Why are dozens of Egypt’s ancient pyramids found in an unremarkable strip of barren desert, far from the shores of the modern River Nile? Perhaps, new research suggests, it’s because they were built along a branch of the river system that’s since been lost to time. Not only does this theory explain the obscure location […]
Could A Cash Incentive Help People With Obesity Lose Weight?
A study into men living with obesity in the UK has concluded that combining financial incentives with behavioral text messages can aid people who are trying to lose weight. Participants receiving the promise of money and encouraging messages saw a 5 percent reduction in weight over 12 months, but receiving texts alone wasn’t enough to […]
What Did The First Spiders On Earth Look Like?
While some people might be less-than-pleased to share the planet with the eight-legged arachnids, spiders actually evolved way before Homo sapiens were roaming around being afraid of them. Now there are around 50,000 spider species but what did the first spiders look like, and how long ago were they crawling and climbing on planet Earth? […]
Longest Quantum Network Tested On Existing Fiber Optics In Boston
Quantum internet would allow for sending hacker-proof information around the world. Its secret is quantum mechanics and it is seen as an important development for the future of telecommunications. There are challenges to overcome, but progress has also been made – such as a new record set by researchers at Harvard University. The team was […]
What’s Going On With The New COVID FLiRT Variants?
Recently, we reported on the new family of COVID-19 variants that looked set to start overtaking the pack to become the most widespread. Now, surveillance data from both the US and UK show that the FLiRT variants, as they’re called, seem to be living up to these predictions, as UK COVID cases tick up by […]
Why Do So Many Ancient Roman And Greek Statues Have No Noses?
According to one London-based cosmetic surgery clinic, approximately nine percent of people have a Roman nose, while a further three percent have a Greek one. Now, we’re not going to speculate as to where those statistics came from, but we will say this: if you’re one of that 12 percent, please give the nose back. […]
This Is An American Marten. You’ll Probably Never See One In The Wild
From pizza rat to highway sloths, there’s something about seeing a cute little critter in the wild that just can’t be beat. Unfortunately, these chance meetings between humans and animals don’t always work out great for the animal – which may be why some of the more canny ones prefer to avoid us at all […]
Rare Deep-Sea Squid Dazzles And Glows In Mind-Blowing Footage
An extremely rare squid has been caught on camera in the dark depths of the Pacific Ocean while displaying some fascinating behavior. Advertisement As it descends towards the camera, the huge sea beast flashes its bioluminescent arm in an attempt to dazzle its target before grappling with the device. The squid seems to realize the […]
Why Is Your Bacon Sometimes Green?
Bacon. Love it or hate it, we all have the same question: why the hell is it sometimes green? While there hasn’t been a whole lot of research on the topic (there are plenty of more interesting mysteries to solve before we move on to sandwich fillings), there has been a little, so let’s dive […]
Two New Searches Find 60 Potential “Alien Megastructures” In Our Galaxy
In 2018, the world got very excited about an unusual star. KIC 8462852, better known as Boyajian’s star or just the “alien megastructure” star, it was found to be dimming in an unusual way. As a planet orbits a star, it blocks out a certain amount of light and causes it to dim from our […]
Flies Can Dig For Corpses 2 Meters Deep And Enter Coffins To Lay Eggs
Dying is a cloud that looms over us all, but it’s safe to say that the insects have found its silver lining. Necrophages subsist on the tissues of dead animals, and some of them will even dig down to find their prize. Advertisement You might think that a body buried underground would be safe from […]
How Do We Know There Is Anything Beyond The Observable Universe?
We can only see light that has made it to our vantage point, meaning that there is a limit to how much of the universe we can see – known as the observable universe – as the light has not yet made it to us. Advertisement In a static universe, the only thing stopping us […]
Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Flu Found In New York City Wild Birds By Citizen Scientists
In what the study authors believe is the USA’s first large-scale assessment of avian flu in an urban bird population, a small number of wild birds in New York City have been found to be infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. While we typically consider the risk to humans to be greatest in rural […]
Disk Called “Dracula’s Chivito” Has The Largest Collection Of Planet-Making Materials Ever Found
The astronomical object Dracula’s Chivito has more than a cool name; it contains more material for forming planets than any other disk we’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s got about twice as many ingredients as the nearest counterpart we have found. Advertisement Officially known as IRAS 23077+6707, this disk makes the one from which the […]
Recent Research Overstated How Much Women Hunt In Foraging Societies, Study Argues
Recent years have seen some studies challenge the assumed gender roles of hunter-gatherer societies, arguing that women are often integral to hunting and aren’t solely berry-picking gatherers. However, a new study was weighed into the debate and suggested that some of this research may have overblown their claims. Advertisement Last year, an influential study looked at […]
Using Stones And Sticks Helps Capuchin Monkeys Find Underground Food
In the animal world the search for food can be one of life’s biggest struggles. Whether chasing down prey, carefully setting traps, or lying in wait, the creatures of Earth have come up with a multitude of ways to get their dinner. Now, research has looked closely at bearded capuchins and found they’ve taken to […]
People Appear To Believe Old Potatoes Release Deadly “Solanine Gas”
Some people are claiming that potatoes – given enough time – can release noxious solanine gas, posing health risks to anyone in close proximity. But is this actually the case? In a widely-shared recent post, one X (Twitter) user posted an image of their sister’s bedroom, explaining that the 8-year-old had taken to storing potatoes […]
What’s The Fastest Animal In The Ocean?
Billfish – saltwater predators armed with prominent pointy bills – are typically considered to be the fastest swimmers in the oceans. The speediest species of all are thought to be the sailfish (Istiophorus). They do have stiff competition though; the bluefin tuna is a serious threat to their throne. Advertisement Sailfish are beautifully adapted for […]
Biggest Solar Flare In 2 Decades Released By The Sun, Causing Blackouts
Solar Cycle 25 is certainly not as tame as the previous one. The Sun’s activity is reaching its peak and we have been seeing solar storms, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms of an intensity unseen in years. And now the Sun has released its strongest solar flare yet for this cycle. Advertisement It was […]
The First Warm-Blooded Dinosaurs Probably Evolved 180 Million Years Ago
The ability to regulate body temperature internally, rather than relying on the Sun, may have first appeared among dinosaurs around 180 million years ago, coinciding with an extreme climatic period. Advertisement Dinosaurs were originally thought to have been cold-blooded creatures. Their name means “terrible lizard” after all, and lizards need to bask on rocks to […]
