The above image was taken at the Michigan Carbon Works refinery in the United States back in 1892, a time when the number of bison in the country had plummeted to just 456 individuals. A shocking statistic in itself, and even more so in the context that at the close of the 18th century, there […]
Saturn’s Rings May Be 4.1 Billion Years Older Than They Look
Saturn’s spectacular rings may be far older than we thought – according to a new study, they may have been there from the gas giant’s birth. Saturn is thought to be amongst the oldest bodies in the Solar System, clumping together within 10 million years of the Sun’s formation, shortly behind Jupiter. For a time, […]
These Ferns Can “Evolve Backward”, Challenging Our Assumptions About Plant Evolution
We tend to think of evolution as a one-way process: simpler beings gradually advancing to become more sophisticated lifeforms with no room for a backward step. However, as new research has demonstrated, this isn’t necessarily the case. “Evolution has no finish line. There is no end goal, no final state,” writes Jacob Suissa, Assistant Professor […]
Sperm-Blocking Hydrogel Is Another Promising Step Towards Reversible Male Birth Control
The world has taken another tentative step closer to reversible male birth control thanks to a recent Master’s graduate from South Africa. During her studies at Stellenbosch University, Kyla Raoult demonstrated the potential of using a non-hormonal hydrogel technology to reversibly block the passage of sperm through the vas deferens. “The hydrogel is designed to […]
No, Dice Rolls Aren’t Technically Random – Here’s Why
Short of flipping a coin, it’s hard to think of a more classic representation of “random chance” than rolling dice. But does that hold up? In practice, sure – but technically speaking? Being really nit-picky about things? Nope! Lucky for you, being unnecessarily nit-picky in a way designed to get you out of family Monopoly […]
First Dissection Of The World’s Rarest Whale Reveals They Have 9 Stomach Chambers
The first-ever dissection of the world’s rarest whale has enabled Indigenous people and conservation scientists in New Zealand to learn more about one of their taoka, which means treasure in the language of South Island Māori culture. The marine mammal was a spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii, the rarest species of beaked whale with only six […]
“Avian Influenza Prevention Zone” Declared In Four UK Counties After Bird Flu Detected
An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, or AIPZ, has been declared across four counties in England after bird flu was detected in a number of wild and captive birds in the region. The counties affected are the East Riding of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. These areas are home to a huge number of the UK’s […]
A23a, World’s Largest And Oldest Iceberg, Is On The Move In Antarctica’s Southern Ocean
The world’s largest and oldest iceberg has “set sail” upon a new voyage across Antarctica’s Southern Ocean. Known as A23a, the megaberg weighs almost one trillion tonnes and measures 3,900 square kilometers (1,500 square miles) in size – that’s twice as big as Greater London. From top to bottom, it’s around 400 meters (1,312 feet) […]
First Comet Seen Slamming Into Jupiter May Have Left It With A New Ring, Unknown Written Language Found On Ancient Tablet, And Much More This Week
This week, Jupiter may have gained a brand new ring when it was struck by a comet in the ’90s, an ancient tablet found by fishers in Iran is written in an unknown language, a new-to-science predator is discovered in the Atacama Trench, human genomes reveal when inter-hominid hook-ups between us and Neanderthals took place, we may finally know how to play […]
Is “Planet 9” Out There? Astronomers Find Evidence Of Massive Object Beyond Neptune’s Orbit
We have discovered thousands of exoplanets in the last few decades, while the number of planets in the Solar System has remained at eight – but our discovery of more might not yet be over. A team of researchers say they have found the “strongest statistical evidence yet that Planet 9 is really out there”, […]
The Oldest Story On Earth Could Be 100,000 Years Old
If you happen to be in the northern hemisphere between October and March, take a look up at the stars – you might just see the inspiration for what could be the oldest story in the world. What do you need to look for? The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, one of the […]
Exosomes: Are They Really The Cure-All Some Claim Them To Be?
If we were to zoom right into some biological tissue, be it plant or animal, then we might just see some cells that look as though they’re sending out or receiving tiny bubbles. These are exosomes, and according to some, they’re the cure for pretty much everything – from hair and skin issues to problems […]
4.4-Billion-Year-Old Piece Of Earth Is One Of The Oldest Things We’ve Ever Found
We know that Earth is about 4.54 billion years old, but trying to piece together the very earliest stages of its evolution is easier said than done. Luckily, science has had some help from a super blue speck of zircon dated to around 4.4 billion years old, making it the oldest chunk of Earth to […]
What Is Lake-effect Snow?
Areas across the northeast US have recently been hit with yet another barrage of heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions, with communities buried and road closures galore. “Pffft”, we hear you say, “Lots of places in the northern hemisphere get snow this time of year.” But this isn’t just any type of snowstorm – this is […]
Astronaut Snaps Stunning View Of Dwarf Galaxies From The Window Of The ISS
It’s a common misconception that people on the International Space Station (ISS) or on the Moon can’t see stars. We have to blame space photos for that. The way we photograph things in space doesn’t usually give the stars a chance to appear in a pretty manner. In reality, in space, you can see a […]
Middle School Student Makes Important Biomedical Discovery In Goose Poop
Imagine knowing you’ve already made an important contribution to biomedical research before you’ve even started high school. This is a reality for a young Chicago student who recently found a bacterium that exhibits antibiotic activity and produces a novel compound that slows the growth of human melanoma and ovarian cancer cells in the lab. Where […]
Deep-Sea Creep, Jupiter’s New Ring, And Inter-Hominid Hook-Ups
This week on Break It Down: fishers discover a mysterious tablet bearing an unknown language, sequencing the oldest human genome reveals when we first bred with Neanderthals, Jupiter’s got a shiny new ring, a new predator captured in the darkest depths of the Atacama Trench, working out the rules to an ancient boardgame, and can […]
Asked For A DNA Genealogy Kit For Christmas? Here’s What They Actually Tell You
Spit in a tube and we’ll tell you where you come from: that’s the basic premise being offered up by DNA ancestry kits, which have soared in popularity for those who are curious – or who’ve run out of Christmas present ideas. We’ve all heard of the horror stories of people using the kits and […]
What Are “Mirror Bacteria” And Are They A Threat To Humanity?
A group of 38 leading experts in fields ranging from synthetic biology to the existence of life beyond Earth has come together to determine the risks posed by “mirror bacteria” – and what they’ve found has them “deeply concerned”. But what exactly are mirror bacteria, and what is it about them that the experts are […]
Does It Snow On Other Worlds?
As large parts of the Northern Hemisphere play the game of wondering if it will snow for Christmas, we thought it might be time to extend the question beyond the Earth, starting with locations closest to us and working out to planets orbiting other stars. The Moon and Mercury No. Advertisement Mercury and the Moon […]
