A new class of antibiotics is offering real hope of a response to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, hitting bacteria with a dual-pronged assault that’s almost impossible to combat. Called macrolones, the drugs target two bacterial processes simultaneously – and the scientists behind a new study say this makes evolving resistance 100 million times more […]
What Octopus Skin Can Do To Protect Us From The Sun
It’s summer (for half the planet). While we should protect our skin from the Sun all year round (even if you live in Britain), it’s time to lather on sunscreen. Sunscreen products protect us from the UV light of the Sun, but they have come under scrutiny because of their toxic effects on both humans […]
What Actually Is Muscle Memory?
When we jump on a bike after not riding for years, or somehow manage to pick out a tune on the piano despite not having lessons since we were kids, we might put that down to “muscle memory” – but is that really what we mean? It seems we may be confusing ourselves by using […]
Rare Brass Trumpets Discovered In 16th Century Shipwreck
A veritable treasure trove, including exceptionally rare brass trumpets, has been found on board a 16th-century shipwreck by archaeologists with Croatia’s International Centre for Underwater Archaeology (ICUA). The unknown sailing ship, which was armed with English iron cannons, sank off the southern coast of Istria, near Cape Kamenjak, in Croatia. The ship likely experienced trouble […]
Komodo Dragons’ Teeth Are Iron-Tipped For Extra Bite, Raising Questions About T. Rexes
Komodo dragons’ status as possibly the ultimate killing machine has been enhanced with the discovery their teeth are tipped with iron. There’s also reason to suspect predatory dinosaurs may have used the same trick, allowing them to puncture and pull prey apart with extra speed. Advertisement It’s a curious thing that arguably the closest survivor […]
Nearest Super-Jupiter Snapped By JWST – And It’s A Freezing Cold Giant
JWST has imaged a new planet directly and it is quite a fascinating object. It orbits one of the three stars in the Epsilon Indi system and it weighs six times the mass of Jupiter. This super-Jupiter is 20 to 40 times further from its star than Earth is from the Sun – so it […]
Astronaut Mark Kelly Among Possible Vice President Picks For Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be the Democratic nominee for the US presidential election this year. With her running, the question now is who could be the potential vice president on the ticket. Many names have been put forward. Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper […]
Men Probably Can’t Actually Smell When Women Are Most Fertile
Popular culture is full of scientific myths. No, the average person does not only use ten percent of their brain; sugar doesn’t make kids hyperactive; and your hair and fingernails don’t continue growing after you die. But there’s one in particular which, on the face of it, seems to have at least some scientific basis: […]
Why Are Some Trees Painted White At The Bottom?
When on a stroll or a drive, you may have wondered why some trees are painted with strange markings, and some are painted white at the bottom. These are painted for different reasons, with the markings largely for loggers, and the white paint for the protection of the trees themselves. Advertisement What do the markings […]
Watch As Surprise Yellowstone Eruption Sends Rocks Flying And Visitors Fleeing
A hydrothermal explosion in the Biscuit Basin thermal area of Yellowstone National Park that sent visitors running has been captured on video. The area has been temporarily closed, and damaged boardwalks need repair, but no injuries have been reported. More importantly, the explosion is unlikely to be a forerunner of anything bigger, with other activity […]
One Small Area Of The Pacific Shapes Temperature Variations For Half The World
Changes in temperatures in the Eastern Pacific, known as El Niños and La Niñas, ripple around the world, causing droughts and floods in different locations. New evidence suggests there is another such phenomenon, whose effects are felt across the Southern Hemisphere and have not previously been noticed – and it all starts in a surprisingly […]
Hydrogen-Powered Air Taxi Breaks Record With Longest Flight Without Emissions
Joby Aviation has tested a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi, and it went record-breakingly well. The aircraft is a modified electric vehicle with six rotors that already has thousands of miles under its belt. The latest demonstration has shown that it can go even farther, flying 840 kilometers (523 miles) over California. And since it used […]
Dark Matter Particles Could Be Key To Supermassive Black Holes’ Merger Mystery
Theoretical dark matter particles could explain how supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the heart of galaxies merge. The idea could also make sense of some unexplained features of dark matter behavior on vastly larger scales. Advertisement SMBHs are key to understanding many of the most important features of the universe, from the light of astonishingly […]
3,500-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablet Contains Ancient Shopping Receipt
A clay tablet engraved with what appears to be one of the world’s oldest known sales receipts has been discovered by archaeologists in southern Türkiye. Written in cuneiform, the ancient document dates back to the 15th century BCE and records the purchase of large quantities of wooden furniture. Announcing the discovery, Turkish Minister of Culture […]
Megalodon Vs Great White: Who Could Swim The Fastest?
Megalodon was slightly faster than a great white according to a new study that looked at sharks’ denticles as an indicator of their hunting speed. Despite the significant difference between the enormous estimated size of megalodon and its comparatively smaller extant relative, both were estimated to hunt at a pace comparable to that of an […]
HIV Drug That Is “Closest Thing” We Have To A Vaccine Could Be Made 1,000 Times Cheaper
A breakthrough HIV drug, touted as the “closest thing we have to a vaccine”, could be produced for 1,000 times less than its current cost, according to new research. Right now, a full first-year course of the treatment costs an eye-watering $42,250 per patient, but one analysis suggests that could be slashed to just $40. […]
“Universe Breakers”: Unexplainable Bright Red Dots Found In The Early Universe
The JWST has allowed astronomers to peer back further into the past than any other infrared or optical telescope, seeing infrared light that was emitted by distant galaxies just 300 million years after the Big Bang. Advertisement With the infrared telescope, we were hoping to learn more about the formation of galaxies, as well as […]
Why Do Birds Fly In A “V” Formation?
If you’ve ever glanced skywards and seen groups of birds flying in beautifully organized V formations have you ever stopped to wonder how and why they are doing that? While the V formation is famous for a number of reasons, it is actually the less common formation for birds to travel in and is largely […]
Could A Deadly Gas Improve Tour de France Cyclists’ Performance?
Competition in the Tour de France is extreme. Riders complete over 80 hours on the bike over 3 weeks, yet the first place finish was cumulatively only around 6 minutes faster than second place. During the event, the training and lifestyle factors that can give athletes a competitive edge are under the spotlight. This year, […]
China Has Created The First Ever Meltdown-Proof Nuclear Reactor
China has created the first large-scale nuclear power station that is apparently resistant to meltdowns. Although this design cannot be fitted to existing nuclear reactors, it provides a model that can be used for any future constructions. Advertisement How are nuclear reactors cooled? Existing nuclear power reactors require powered cooling systems to operate. The nature […]
