Deborah Bloomfield

Life was a wild ride for crocodiles in Ancient Egypt. As the Nile’s most iconic predator, the scaly beasts were the focus of a bizarre cult that saw them worshiped, spoiled rotten, and sacrificed, although it has taken thousands of years for researchers to figure out how the revered reptiles were lured from their natural […]

The JWST has detected the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the atmosphere of the planet HD 189733b, a nearby “hot Jupiter”. Already off the colonization list for being twice as hot as Venus and presumably having no solid surface to land on, HD 189733b can now add the smell of rotten eggs to its […]

Remarkable rare footage has been captured of pygmy blue whales in the waters of Timor-Leste, revealing for the first time what it looks like when they try to win a mate – and when they empty their bowels. It comes following a decade-long citizen science project in the region that’s famous for its whale sightings. […]

You do not want to end up on the business end of a skunk. These black and white animals look incredibly cute on the surface, but with a flick of the tail, they can unleash an almighty stench that lingers for days if you don’t know how to get it off. Advertisement As a defense […]

An unexpected feature of the room students sit their exams in may have an impact on their results, new research has found: a high ceiling.  Advertisement Generally in school and higher education, students are taught in small rooms or lecture halls and study alone in normal-sized rooms. But come exam day, due to the high […]

By 2100, more than 75 million people are likely to be living in places where the groundwater is too hot to drink, according to a new study. Groundwater temperatures are forecast to rise by up to 3.5°C (6.3°F) by the end of the century, which would mean they exceed the highest threshold set for drinking water […]

“Scorching temperatures” and “Death Valley” are two terms that aren’t particularly surprising to see together, but a record-breaking, long-running heatwave that’s currently baking the western US has taken the notoriously hot region to near-world record extremes over the last week. Advertisement Temperatures in the aptly named Furnace Creek – which holds the (sometimes disputed) title […]

Scientists have figured out a way to transform white fat cells into beige ones, effectively forcing them to burn calories rather than store them. Though the feat has so far only been achieved in mice, the researchers say their discovery could lead to the development of new weight-loss treatments for humans. Advertisement We all have […]

A new image taken from a satellite orbiting Mars has revealed a striking canyon in unprecedented detail. Known as Aganippe Fossa, the gnarly, scar-like ravine was first spotted by astronomers almost a century ago, yet can now be seen up close for the first time. Advertisement Measuring roughly 600 kilometers (373 miles) from end to […]

Hypothetical questions are always really fun in science because they make us think about what we know in a different light, which can make us better understand the huge scale of our planet. So let’s stop the Earth from spinning and see what happens.  Advertisement First of all, let’s imagine the rotation stops in one […]

A new COVID-19 strain may be contributing to more infection this winter in Australia. The KP.3, otherwise known as “FLuQE”, is a subvariant of the FLiRT strain but contains a mutation that has made it easier to spread. Advertisement FLiRT is just one strain of the infection responsible for the global Pandemic in 2020, it’s […]

In the year 1181, a new star appeared in the sky in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It was a “guest star”, what we now call a supernova. For 180 days it was bright enough to be seen before disappearing, lost for centuries. When it was rediscovered in 2021, astronomers were able to work out what […]

Chessboards have inspired many brainteasers over the years. For example: given a standard chessboard and a knight, is it possible to move the piece such that it visits every square once and only once? The answer is yes – and that fact might end up helping in the struggle against climate change. Advertisement In mathematical […]

Area 51 isn’t the only place that’s kept under wraps. In fact, the world is full of closely guarded sites that no one is allowed to enter, either for their own safety or to protect a secret. Here’s a look at five of the most enigmatic spots that no one is allowed to enter. North […]

Despite two centuries of excavations and archaeological investigations in Giza, only three items have ever been retrieved from within the Great Pyramid. Known collectively as the Dixon Relics, the trio of artifacts was discovered in 1872 by Waynman Dixon and James Grant, although we still don’t know what they are. Advertisement The pair came across […]

Astronomer David Kipping, of Cool Worlds fame, has urged other astronomers to use their telescope time to observe a particularly unusual star that appears to have a very strange or “seemingly impossible” chemical abundances.  Advertisement In recent years, we have observed some stars acting seriously strangely. The classic example is KIC 8462852, better known as […]

On Christmas Day 2022, a highly peculiar aurora was seen over an enormous section of the Arctic sky, the likes of which have never previously been observed from the ground. Known as a polar rain aurora, this exceptional light show was produced by a waterfall of electrons that emanated from the sun before cascading peacefully […]

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As much as people might try, things don’t always go to plan when it comes to sex – the condom breaks, someone forgot to take their pill that day, or people just get a bit lost in the moment. Not everyone wants a baby to come out of such situations, and that’s where emergency contraception […]

The quest to find “missing matter” in the universe has been unsuccessful so many times that some exotic suggestions get taken more seriously than they once might. As Sherlock Holmes famously said, “When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however, improbable, must be the truth.” In this case, there are many improbable ideas being […]