Deborah Bloomfield

The risk of a solar storm destroying power networks and submarine cables – and potentially even bringing down civilization – depends on the angle at which it hits the Earth’s magnetic field and the local time of night. Unsurprisingly, the strength of the incoming shock is also important, but new research emphasizes the influence of […]

Across the island of Cyprus, archaeologists have discovered the ancient remains of young women who appear to have been murdered before being sealed inside buildings, as if to separate them from both the living and the dead. The latest discovered victim of this grisly practice was recently unearthed at the Bronze-Age site of Erimi, where […]

The blockbuster film, Dune, has inspired a new full-body spacesuit that can recycle its wearer’s urine, allowing them to walk for further during any future exploration. Advertisement Even though it is true that in space, no one can hear you pee, astronauts on spacewalks have few options when it comes to answering the call of […]

This week on Break It Down we report live from a rocket launch, freeze-dried skin gets us a step closer to bringing back mammoths, “polar rain” auroras seen on Earth in a first, two lion brothers should star in their own Disney movie, a complete larynx transplant for a cancer patient, and the people fighting […]

Most of us will have seen a tumbleweed. Well, not necessarily in real life, but as a long-standing prop in cowboy movies, or in your brain when someone asks you a question during a Friday afternoon meeting. We know what they look like – but do you know what they actually are? Advertisement TikTok user […]

For humans, being able to orientate ourselves is crucial. Getting lost on the level is bad enough, but not knowing which way is up is worse. Most of the time gravity ensures that’s not a problem – but what happens in space without that assistance? Advertisement The International and Tiangong Space Stations lie very much within […]

When human ancestors dispersed out of Africa over 50,000 years ago, they encountered Neanderthals that already carried some of their genes.  Advertisement Today we are the only human species in the world, but it wasn’t always like that. Four hundred thousand years ago, when Homo sapiens’ ancestors lived in East Africa, Neanderthals already lived in […]

The trailer for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is now out and promises to be an unmatched cinematic spectacle. If you were a fan of the first film, there is every chance that you’ll love the new star-studded performance showcasing epic duels, fiendish Colosseum battles, and hints of political intrigue. But as with all Hollywood historical […]

The size of the world’s population is set to peak and fall earlier than previous estimates suggested, according to a new report by the United Nations (UN).  Advertisement In 2024, the global population stands at around 8.2 billion. As per the new data, the number of humans will rise to approximately 10.3 billion in the […]

A new expedition to the wreck of the Titanic is all ready to go, marking the first journey to the sunken site since the infamous OceanGate submersible accident of 2023. But don’t fret, the upcoming project will explore the seabed using robotic subs with no risk of deadly implosions. Advertisement Simply named the Titanic Expedition […]

Life in the Stone Age was hard enough without a bunch of ghosts hanging out inside your skull and messing with your brain. Fortunately, ancient neurosurgeons had a cure for haunted heads, leaving thousands of patients with enormous exit holes – some up to 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) wide – drilled into their noggins. Advertisement […]

Are you a good driver? Big deal, turns out half the animal kingdom are too. Here are some of the times humans taught animals to drive vehicles for… science reasons. Advertisement Driving tiny cars helps relax rats In a bid to establish the effects of an enriching environment, researchers from the University of Richmond in […]

Parts of the US are preparing for dust storms this week as a large mass of dry, dusty air is set to make landfall after traveling across the Atlantic from the Sahara Desert – but how is it able to make this over 8,000-kilometer (5,000-mile) journey? Advertisement It’s all down to seasonal changes in the […]

One of the big questions around climate change is how it will impact the Gulf Stream. Judging by how it fared during the last Ice Age, it’s looking increasingly likely that it will become weakened as the world warms, potentially causing a shake-up of the climate of Europe and beyond. Advertisement The Gulf Stream is […]

It’s no secret that the planet is getting warmer, but how are our bodies responding to increased exposure to extreme conditions? From record-breaking temperatures to an uptick in severe weather warnings, the consequences of the climate crisis are all around – so how is climate change impacting our health? This is the Big Question host […]

An aerospace engineer and astronomer has made waves on social media after checking the math of an astronaut that seemed too good to be true.  Advertisement Max Fagin, who has worked for NASA and SpaceX, as well as working as commander at the Mars Desert Research Station, wrote on X that an astronaut casually told […]

The aptly named magnificent tree frog is typically green with a yellow belly, so you can imagine the surprise when scientists stumbled across a member of the species with blue skin. The shocking blue frog is an incredibly rare discovery, most likely caused by a rare genetic mutation that affects the production of yellow pigments. […]

Freeze-dried skin samples of a woolly mammoth found in Siberia have enabled scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of 52,000-year-old chromosomes. The achievement is a world-first for ancient DNA, and reveals which genes were active in the skin cells when the mammoth was alive. Advertisement Shortly after the woolly mammoth died it spontaneously freeze-dried thanks […]

Lucky for us, the world is a dazzling display of colors. With so many animals relying on vision to perceive their environment, colors and patterns are a language used within and across species. But what about animals that hide underground, away from view? Why would they need a rainbow of colorful coverings? Advertisement Evolutionary biologists, […]

While looking down at his home planet, astronaut Matthew Dominick spotted a flurry of colorful bursts of energy dancing in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The spectacular light show was photographed on June 3 as the International Space Station (ISS) cruised over thunderstorms off the coast of South Africa, according to NASA. Known as transient luminous events […]