Deborah Bloomfield

A new ultrasensitive, soft robotic “finger” has been developed by international researchers that can conduct medical tasks, like checking for a pulse and examining patients for lumps. Although robotic hands have been developed before, this new robo-finger has the ability to mimic both the feel and function of human touch. The hope is that this […]

Conspiracy theorists appear to believe that they have uncovered some sort of giant doorway at the top of Antarctica, to go nicely with the mysterious “pyramid” they got excited about in 2016. People have discovered all sorts of oddities while browsing through Google Maps, from “aliens” and camera-hogging cats to the answer to decades-old cold […]

A population of stars more than 13 billion years old represents the original disk from which the Milky Way formed, a team of astronomers claim. By studying this population’s movements, the authors have reconstructed what they think is the shape of the proto-Milky Way, which they say is a relatively unusual starting point for galaxies […]

The world, maybe more now than ever before, runs on battery power. So many everyday things – from your watch to your car to the cellphone you’re reading this on right now – are fueled by these little containers of stored electricity, that it’s easy to take the whole situation for granted. Until, that is, […]

An animation using data from the European Space Agency (ESA) allows you to listen to a “sounded visualization” of Earth’s magnetic field being disrupted during the Laschamp event. You probably don’t worry about the Earth’s magnetic fields too much, assuming you don’t have to rely on a compass for navigation. The magnetosphere generally sits up […]

A survey of 1,000 US adults has found that 25 percent of respondents believe they could have undiagnosed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, only 13 percent of them had spoken to a doctor about their concerns, sparking fears that incorrect self-diagnoses could be leading people towards unhelpful treatment strategies.  ADHD in adults When it comes […]

In a world first, scientists have successfully developed single-atom editing technology that can be used to maximize drug efficacy. The “dream” technology enables researchers to tweak individual atoms quickly and easily, and should help to enhance drug discovery. The breakthrough comes from a team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), who […]

As you’re probably aware by now – particularly if you live anywhere in the vicinity of Tampa Bay – it’s hurricane season in the tropical Atlantic. And what a season it’s been so far. There have been no fewer than five hurricanes in less than two weeks – not an unusual total for the entire […]

SpaceX has achieved an impressive feat as a Super Heavy booster was caught using mechanical arms as it returned to its launchpad.  Creating rockets and launching them into space is an expensive and time-intensive business. SpaceX has been working on reusable rocket systems, landing rockets vertically on their launchpads safely for reuse. While plenty of […]

The possibility of an Io-like moon around the exoplanet WASP-49b looks increasingly likely to be right, new research shows. The possible object is suspected of being peppered with volcanoes, creating a cloud of sodium that surrounds its planet. Although there have been claims for other exomoons (moons beyond the Solar System), these are now under […]

Astigmatism – you’ve probably heard of it, you might even have it, but what actually is it? Let’s find out. What is astigmatism? You might’ve guessed already from the title (or hearing the term bandied about in an optometrist’s office), but astigmatism is an eye problem that leads those with it to have symptoms including […]

This week, the “world’s most advanced humanoid robot” had a conversation with its new buddy Azi and the footage is slightly terrifying, ultra-powerful MRI scans reveal that COVID-19 damages a major brain “control center”, and Lucy the Australopithecus may have had hands capable of using tools 3.2 million years ago. Finally, we look at how […]

We’ve all been there: you take the fast food chain apple pie out of its case, bite into it, and immediately regret every decision that ever took you to the point where you somehow forgot that these things inevitably feel hotter than the actual sun. Panicking, you blow desperately at the snack to cool it […]

There is a town in Nebraska that holds a dubious status in American history. It has a population consisting of a single person: Elsie Eiler. Welcome to Monowi, the smallest incorporated town in the United States. Although Monowi’s population is now somewhat small, it used to be considerably larger. Back in the 1930s, the tiny […]

For the first time in 35 years, the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has manufactured a plutonium pit for use in a nuclear weapon. Functioning as a radioactive core for nuclear weapons, the component has been declared war-ready and marks the beginning of a scaling-up initiative that will see 80 plutonium pits created per […]

Tornadoes together with a hurricane sounds like something from a disaster movie, but it became reality this week as Hurricane Milton hit Florida and spawned a host of destructive twisters – but why did this happen? During a White House press briefing on October 10, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that at […]

The cleanup in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which swept through Florida this week leaving a trail of destruction and millions without power, has barely begun. But now, health experts are warning of a hidden threat that could be lurking in the floodwaters – a bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus. There are around 12 Vibrio species that […]

The Scottish Highlands could soon greet some new residents: a breed of super-beefy wild cattle that have been designed to possess the appearance of aurochs, the untamed ancestor of all domestic cattle that fell into extinction 400 years ago.  Known as tauros – yes, like the Pokémon – the cattle have been selectively bred in […]

There are plenty of obvious things that one might expect to be illegal – stealing, murdering, taking the last cookie from the jar. You know, the usual stuff. Take a closer look at laws in the United States, however, and you’ll find an absolute treasure trove of thoroughly bonkers legislation that’ll make you question why […]

The Earth faces dangers, such as space rocks and close encounters with nearby stars. Nevertheless, having survived the dangerous early years, as far as we know the only thing likely to bring it to an end is the same thing that gives it life: the Sun.  So, if some very bad luck can be avoided, […]