Deborah Bloomfield

Sex is disposable in the most literal sense for the sea slug Goniobranchus reticulatus (formerly Chromodoris reticulata). In a 2013 study, it became the first known animal to reproduce using “disposable penises” that could be jettisoned after mating and replaced with a new one, but the magic doesn’t last forever. It’s thought that these nudibranchs […]

It’s no secret that our gut microbiome can influence our physical and mental health in many ways, but what’s the best way to have a favorable composition? Does one diet rule above them all? A study looked at biological samples from over 21,000 individuals to find out, revealing key differences among dietary preferences, and that […]

Until around 50,000 years ago, the island of Flores in Indonesia was inhabited by a peculiar species of miniature humans called Homo floresiensis – popularly referred to as the Hobbit people. Previously, researchers thought that these Tolkien-esque characters died out when they came into competition with our own species, yet more recent research suggests that […]

After a re-emergence sparked a national emergency in Costa Rica in February of last year, New World Screwworm (NWS) fly larvae (Cochliomyia hominivorax) have once again reared their tooth-covered heads, this time in southern Mexico – with the potential to cross the border into the US. Advertisement Despite being found in just one cow in […]

Tahlequah, an orca well-known for having carried her dead calf for over two weeks back in 2018, has been struck by a heartbreaking event once again. After it was recently announced that the orca had given birth, the new calf has since died – and Tahlequah has been spotted carrying this calf too. Advertisement The […]

Atoms forged in stars take a gigantic meandering path before they become incorporated into a future generation of stars and planets, new research reveals. This path is so indirect it takes these atoms outside the conventional definition of the galaxy. This means that some of the residue of long-lost stars passed outside the galaxy before […]

It’s hard to imagine while you’re on a video call or reading articles on your favorite popular science media outlet, but that information has most likely reached your device through a vast network of undersea cables. Advertisement These fiber-optic cables, typically about the girth of a sausage, use light to carry vast amounts of data […]

This week, we revisit some 100-year-old, but spookily accurate, predictions for 2025, the Earthshot Prize has been awarded to an ecosystem restoration project that marks one of the most significant mammal recoveries ever recorded, and the first-ever fertilized and preserved giraffe embryo sparks hope for endangered species. Finally, January 1, 2025, marked 100 years since […]

The findings of a new study suggest that the virus behind Ebola – a rare but severe and often fatal illness – may be spread by skin contact, by providing a comprehensive cellular map of its journey to the skin’s surface. Advertisement Previous research has identified the presence of the Ebola virus (EBOV) on the […]

Have you ever been walking in the woods and stumbled across a perfect ring of mushrooms? These curious fungal displays are what’s known as a fairy ring, and their formation comes down to the strategic ways in which fungi’s mycelium networks spread out underground. Advertisement What are fairy rings? We often think of mushrooms when […]

Dust off the thermal underwear and watch out for falling iguanas: a polar vortex is bringing extremely cold weather to millions of Americans this January. This weekend, between January 4 and 6, a winter storm will bring significant snow and ice to the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic East Coast, according to the US National […]

On December 30, the people of Mukuku, a village in Kenya about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the capital Nairobi, found a massive piece of space debris. Luckily nobody was harmed when the 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) rocket piece came crashing down. Advertisement The piece is a metallic ring 2.5 meters (8 feet) across believed to come […]

Endometriosis is a common condition, but getting a correct diagnosis can be a difficult, years-long journey. Now a group of Australian researchers have taken a step towards a breakthrough blood test for the disease, which could be the non-invasive solution so many have been hoping for.  Advertisement Endometriosis affects roughly 10 percent of reproductive-age females […]

Researchers in Poland have published a cartometric map that shows the distribution of supernatural beings from Polish folklore along the Polish-German border. The map is beautifully designed to resemble Renaissance maps, and depicts various reported phenomena, including devils, spirits, the wild hunt, gnomes, will-o’-wisps, giants, dragons, mermaids, ghosts, werewolves, and nightmares. Advertisement The map, which […]

It is undeniable that 2024 was a tough year in the fight against climate change, but it is not all doom and gloom. Good news, for example, comes from the United Kingdom where, in terms of energy production, renewable energy is going from strength to strength. The amount of electricity produced using fossil fuels in […]

The delightfully bizarre golden nugget that is the southern marsupial mole is one of nature’s most cryptic species. It’s rarely seen, not actually a mole, and has a bunch of unusual traits that until now, scientists have been unable to determine much about. However, thanks to new research that has studied its genome for the […]

Nanocrystals have been made that can switch between glowing and darkness fast enough that they could be used in computing. Some of the ingredients used in the initial demonstration may impede widespread applications, but the findings are a significant advance down the long road to lower-energy IT as processing demand skyrockets. So much solar power […]

Winter is here and it can be a difficult time for many wildlife species as they try to find food in the cold. However, if you’re visiting any of the US’s multitude of national parks, officials have a clear message for you: don’t feed the animals. Advertisement “We want to remind the public that feeding […]

When researcher and bird expert Jack Dumbacher was mist-netting in New Guinea, his team accidentally caught a lot of hooded pitohui while looking for the Raggiana bird-of-paradise. No problem, except that when they freed them, the birds gave them a nip. Without band-aids, they used the trusty old finger suck to tend to their wounds, […]

Do you know someone who, from the moment they open their mouth, you know you’re about to be taken on a captivating ride through some aspect of their life? The person could be recounting something as trivial as buying milk, but their delivery is entertaining and engaging. At the same time, there are people who […]