The animal world is full of what appear to be miracles: a Brazilian boa giving birth without being near another snake; fish that rain down from the sky; and who could forget the ferret that somehow survived a 100-minute cycle in a washing machine? There’s one group of birds, however, that likes to go for […]
These Are Some Of The Deadliest Jobs In America
An hour and a half. That’s how long went between deaths from work-related injuries in the US in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They recorded 5,486 people being killed by their job over the year – the equivalent of one every 96 minutes. Advertisement And that’s just a speck in the data […]
Were There Female Gladiators In Ancient Rome?
In the British Museum sits an ancient marble relief that depicts two gladiators battling with swords and shields. It’s a familiar scene from ancient Rome bar one intriguing detail: both of the gladiators are female. Advertisement The inscription about the marble relief, which was found in Halicarnassus, Turkey, reads that both gladiators fought to an […]
World First Implantation Of Titanium Heart Harnessing Maglev Technology
A titanium heart sounds like something made for the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz – but for the first time, on the July 9, it was implanted in a patient. Advertisement The implantation of a total artificial heart (TAH) is a proposed solution to help people with heart failure who need a heart […]
We Finally Know Why This Nightmarish Mummy Has Been Screaming For 3,500 Years
An ancient Egyptian woman whose face has been locked in a chilling scream-like pose for 3,500 years didn’t end up that way because of sloppy embalming, new research has revealed. Instead, the authors of a new study suspect that the mummy’s tortured expression may reflect the grimace that overcame her face as she died, wailing […]
These Are Some Of Our Favorite Space Images
It soon will be the 30th anniversary of my decision to become a space scientist (before then, the dream was palaeontologist – not that I am over dinosaurs, mind!) and since then I have devoured any astronomy image I have come across. Small, big, detailed, or pixelated, there is so much wonder out there and […]
These Animals Look Like They Were Drawn From Memory
While we’re lovers of all kinds of animals here at IFLScience, even we have to admit that some of them do look quite spectacularly silly – which arguably, makes us love them even more. Advertisement Continue reading to discover some of our favorites… Arabian sand boa Our first animal was described by one member of […]
Heart Attacks And Strokes Fell After COVID-19 Vaccinations In England
There were fewer heart attacks and strokes in England, adjusting for risk factors like age, after people were vaccinated against COVID-19 than before, a nationwide study has found. Moreover, the benefits increased with second vaccinations and booster shots. Although the study cannot completely refute the claim that vaccination is associated with an increase in both […]
What Is The Doomsday Fish? And Why Were People So Scared Of Seeing Them?
There is an old legend of a “doomsday fish” that has begun to resurface in recent years. According to old Japanese legends, sighting the rare animal – really an oarfish – is a harbinger of earthquakes and tsunamis. Advertisement The world’s longest bony fish – with the longest estimated to be 15 meters (50 feet) […]
This Is The Tallest Person Ever To Have Lived
Known as the Alton Giant, Robert Wadlow from Alton, Illinois was the tallest person confirmed in history. With a height of 2.72 meters (8 feet, 11 inches) at the time of his tragically early death, the towering American was the size of a regular teenager by the time he started kindergarten, and also possessed the […]
NASA Astronaut Shares Photo From Space That “Cannot Be Taken Anymore”
Astronaut and keen astrophotographer Donald Pettit has shown off a stunning image he took from the International Space Station (ISS) that “cannot be taken anymore”. Advertisement A question that comes up every now and then, is why stars are not visible in photographs taken from the ISS. Though there are photos that display stars in the […]
Blood Clams: The Dangerous Delicacy You Can’t Take Your Eyes Off
Meet the blood clam, also known as blood cockles. Hailing from the shellfish family Arcidae, they’re so named for their dramatic coloration. The blood-red is really just that, blood, but you would do well to take it as a bit of a warning. Eating blood clams is considered one of life’s more dangerous delicacies because […]
So, Why Are Olympic Fencers Attached To Electric Cables?
If you’re watching the Olympics, you may have noticed that fencers are attached to a cable, making them look somewhat like they’re on a big leash. Advertisement The cables are not there for the safety of the competitors, nor so that they can be yoinked backwards if they get too feisty. The cables, which are […]
Wonky-Necked Giraffe Spotted In South Africa Is Somehow Still Alive
Sometimes in the animal world, genetics or circumstances throw something of a curveball. From dolphins with “thumbs” to whales with curved spines, these animals with slightly unusual morphology open up questions about survival and adaptations to different environments. That includes the latest addition to the gang: a giraffe with a wonky neck. Advertisement On a […]
What Is The Kardashev Scale, And Could It Help Us Find Alien Life?
In the search for extraterrestrial civilizations, it’s difficult to know what to look for. During the pursuit, we have tended to search for detectable signals and signs that we ourselves would emit (on purpose, or by accident) on the assumption that aliens will use similar technology, given that they have access to the same physics. […]
Peaches The 1-In-30 Million Lobster Just Hatched Some Rare Babies
Peaches the famous orange lobster has welcomed a bumper crop of tiny baby lobsters. Being a 1-in-30 million lobster herself, Peaches’ clutch includes over a dozen of a rare variety, and they’ve joined the offspring of a second mother lobster, Norma, as the subjects of a research project. The mega family of mini babies calls […]
A Record-Smashing 17 California Condor Chicks Hatch At LA Zoo
A record-breaking 17 California condor chicks have been hatched at Los Angeles Zoo in a huge boon for the critically endangered species. All of the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the wider California Condor Recovery Program. Advertisement The feat was made possible by a new breeding technique developed […]
What’s The Hottest Chili Pepper In The World?
If you’re the sort of person who likes to end a meal with smoke coming out of your ears then you may be tempted to try and get your hands on the recently developed “Pepper X”. Be warned, though, this bad boy is the hottest chili pepper on the planet, with a heat rating that […]
What Is The Oldest Ecosystem On Earth?
The entirety of Earth’s surface is made up of biomes. Within each of these biomes are many different ecosystems that are constantly growing, decaying, and teeming with diverse life. But which ecosystem came first, and which are still standing today? Advertisement As ecosystems are made up of constantly decaying pieces, the organisms alive at the […]
Melting Glaciers In Andes Are Smallest They’ve Been In At Least 11,700 Years
Glaciers in the Andes Mountains are melting away, revealing rocks that haven’t seen sunlight in at least 11,700 years. Advertisement New research has shown that four glaciers in the Andes in South America – Pan de Azucar Glacier, Queshque Glacier, Zongo Glacier, and Charquini Norte Glacier – are thawing way faster than previously expected as […]
