Deborah Bloomfield

High-speed cameras have captured the moment when sparks initiate the phenomenon known as ignis fatuus or will-o’-the-wisps, finally offering an explanation for a phenomenon that has terrified and delighted humanity for millennia. The bobbing blue lights seen in wetlands have formed the basis for a great many of humanity’s stories. Would our folklore of elves […]

Human skin cells have been used to produce fertilizable eggs in a proof-of-concept study that heralds a potential new approach to infertility treatment. While much more research is needed to know how truly safe and effective this could be, it opens up the possibility that we could one day create new egg cells for women […]

People in the United Kingdom are once again being urged to place bowls of salt in their windows this winter, in an attempt to prevent damp conditions and mold. But is that really good advice? When water vapor in your home or vehicle hits a cold surface, such as your windows, it changes back into […]

Researchers looking through data from NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) have found an odd gravity anomaly over the Atlantic Ocean. Attempting to find the cause of the anomaly, the team found it may be associated with a “geomagnetic jerk” detected around the world. There is still plenty […]

Astronomers have found more evidence that there is a massive ripple traveling through the Milky Way. They have found evidence that stars at the edge of the galactic disk are moving like people doing “the Wave” in a stadium. By tracking the motion of two types of stars, researchers have measured the property of this […]

The New York trial of an alleged serial killer could open up a whole new avenue for the use of genetic data in court, after a judge allowed the use of whole genome sequencing as evidence – a first for the state. The trial in question revolves around a series of at least 11 murders […]

People given antivenoms against mamba bites often initially get better, only to start experiencing effects of the venom again, often with fatal consequences. New research reveals the reason and offers a path to life-saving solutions, but leaves questions about snake family relationships unanswered. Black mambas have a deadly enough reputation to feature in songs from […]

The JWST has found evidence of auroras and clouds in the atmosphere of the giant rogue planet SIMP-0136, but the causes must be very different from anything we see within the Solar System. When SIMP-0136 was first discovered, it was classified as a brown dwarf and thought to be one of the closest to Earth […]

When archaeologists brushed away the dirt from a prehistoric artifact in Germany, they were startled to see a shimmer of extremely rare color. Clinging to the stone’s surface were flecks of deep, electric blue.  Blue is one of the rarest hues in nature. Even flowers, birds, and butterflies that look blue usually rely on optical […]

It’s possibly one of the most iconic pieces of music ever created, at least when it comes to sci-fi and technology. You’d recognize it the moment you hear it. The music unfolds gently at first, but it gradually swells as you start to anticipate bold brass fanfares and pulsating timpani, conveying a sense of triumph. […]

An intrepid expedition team set off in 2018 to look for a mysterious species of squirrel in the Peruvian Andes. What they found instead was a brand-new species of opossum.  The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. “I realized immediately that this was […]

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is about to vanish from view. Earth and this interstellar interloper will be on opposite sides of the Sun for a little while. The glare of our star will be blocking the object from view in the coming days, until the two celestial bodies appear too close in the sky for the […]

A new take on the origins of Earth’s water claims to reveal the composition of the Earth in the first few million years after it formed. This theory proposes the planet was dry before the collision that formed the Moon, which would make habitable Earth-like planets very much the exception, not the norm. The source […]

Human classification, from celestial bodies to living organisms, often starts with their morphology. Depending on how something looks, it gets a certain label. This is all well and good until you find the exceptions, so you expand the category. But what happens when you find an exception to the exception? Well, you get something like […]

As geopolitical interest in the Arctic heats up, China has just pulled off its first dive under the Arctic ice in a crewed submersible vehicle.  Described as “a leap in deep-sea exploration capabilities,” four Chinese research vessels docked in Shanghai on Friday, September 26, after completing the country’s largest-ever scientific exploration in the Arctic Ocean.  […]

American philosopher John Searle, widely known for his famous “Chinese room” argument produced in 1980, has died aged 93, per philosophy news website Daily Nous. As natural language models and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots improve, AI is becoming more successful at convincing us that it is human. But this doesn’t mean that it is conscious, […]

Geomagnetic disturbances caused by solar activity could be increasing the risk of heart attacks here on Earth, according to a recent study that forms part of a growing body of evidence on the topic.  Almost one year ago, NASA announced that the Sun had officially reached solar maximum, the high point of activity in its […]

Think you’re a pro at doing your laundry? It could be time to think again. Turns out, washing at cooler temperatures may be the way to go – for the benefit of the planet, your clothes, and your bank balance. Once upon a time, warmer may have been better, but washing machines have changed, as […]

Imagine you find yourself walking through a forest during the fall, collecting conkers and admiring the crunchy, vividly colored leaves, when the scent of delicious baked goods hits you. You search far and low for the source, only for no bakery to be found. Where is the smell coming from? It may well be the […]

Issue 39 (October 2025) of CURIOUS is out now, bringing you science highlights for the month plus deep dives into intriguing topics, interviews, exclusives, diary dates, and explanations for some of Earth’s most perplexing natural phenomena and landscapes. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the […]