Deborah Bloomfield

Neolithic archers in southern Iberia were true masters of their craft, as evidenced by the discovery of Europe’s oldest known bowstring and fletched arrows. Found in a cave near Granada, Spain, the 7,000-year-old artifacts are fashioned from a range of unexpected materials that would have enhanced the power and precision of the ancient weapons. Originally […]

Eggs can come in a variety of sizes and flavors, just ask anybody who has tasted a penguin egg (once they get the horrendous taste out of their mouth, of course). The largest eggs still being laid today come from ostriches. The biggest of those eggs on record weighed in at an impressive 2.589 kilograms […]

Construction workers have stumbled across the ruins of a large pyramid along the side of a highway in Mexico. After being alerted to the discovery, archaeologists collected dozens of other artifacts from the site that will be closely studied in the lab over the next few months. The structure was unearthed in June 2024 during […]

They say opposites attract: Magnets’ north poles are drawn to south poles; Aziraphale is best buddies with Crowley; the sweetness of caramel is complemented by a pinch of salt. Nothing exemplifies this odd couple trope better than Ancient Greek mathematicians and particle accelerators. No, we’re not kidding. Come with us through two millennia, three continents, […]

Many of us enjoy an alcoholic drink from time to time – and it’s not only we humans who indulge. You probably know that excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver disease, but what about its effects on the brain? Some are fairly obvious – when people start falling over and slurring their words, you know […]

This week, incredible footage showing a “bear’s-eye-view” of Andean bears has revealed never-before-seen behaviors, new research suggests that ancient Americans and dogs may have become best buddies 2,000 years earlier than we previously thought, and glowing wood is now an option thanks to a ghostly bioluminescent fungus. Finally, we explore the unlikely coexistence of protected […]

In the 1920s, two mathematicians working on separate continents proposed the same set of mathematical equations for describing population growth and decline in biological systems.  Alfred Lotka, a Polish-American mathematician, chemist, and statistician, was the first to come up with the equations, though in a seemingly unrelated field. In 1910, he developed a model to […]

Though it might not seem like it on a cold day in winter, the Earth is actually technically inside the atmosphere of the Sun. But evidence outlined in a recent paper suggests it hasn’t always been, and may leave its protection again. The Sun, being the perfect storm of “really far” and “really hot”, makes […]

In 2003, scientists subjected 750 volunteers to a strange experiment, in the form of a fear and anxiety-inducing concert.  For a while, people had suspected that low-frequency sounds, beyond our hearing, can have strange effects on humans. But in 2003, there had been little in the way of research. And so, scientists from the National […]

Black aurorae are a mysterious phenomena, creating dark rings, shadowy waves, and black blobs that contrast with the glowing colors of the Northern and Southern Lights. Look closely or you might miss them. Nevertheless, powerful cosmic and earthly forces are needed to bring this celestial show to life. The phenomenon is created under conditions that […]

Dolphins look as if they have a permanent smile, their long jaws dotted with teeth, but don’t be fooled by their “grin” – they’re still top ocean predators. For this reason, among many others, it’s important to keep your distance should you encounter dolphins in the wild, as they have been known to attack people, […]

It’s official: next year won’t see the return of humans to deep space, and 2026 will not be the year when humans are back on the lunar surface. The delays are not wholly unexpected, but NASA confirmed them in a press conference yesterday. The Artemis II mission is now expected to launch no earlier than […]

While the tsunami warning for California’s December 5 magnitude 7.0 earthquake was eventually lifted, that’s not to say the quake didn’t cause waves elsewhere. Roughly 805 kilometers (500 miles) away from the epicenter, in a cavern that is part of Death Valley National Park, the critically endangered Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) saw its watery […]

Just as humans might ride a wave hoping to catch a sweet surf, dolphins may also ride a ship’s wake, a behavior coined as “bow-riding”. Simply put, it’s fun.  At least, that’s been a decades-long theory to explain why cetaceans like dolphins and porpoises bob, swim, and seemingly play when in the presence of a […]

In Central and South America stomps a tarantula with a really snazzy appearance. With a blue-brown fuzzy coat, it’s so fluffy it has actually been able to weaponize its hairiness, but the real statement piece are its little pink booties. Yes, that pinktoe tarantula really does have delightfully pink toes. The pinktoe tarantula is known […]

Iceland has issued a new five-year license to hunt hundreds of whales in their waters each year, boldly reaffirming its controversial stance on whaling. The Icelandic Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced this week it had granted licenses that allow annual catches of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales during the whaling season, which […]

Exploding stars are one of the hazards life faces in the universe, but a nearby explosion could cause anything from a total calamity to a beautiful view, depending on the scale you’re using to define “near”.  Before we get to that, let’s talk about what is meant by “explode”. Do stars actually explode? If you […]

Divers have discovered strange chimney-shaped vents on the Dead Sea’s lake floor that discharge shimmering plumes of fluid. The Dead Sea is a constantly changing and dynamic system. Its level is currently dropping by roughly 1 meter (3.3 feet) per year, which has been happening for over 50 years. This is because the Dead Sea […]

Known by his superb nickname “The Magnificent”, Pharaoh Amenhotep III oversaw arguably the most glorious period in Ancient Egyptian history, bringing peace and prosperity to the empire while commissioning the construction of some of its most lavish landmarks. Now, more than 3,350 years after his death, the ancient ruler has finally been restored to his […]

This week on Break It Down: scientists may have discovered a new ancient relative of humans, collar cameras from Andean bears reveal Paddington may have a taste for cubs, we’ve been paying the salmon tax to dogs for 2,000 years more than thought, new biohybrid wood glows green in the dark, diamond batteries could last […]