The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is planning a large study into whether vaccines are linked to autism, despite this myth being robustly debunked by years of careful scientific research. ADVERTISEMENT Now, scientists are sounding the alarm after the Department of Health and Human Services has reportedly picked well-known and highly controversial vaccine skeptic […]
Why Do Eclipses Often Come In Pairs?
Eclipses are incredible celestial events and they are quite common, happening many times a year. The issue is that the peculiar celestial alignment that makes them possible doesn’t happen every month, and for solar eclipses, only a small portion of the planet actually gets to see them. These peculiarities have made them seem like an […]
The US Has An “Avocado Hand” Epidemic: Here’s How To Avoid An A&E Trip When Making Guac
Avocados might just be one of the most hazardous foods when it comes to finger-slicing fiascos and hand injuries. Beloved for their oily goodness and Instagrammable credentials, these trendy fruits have been responsible for a noticeable rise in 911 calls in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT The culprit? A phenomenon known as “avocado hand”. An estimated 50,413 […]
Rare Melanistic Gentoo Penguin Chick Spotted In Antarctica With The Goofiest Grin
A rare all-black gentoo penguin has been spotted on Rongé Island, Antarctica. Gentoos typically sport the more traditional tuxedo penguin pattern, but in cases of leucism and melanism, they can get a makeover. ADVERTISEMENT Leucism is the loss of pigment, making an animal appear more pale than is typical. For penguins, this can include going […]
Some Tropical Trees Like The Feel Of Lightning On Their Branches
Lightning is a major threat to big trees, even where forest fires are rare. However, natural selection is a powerful force, and one species of forest giant has learned to make lemonade out of life’s lemons, new research suggests. Not only have they become able to survive lightning strikes that kill others, their health is […]
Dogs Aren’t “Replacing Babies” – The Truth Is Much Worse
People who call their pets “fur babies” may be more correct than they realize, according to a new paper linking rising rates of dog ownership with decreasing birth rates. Before you go blaming pet ownership for some nonexistent existential threat, however – we know you’re reading, Elon – rest assured that the causality behind this […]
What’s The Difference Between Bugs And Insects?
Welcome back to the weird world of animal taxonomy. Whether you’ve seen a spider and mistakenly referred to it as an insect or got caught in the classic ape vs monkey debate, we’re here to set your mind straight. This week’s taxonomy of choice: bugs and insects. ADVERTISEMENT Now it may surprise you to learn […]
Australian “Science Nerd” Trying To Collect Every Element May Be Jailed After Reaching Plutonium
An Australian man described as a “science nerd” may face jail time, after attempting to collect all the elements in the periodic table. ADVERTISEMENT The periodic table is an arrangement of all the known elements, from hydrogen to oganesson. While collecting the whole lot (even if some only last for microseconds before decaying) may seem […]
Ancient Greek And Roman Statues Were Meant To Be Sniffed – And They Smelled Divine
Greco-Roman sculptors created artworks with more than just visual beauty in mind, and strove to indulge all of the senses in their masterpieces. According to new research, this also included the sense of smell, which was aroused by smothering ancient statues in rose-scented perfumes and other delightful fragrances. ADVERTISEMENT “This idea of scented statues has […]
Neptune’s Lost Aurorae First Hinted At 36 Years Ago Has Been Captured For First Time
Thirty-six years after the first hints of auroral activity on the ice giant, astronomers have captured Neptune’s aurorae for the first time. Thanks to JWST, the planet’s elusive glow has been measured and it’s not the only new insight these observations have delivered. The planet is colder now than back in 1989 when Voyager 2 […]
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Strange And Out-Of-Place Spherules On Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover has stumbled across a rather intriguing rock on the rim of the Jezero Crater on Mars. The rock, which was closely examined and photographed by the rover, appears to be made up of hundreds of strange, spherical-shaped objects, dubbed “blueberries” when they were previously seen on the Red Planet. ADVERTISEMENT Just over […]
Which Way Do The Scales Tip In This Simple Viral Experiment?
A buoyancy problem involving a ping pong ball, an iron ball, a few strings, some water, and a set of scales is causing a few arguments on Reddit where it was posted. ADVERTISEMENT “Where would the scale tip? On the left is a steel ball, on the right a ping-pong ball,” Reddit user Veiy wrote, […]
Retinoids, Probiotics, And Visible Light Therapy: What’s The Latest In Treating Acne?
Acne affects many of us at one point or another, and most will be begrudgingly familiar with all of the cleansers, creams, and pills that aim to clear it up – but is there anything new on the horizon? What is acne? ADVERTISEMENT Acne is a condition in which the pores in the skin become […]
What’s The Deal With Beef Tallow?
Anyone else noticed we’re hearing a lot more about beef tallow these days? The animal fat has been used in cooking and for other purposes for centuries, but it’s definitely enjoying a resurgence at the moment. This naturally got us wondering – what’s behind it all? What is beef tallow? ADVERTISEMENT Tallow is a type […]
New Species Of 90-Million-Year-Old Therizinosaur Shocks Scientists With “Unusual” Trait Never Seen Before
A new species of therizinosaur has been discovered in Mongolia, dating back to around 90 million years ago. Named Duonychus tsogtbaatari, it’s thrown something of a curve ball for palaeontologists, as unlike all other therizinosaurs found to dates, this prehistoric giant had just two fingers instead of three. ADVERTISEMENT In 2012, workers building a pipeline […]
Could We Build Cities Using Iceland’s Lava In The Future? This Conceptual Project Has Volcanic Visions
What if the raw power of lava could be transformed into the building material of the future? That’s the bold idea being toyed with by Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, owner and founder of the firm s.ap architects in Reykjavík. ADVERTISEMENT Their latest endeavor, Lavaforming, is a hypothetical design project exploring whether lava from Iceland’s volcanoes could be used […]
Lake Berryessa’s Giant “Glory Hole” Finally Sees Some Action After 5-Year Dry Spell
They say if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Visitors to Napa County, California, can put that theory to the test because – good news! – Lake Berryessa’s glory hole is back in action. ADVERTISEMENT That’s the Morning Glory Spillway, to be exact: a massive, swirling drain at Monticello Dam […]
Dark Energy Might Be Changing – This Is What It Means For Our Understanding Of The Cosmos
The universe is expanding at an accelerated rate and our current best theories to explain this is a mysterious form of energy called “dark energy” that by its very existence is pushing the universe to expand with acceleration – although we don’t really know what dark energy is. For the last several decades, the leading […]
The First Giant Land Organism May Require A New Branch On The Tree Of Life
Since Prototaxites were discovered in the fossil record in 1843, scientists have debated whether they were early land plants, giant fungi, algae, or a whole new kingdom of life. Some of these options have already been ruled out, and they’re now widely considered to have been a type of fungus. However, one species of Prototaxites has […]
Unusual Snowy Owl With Orange Feathers Is An “Owldorable” Mystery
Birders in Michigan are scratching their heads over unusual photos of a snowy owl. The animal is perfectly perched on a telegraph pole, but instead of snow white and black feathers, the owl’s feathers are colored orange. ADVERTISEMENT Spotted in Huron County, the bird was photographed by amateur wildlife photographer Julie Maggert. Since sharing the […]
