Ancient Romans had ideas about sex and sexuality that were very different from ours today, and many representations of these attitudes have been preserved on the walls of buildings at Pompeii. In particular, the Suburban Baths have images that really show off the Roman’s sexual exploits in their many forms. Advertisement The bath house beyond […]
World’s Most Durable And Efficient Solar Cell Smashes Existing Records
Researchers have developed a method to enhance the lifespan and working efficiency of perovskite solar cells, achieving record outputs following grueling, long-term tests. With a superb power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.1 percent after more than 1,500 hours of use, the high-performing cells created during the study may open the door to more widespread use of […]
Alert: Geomagnetic Storm Could Bring Northern Lights As Far South As New York Tonight
The gnarly solar weather that brought spectacular aurorae to the US and Canada earlier this week looks set to continue, with a coronal mass ejection (CME) expected to hit Earth at some point today (August 3rd). In anticipation of the event, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) has issued a moderate geomagnetic storm warning, stating […]
Sunscreen Vs. Sunblock: What’s The Difference?
Keeping your skin protected whilst out in the sun is one of the most important things you can do for your health – there’s no such thing as a safe sun tan after all. Trouble is, things can get a little confusing when it comes to knowing what product to use. Some people will tell […]
Awesome Fossils Of New 69-Million-Year-Old Tyrannosaur Species, COVID-19 Vaccine Nasal Drops Could Stop Viral Transmission, And Much More This Week
This week, ancient stars have been found in an unlikely region of the Milky Way, a wonky-necked giraffe has been spotted in South Africa, and rock art provides evidence that South America’s early humans were in contact with diverse local wildlife. Finally, we question if cortisol, the “stress hormone”, is really the health villain it’s […]
The Surprising History Of The Olympic Torch Relay
On Friday, July 26, the Olympic torch arrived in Paris and was used to ceremoniously light the Olympic Cauldron, which will continue to illuminate the skies throughout the Olympic Games. It’s quite the spectacle, but its origins have some unexpected twists. Advertisement According to The Olympic Museum, “The Olympic Torch Relay is now a powerful […]
Wonky Giraffe, Hamster Vaccines, And Wildlife Rock Art
This week on Break It Down: a wonky-necked giraffe is somehow still alive, an extraordinary fossil find shows a tyrannosaur with a stubby snout, a vaccine to stop COVID transmission is a success (at least, in hamsters), ancient stars are not where we expect them to be, 12,500-year-old rock art is a wildlife masterpiece, and […]
Blue Fugates: Why Did A Family In Kentucky Have Blue Skin?
In the 1820s there lived a couple in Kentucky whose family would become known as the Blue Fugates. Why? Because they carried a rare genetic condition that gave several members of the family blue skin. Advertisement Yes, really. What caused the Blue Fugates’ blue skin? The highly unusual condition is known as methemoglobinemia. It’s characterized […]
What Is The Longest Bridge In The US?
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest continuous bridge over water in the world. It stretches for 38 kilometers (24 miles) and is supported by around 9,500 concrete pilings. Advertisement The southbound portion of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which had two lanes, was first opened on August 30, 1956, while the northbound bridge was completed […]
What Are Those Dark Circles On Swimmers’ Backs At The Olympics?
If, like us, you’ve been glued to the Olympics coverage, then you can’t have helped but notice a series of dark bruised circles on the backs of some of the medal hopefuls as they line up for the pool – but what are they? And do they offer any extra competitive or health benefit? We […]
Smooth-Hound Shark Proves It Can Reproduce Solo – No Male Required
The smooth-hound shark (Mustelus mustelus) just proved that it can reproduce without sperm, producing multiple offspring with identical genes. It’s the first time recurrent parthenogenesis has been reported for the species, and broadens our knowledge of all the ways that exist in nature to cook up a baby solo. Advertisement Parthenogenesis is sometimes referred to as […]
How Do “Jesus Birds” Appear To Walk On Water?
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) […]
