Thirty-six years after the first hints of auroral activity on the ice giant, astronomers have captured Neptune’s aurorae for the first time. Thanks to JWST, the planet’s elusive glow has been measured and it’s not the only new insight these observations have delivered. The planet is colder now than back in 1989 when Voyager 2 […]
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Strange And Out-Of-Place Spherules On Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover has stumbled across a rather intriguing rock on the rim of the Jezero Crater on Mars. The rock, which was closely examined and photographed by the rover, appears to be made up of hundreds of strange, spherical-shaped objects, dubbed “blueberries” when they were previously seen on the Red Planet. ADVERTISEMENT Just over […]
Which Way Do The Scales Tip In This Simple Viral Experiment?
A buoyancy problem involving a ping pong ball, an iron ball, a few strings, some water, and a set of scales is causing a few arguments on Reddit where it was posted. ADVERTISEMENT “Where would the scale tip? On the left is a steel ball, on the right a ping-pong ball,” Reddit user Veiy wrote, […]
Retinoids, Probiotics, And Visible Light Therapy: What’s The Latest In Treating Acne?
Acne affects many of us at one point or another, and most will be begrudgingly familiar with all of the cleansers, creams, and pills that aim to clear it up – but is there anything new on the horizon? What is acne? ADVERTISEMENT Acne is a condition in which the pores in the skin become […]
What’s The Deal With Beef Tallow?
Anyone else noticed we’re hearing a lot more about beef tallow these days? The animal fat has been used in cooking and for other purposes for centuries, but it’s definitely enjoying a resurgence at the moment. This naturally got us wondering – what’s behind it all? What is beef tallow? ADVERTISEMENT Tallow is a type […]
New Species Of 90-Million-Year-Old Therizinosaur Shocks Scientists With “Unusual” Trait Never Seen Before
A new species of therizinosaur has been discovered in Mongolia, dating back to around 90 million years ago. Named Duonychus tsogtbaatari, it’s thrown something of a curve ball for palaeontologists, as unlike all other therizinosaurs found to dates, this prehistoric giant had just two fingers instead of three. ADVERTISEMENT In 2012, workers building a pipeline […]
Could We Build Cities Using Iceland’s Lava In The Future? This Conceptual Project Has Volcanic Visions
What if the raw power of lava could be transformed into the building material of the future? That’s the bold idea being toyed with by Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, owner and founder of the firm s.ap architects in Reykjavík. ADVERTISEMENT Their latest endeavor, Lavaforming, is a hypothetical design project exploring whether lava from Iceland’s volcanoes could be used […]
Lake Berryessa’s Giant “Glory Hole” Finally Sees Some Action After 5-Year Dry Spell
They say if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Visitors to Napa County, California, can put that theory to the test because – good news! – Lake Berryessa’s glory hole is back in action. ADVERTISEMENT That’s the Morning Glory Spillway, to be exact: a massive, swirling drain at Monticello Dam […]
Dark Energy Might Be Changing – This Is What It Means For Our Understanding Of The Cosmos
The universe is expanding at an accelerated rate and our current best theories to explain this is a mysterious form of energy called “dark energy” that by its very existence is pushing the universe to expand with acceleration – although we don’t really know what dark energy is. For the last several decades, the leading […]
The First Giant Land Organism May Require A New Branch On The Tree Of Life
Since Prototaxites were discovered in the fossil record in 1843, scientists have debated whether they were early land plants, giant fungi, algae, or a whole new kingdom of life. Some of these options have already been ruled out, and they’re now widely considered to have been a type of fungus. However, one species of Prototaxites has […]
Unusual Snowy Owl With Orange Feathers Is An “Owldorable” Mystery
Birders in Michigan are scratching their heads over unusual photos of a snowy owl. The animal is perfectly perched on a telegraph pole, but instead of snow white and black feathers, the owl’s feathers are colored orange. ADVERTISEMENT Spotted in Huron County, the bird was photographed by amateur wildlife photographer Julie Maggert. Since sharing the […]
Does Turning Eggs Upside Down Really Keep Them Fresh For Longer?
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that chickens don’t belong on boats. That being the case, it’s sometimes said that sailors can keep their eggs fresh on long voyages by storing them with the pointy side down – but is there any solid science behind this yolk tale? ADVERTISEMENT As far […]
Spectacular Spirals In The Sky Over Europe Traced To Classified SpaceX Mission
People across Europe were pretty confused last night, after a giant blue swirl appeared in the sky, lasting several minutes. Rather than a UFO or an ambiguous sign from a vengeful god, the spiral pattern is believed to have been caused by the launch of SpaceX’s classified NROL-69 Mission. ADVERTISEMENT “On Monday, March 24 at […]
Greenland’s Coastline Has Grown By 1,620 Kilometers In Two Decades – And Not For A Good Reason
Greenland has expanded its rocky coastline by approximately 1,620 kilometers (~1,000 miles) within just two decades. While countries typically gain new land through military conquests, territorial treaties, or land reclamation projects, Greenland’s expansion has occurred in a far more sobering way: the relentless melting of its glaciers. ADVERTISEMENT As a result of warming temperatures, glaciers […]
Controversial Study Claims To Have Generated Electricity From The Earth’s Rotation
A controversial new study has claimed that it is possible to generate electricity using the Earth’s rotation, its magnetic field, and a surprisingly simple device. If replicated, that could be pretty interesting indeed, but for now some physicists are rightly a little skeptical of the results. ADVERTISEMENT Whether electricity can be generated using Earth’s rotation […]
Caves In The US That Glow Under UV Light Could Help Us Find Life On Ice Worlds
Wind Cave, South Dakota, has interesting minerals, but is ill-suited for life, being too far underground for sunlight to reach. Yet its glowing colors revealed by black light could assist the search for life on other worlds, cave researchers have argued. ADVERTISEMENT Professor Joshua Sebree of the University of Northern Iowa led a team of […]
Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem: Is Democracy Doomed?
Democracy, if Winston Churchill is to be believed, is the worst form of Government – except for all the other forms that have been tried. That tells us two things: that sometimes, you have to make do with the least bad option, and that Churchill was no mathematician. ADVERTISEMENT Why? Well, had the statesman been […]
Tutankhamun May Have Invented The “Awakening Of Osiris” Ritual
Objects found in the tomb of Tutankhamun indicate that the Boy King was the first pharaoh ever to undergo a funerary rite designed to re-animate his mummified body in the afterlife. Known as the Awakening of Osiris, the ancient ritual sought to facilitate the deceased ruler’s transformation into Osiris, the god of the underworld, thus […]
Bats’ Bullshit Detectors Mark First Time Hallmark Of Advanced Cognition Recognized In Bats
If your friend starts screaming, but you can see them standing in front of you just fine, your response probably wouldn’t be the same as if they were in another room. That’s because you have the cognitive capacity to marry up the auditory information with visual information, combining them to accurately assess the threat and […]
Watch The Moon Take A “Bite” Out Of The Sun In Partial Solar Eclipse This Week
Get those eclipse glasses ready! Later this week, many areas in the Northern Hemisphere will witness a partial solar eclipse. At no point will the Sun’s disk be completely covered, so to witness the celestial event you need to make sure you use the right protection. ADVERTISEMENT The event will happen on March 29 in […]
