For most of human history, we relied on the stars to navigate. Knowing the time and day and looking towards the polar regions where some stars appeared fixed provided us with cardinal directions. Today, we navigate using satellite information, which is used not only on maps and in traffic apps, but in countless other applications […]
Watch A Spectacular Sea Hare Swimming Through The Ocean
We all know the ocean is full of deep dark surprises and wacky-looking creatures – and sometimes, we get to enjoy those animals in the moments that humans and sea creatures cross paths. While it might not go well for some, one snorkeler has recorded her magical experience with a sea hare in Mexico. Advertisement […]
World’s First Seaweed Farm Within A Wind Farm Opens This Fall
In a super-green offensive against carbon emissions, the world’s first commercial seaweed farm inside a wind farm is slated to open off the coast of the Netherlands. Advertisement The pioneering aquaculture plot will be located within Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ), a set of 139 wind turbines in the North Sea around 18 kilometers (11 miles) […]
17-Year-Old Builds A Nuclear Reactor For High School Qualification
When you have a good idea, it is never too early to try it out. That is certainly the case for 17-year-old Cesare Mencarini, an Italian high school student at Cardiff Sixth Form College’s Cambridge campus. As a project for the Extended Project Qualification, he built a nuclear fusion reactor, which not only made him […]
World’s Second Biggest Diamond Found In Botswana Mine
We come to you with an absolute gem of a news story. Quite literally – the world’s second biggest diamond has been discovered in a mine in Botswana. Advertisement The rough stone is a certified whopper at 2,492 carats – that’s nearly half a kilo or just over a pound – and was found amongst […]
Rosy Maple Moth: The Pink And Yellow Dazzler Of North America’s Forests
Not all moths are dusty grey or dull beige. Take, for instance, the rosy maple moth, that rocks an incredible combo of colors that make it look like a super-charged flying marshmallow. The rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) is a species within the Saturniidae family, which contains some of the largest species of moths in […]
Hospital Sued For Losing Chunk Of A Man’s Skull
A man is suing a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia after doctors allegedly lost a piece of his skull. Unable to retrieve the osseous omission, hospital staff ended up having to rebuild the patient’s cranium with a custom-made synthetic implant – and he was charged thousands of dollars for the procedure. Advertisement The incident occurred when […]
Distant T. Rex Cousin With Weird “Eyebrow” Stalked Kyrgyzstan 165 Million Years Ago
A new large predatory dinosaur with a bizarre brow has been unearthed in Central Asia, the first ever discovered in the region. The strange-looking species is a theropod – making it a distant relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex – and roamed what is now Kyrgyzstan approximately 165 million years ago. Advertisement Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus – named after […]
Charlie, The Last Elephant At South Africa’s National Zoo, Freed After 40 Years Of Captivity
After 40 years of captivity, the last elephant in South Africa’s only national zoo has been freed and will live the rest of his life in a 10,000-hectare (24,700-acre) game reserve. Advertisement Charlie (sometimes spelled Charley) was the last African elephant in the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, South Africa’s only national zoo. He was […]
Sphen, One Half Of Famous Same-Sex Penguin Power Couple, Dies Aged 11
Sphen the gentoo penguin, best known as one half of a much-beloved same-sex power couple and parenting duo at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, has died at the age of 11 – and left behind an impressive legacy. Advertisement “The loss of Sphen is heartbreaking to the penguin colony, the team, and everyone who has been […]
This Is The Roundest Thing On The Planet. Why Did Anyone Bother To Make It?
There are a few ways to answer the question, “What is the roundest thing in the world?”, and which one you go for likely depends on your level of scientific knowledge and nous. For those of us not too comfortable with physics, for example, the natural response will probably be along the lines of, “What […]
IFLScience The Big Questions: How Will The Solar System End?
Our solar system is very stable. Planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets go forth in their orbit without trouble. But it won’t be like this forever. The future of the solar system will have major changes in the Sun and in the planets. We spoke with astronomer Dr Jon Zink to cast our mind’s eye […]
ESA’s JUICE Has Been Successfully Deflected Toward Venus
The European Space Agency’s JUICE mission is on its way to Jupiter, but to get there it needs some help in the form of multiple gravity assists as it flies by various planets. Yesterday it successfully completed its first flyby, but it was not your standard gravitational assist maneuver. For the first time ever, a […]
These Ingenious Weapons May Have Enabled Ice Age Hunters To Kill Mammoths
North American hunter-gatherers may have developed an innovative method for killing Ice-Age megafauna like mammoths, according to the authors of a new study. Rather than throwing spears at their prey, members of the iconic Clovis culture might have used “braced shaft weapons”, or pikes, to inflict catastrophic injuries on their victims. “The key elements of […]
Why Do Cucumbers Come Individually Wrapped In Plastic?
Cucumbers are a berry of many talents: they’re great for your health, they’re a tasty addition to both a salad and a burger, and they terrify kittycats. But while they might be good for us, the discerning shopper may worry that they’re not that great for the planet – after all, they’re almost always sold […]
The Magma Ocean On The Moon Hypothesis Given Credence By Indian Lunar Probe
In August 2023, India became the fourth nation to successfully soft-land on the Moon, putting a lander close to the lunar South Pole, an area of great interest for future human exploration. Chandrayaan-3’s rover Pragyan conducted multiple observations of the terrain around the landing site, and it revealed some very important insights: for example, the […]
The Giant Joro Spider: How Big Are They And Why Are They Spreading?
Joro spiders have a lot about them that might get an arachnophobe’s back up. They can parachute, they can be massive, they have venom, and are spreading far out of their native range. However, they’re also shy, play dead, and can be bested by a turkey baster. Joro spider venom only poses a threat to […]
Long COVID Affects Kids And Teens Too, And We’re Now Starting To Learn How
A study of over 5,300 school-age kids and teens has shed new light on what long COVID looks like in young people. Clear differences were found between younger children and adolescents, and the researchers have now summarized the various indicators of possible long COVID for each group. Advertisement “Our study is one of the first […]
OCTOPUS Act To Ban Octopus Farming Gets 100 Scientists’ Signatures
A letter signed by 100 scientists has been published in the journal Science, asking for congressional support of the “Opposing the Cultivation and Trade of Octopus Produced through Unethical Strategies” Act. Or OCTOPUS Act, for short. The goal: to push through a federal bill that would make it illegal to farm octopuses, and sell meat […]
Humpback Whales Revealed To Be Tool Users, Catching Krill With Amazing Skill
Scientists believe that humpback whales should join the esteemed rank of tool users, along with Homo sapiens, apes, crows, and a variety of other super-smart creatures. Unlike these other clever characters, humpbacks are particularly special because they create the tools themselves and ingeniously adapt them to suit their needs. Advertisement The tools in question are […]
