The UK Government has trialed what it is bizarrely calling a “speed of light laser weapon”, firing it from the top of a British Army combat vehicle. Advertisement The UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator program developed the weapon, which has now been tested at a firing range in Porton […]
First Ever Video Of Shark Being Hit By Boat Raises Conservation Concerns
Researchers have recorded the first-ever video of a shark being struck by a boat, revealing how the animals respond to traumatic interactions with human maritime activities. In this case, a 7-meter-long (23-foot) basking shark was hit by the keel of a boat just behind its dorsal fin, resulting in “flight behavior” and a drastic change […]
IFLScience The Big Questions: Is Evolutionary Biology Sexist?
Science can’t be sexist, we hear you cry, it’s methodical, rational. And yet science is carried out by humans who are often a product of the time and place they operate in, struggling to overcome intrinsic biases and outside influence. Host Katy Evans is joined by zoologist and presenter Lucy Cooke, author of Bitch: A […]
Astronauts Heading To Mars Might Have A Drug Problem On Their Hands
The first astronauts heading to Mars will venture further than any human before them, and should any of them encounter medical problems on their journey – perhaps “cosmic kidney disease” or a bacterial infection – they will be almost entirely alone to deal with them. Adding to those challenges, a new study has identified another […]
Tiny Sea Slugs Feed In Packs To Bring Down Dangerous Prey
Animals hunting in groups is an amazing example of both intelligence and communication between individuals, from orcas teaming up to sink yachts to prides of lions and packs of wolves taking down prey often much larger than themselves. While these are fairly common examples, taking a trip below the waves reveals that even tiny sea […]
Should You Wait To Go Swimming After Eating?
Picture it: you’re 10 years old, you’ve just absolutely smashed the hotel breakfast buffet, and now you’re ready for a day of larking about in the pool. But wait – your parents say you have to wait before you can go swimming (boooo). Why? None of their answers seem very believable and it turns out […]
Can’t Help Falling In Love? You Might Be More Likely To Be A Cheater
As Elvis famously crooned: “Wise men say, ‘only fools rush in.’ But I can’t help falling in love with you.” It’s both a romantic song and, according to a new study, a massive red flag – as it turns out that “rushing in” to love may correlate with a higher chance of infidelity in relationships. […]
What The Heck Is “Floating Duck Syndrome”? How Underestimating Effort Causes Harm
When a duck glides across the surface of a pond, it may appear to be effortlessly traversing the water, but in fact, its hidden feet are working overtime to keep it afloat. It is this contrast of outward calm and concealed exertion that inspired the term “floating duck syndrome”. Beyond the name, it has very […]
Bye Bye Superbugs? New Antibiotic Is Virtually Resistance-Proof
A new class of antibiotics is offering real hope of a response to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, hitting bacteria with a dual-pronged assault that’s almost impossible to combat. Called macrolones, the drugs target two bacterial processes simultaneously – and the scientists behind a new study say this makes evolving resistance 100 million times more […]
What Octopus Skin Can Do To Protect Us From The Sun
It’s summer (for half the planet). While we should protect our skin from the Sun all year round (even if you live in Britain), it’s time to lather on sunscreen. Sunscreen products protect us from the UV light of the Sun, but they have come under scrutiny because of their toxic effects on both humans […]
What Actually Is Muscle Memory?
When we jump on a bike after not riding for years, or somehow manage to pick out a tune on the piano despite not having lessons since we were kids, we might put that down to “muscle memory” – but is that really what we mean? It seems we may be confusing ourselves by using […]
Rare Brass Trumpets Discovered In 16th Century Shipwreck
A veritable treasure trove, including exceptionally rare brass trumpets, has been found on board a 16th-century shipwreck by archaeologists with Croatia’s International Centre for Underwater Archaeology (ICUA). The unknown sailing ship, which was armed with English iron cannons, sank off the southern coast of Istria, near Cape Kamenjak, in Croatia. The ship likely experienced trouble […]
Komodo Dragons’ Teeth Are Iron-Tipped For Extra Bite, Raising Questions About T. Rexes
Komodo dragons’ status as possibly the ultimate killing machine has been enhanced with the discovery their teeth are tipped with iron. There’s also reason to suspect predatory dinosaurs may have used the same trick, allowing them to puncture and pull prey apart with extra speed. Advertisement It’s a curious thing that arguably the closest survivor […]
Nearest Super-Jupiter Snapped By JWST – And It’s A Freezing Cold Giant
JWST has imaged a new planet directly and it is quite a fascinating object. It orbits one of the three stars in the Epsilon Indi system and it weighs six times the mass of Jupiter. This super-Jupiter is 20 to 40 times further from its star than Earth is from the Sun – so it […]
Astronaut Mark Kelly Among Possible Vice President Picks For Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be the Democratic nominee for the US presidential election this year. With her running, the question now is who could be the potential vice president on the ticket. Many names have been put forward. Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper […]
Men Probably Can’t Actually Smell When Women Are Most Fertile
Popular culture is full of scientific myths. No, the average person does not only use ten percent of their brain; sugar doesn’t make kids hyperactive; and your hair and fingernails don’t continue growing after you die. But there’s one in particular which, on the face of it, seems to have at least some scientific basis: […]
Why Are Some Trees Painted White At The Bottom?
When on a stroll or a drive, you may have wondered why some trees are painted with strange markings, and some are painted white at the bottom. These are painted for different reasons, with the markings largely for loggers, and the white paint for the protection of the trees themselves. Advertisement What do the markings […]
Watch As Surprise Yellowstone Eruption Sends Rocks Flying And Visitors Fleeing
A hydrothermal explosion in the Biscuit Basin thermal area of Yellowstone National Park that sent visitors running has been captured on video. The area has been temporarily closed, and damaged boardwalks need repair, but no injuries have been reported. More importantly, the explosion is unlikely to be a forerunner of anything bigger, with other activity […]
One Small Area Of The Pacific Shapes Temperature Variations For Half The World
Changes in temperatures in the Eastern Pacific, known as El Niños and La Niñas, ripple around the world, causing droughts and floods in different locations. New evidence suggests there is another such phenomenon, whose effects are felt across the Southern Hemisphere and have not previously been noticed – and it all starts in a surprisingly […]
Hydrogen-Powered Air Taxi Breaks Record With Longest Flight Without Emissions
Joby Aviation has tested a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi, and it went record-breakingly well. The aircraft is a modified electric vehicle with six rotors that already has thousands of miles under its belt. The latest demonstration has shown that it can go even farther, flying 840 kilometers (523 miles) over California. And since it used […]
