Deborah Bloomfield

Down in the deep waters of the northeastern Australian coast, you might be lucky enough to come across a brand new species of shark. The painted hornshark (Heterodontus marshallae) is a newly described species that belongs to the order Heterodontiformes, characterized by their unusual human-like molars. Heterodontiformes is an order with only one genus and […]

Gender-affirming care continues to be proven to provide a high level of satisfaction and incredibly low levels of regret. The latest study looked at patients who underwent gender-affirming mastectomies from 1990 to 2020 and followed up about how they have felt since the procedure. A double (or bilateral) mastectomy is considered a major surgery, most […]

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provided astronomers with the first-ever images of supermassive black holes: the one at the center of galaxy M87 and our friendly neighborhood one, Sagittarius A*, which sits at the center of the Milky Way. Those incredible images captured for the first time the shadows of black holes. Now, astronomers have a […]

The most distant known star is called Earendel. First seen by Hubble thanks to a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, the light of this object has traveled for almost 13 billion years to reach Earth. JWST observations have previously hinted at a possible companion and have now gone even further in establishing the color of […]

A “totem” has mysteriously emerged on top of a cliff along the southern coast of Britain. It’s not currently known who created the sculpture or placed it there, but locals are keen to find out so they can secure planning permission before it’s hastily taken away by the authorities. The pole recently appeared overnight at […]

A new video has captured a huge exoplanet 12 times the mass of Jupiter orbiting its star over a 17-year period, condensed down to a thrilling 10-second time-lapse – and you can definitely take time out of your day to appreciate the fact that you can watch this amazing feat right now on your phone. […]

Forget toilet seats and the soles of your shoes. One of the most germ-ridden objects in your house is most likely in your hand or your pocket right now: your smartphone. How germy are these devices exactly? A number of studies have looked into this question and their findings are quite something. What kind of […]

The Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum), is a newly discovered fancy-pants arachnid, that was recently found in northwestern Iran. With glorious locks of woolly, golden hairs, this spider was announced to the world just in time for Tarantula Appreciation Day on August 8. It all began when nature enthusiast Mehdi Gavahyan was taking a stroll […]

There’s no “right” amount of sex. Whether in the context of a relationship or not, people’s needs and preferences vary massively, but it’s still easy to wonder whether other people are doing it more often than we are. Coming straight out and asking them, however, is unlikely to get you invited back for dinner any […]

Say goodbye to the arbitrary “10,000 steps a day” target, as a huge new study shows that your health starts to see benefits from walking fewer steps than previously thought. However, before you throw out your hiking boots, the same study shows that the more you walk, the greater the benefits. In fact, there’s no […]

Everyone is tired, and it’s no wonder. Between racing thoughts, a snoring partner, and pets invading the bedroom, getting a solid eight hours can seem an impossible task. Even taking a nap might not give us the boost we’re seeking. But take heart, weary reader: there are some things you can do. One of the […]

Unlike the very real, very blue, family of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky, the story of the green children of Woolpit is riddled with speculation and hearsay; but, if true, the children’s lives could be a harrowing example of child neglect and the devastation caused by war. The story of the green children of Woolpit is described […]

The US has created a new government agency to focus on global health and pandemic prevention. As part of its wide range of responsibilities, it will be tasked with preparing the country for “disease X”, the hypothetical unknown infection that has the potential to spread into a new pandemic. The US response to HIV/AIDS will […]

Almost 200,000 years ago, a group of Neanderthals in southwest France constructed a series of odd structures out of broken stalagmites deep inside a cave. Arranged in two large circles and four small stacks, the carefully positioned formations have baffled researchers since their discovery in 1990 and hint at unexpectedly complex Neanderthal behaviors. Early analyses […]

An unexpected companion has been discovered in the tomb of an ancient Chinese emperor: the complete skeleton of a giant panda. The animal is unlikely to have ended up here by accident in a bamboo hunt gone awry. Instead, the archaeologists who discovered the remains believe the bear was buried alongside the esteemed leader to […]

An enormous femur was retrieved from the Stonesfield limestone quarry in Oxfordshire, England, back in 1676. It’s thought to have belonged to the first dinosaur ever described, Megalosaurus bucklandii, but its discoverers didn’t know what they were dealing with at the time. That meant when it was later depicted in the first known published illustration […]

Scientists, and many others, would love it if people would “trust the science” when faced with important public or personal decisions. However, only a tiny proportion of the population will have a deep knowledge of research on any topic, so most people most of the time have to rely on what scientists say about it. […]

Researchers have reported the first evidence of quantum superchemistry. This is a special type of chemical reaction where the atoms and/or molecules in the reaction are all in the same quantum state, leading to a collective and accelerated reaction. This effect had theoretical backing, but proof of its feasibility has been elusive. The team used […]

An astonishing new ecosystem has just been announced following a discovery inside volcanic caves off Central America. It took the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s (SOI) research vessel Falkor (too) 30 days to complete its expedition, and brought home one of the biggest discoveries in 46 years of studying hydrothermal vents. Here, on the East Pacific Rise, […]

The South Pole may seem like it’s enduring and immutable, but a new review has shown how Antarctica has undergone “staggering” extreme changes in the face of the deepening climate crisis. Among the many concerns highlighted in the new paper, the researchers warn there’s a possibility that Antarctica could eventually lose its cooling effect on […]