto via Getty Images) Despite the technical limitations of his time, Albert Einstein published his famous theory of general relativity in 1915, which made predictions about the nature of the universe that would be proven accurate time and again for more than 100 years to come. Here are 10 recent observations that proved Einstein was right about the nature of the cosmos a century ago — and one that proved him wrong. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/14) [] Your Health [] [Prostate cancer treatments can be avoided or delayed in many cases, huge study finds]( [Prostate cancer treatments can be avoided or delayed in many cases, huge study finds]( (STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) Many men with prostate cancer can delay or skip harsh treatments, such as surgery or radiation, without undermining their chances of survival, a decades-long study finds. Instead, they can have their cancer "actively monitored" following diagnosis, rather than having their prostate removed or exposed to high-energy radiation. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/13) [] Curious Creatures [] [Black widows are being slaughtered by their brown widow cousins, and we don't know why]( [Black widows are being slaughtered by their brown widow cousins, and we don't know why]( (Shutterstock) Black widow spiders in the U.S. are being killed off by an unexpected rival: their invasive relatives, but the motivation behind the highly aggressive attacks is not yet clear, a new study finds. The perpetrators, brown widow spiders (Latrodectus geometricus), likely originated in Africa or South America but have since spread to every continent on Earth apart from Antarctica. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/14) [] [Hollow bones in giant dinosaurs and pterosaurs show convergent evolution in action, fossil study suggests]( [Hollow bones in giant dinosaurs and pterosaurs show convergent evolution in action, fossil study suggests]( (Márcio Castro; (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)) Air sacs sandwiched inside the bones of the largest dinosaurs and pterosaurs to roam the Earth were so advantageous that these pockets might have evolved independently at least three times in different lineages, a new study finds. Researchers already knew that these ancient giants had air bubbles in their bones. Now, evidence that some of the earliest dinosaurs on record lacked these air sacs suggests that they sprouted later, through convergent evolution, a phenomenon in which different organisms independently evolve similar traits. Full Story: [Live Science]( (3/13) [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: It's Albert Einstein's birthday! How old would the legendary physicist be if he were alive today? (Learn the answer, and about Einstein's theories, [here]() [Vote]( [130 years old]( [Vote]( [144 years old]( [Vote]( [150 years old]( [Vote]( [209 years old](   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036