Beryl, the first named hurricane of this year’s Atlantic season, has made a historic start even before it’s due to reach the Caribbean this morning and, according to officials, it seems set to continue making its mark. Advertisement While the Atlantic hurricane season runs all the way from June 1 through to November 30, the […]
Plant That Grows Better After Radiation Dose Could Help Terraform Mars
Researchers have identified a plant that could survive the harsh conditions on Mars, potentially helping future humans to terraform it. Advertisement If humans ever want to set up a home elsewhere in the Solar System, Mars seems like the most viable bet, beating off the competition by not being a hell world, having a surface […]
Is Holding In A Sneeze Dangerous?
They say to do one thing every day that scares you, but can we suggest you don’t make that holding in a sneeze? From rupturing your windpipe to puffing up your face, holding in a sneeze can be dangerous to the unlucky few. Fortunately, that whole thing about your eyes popping out of your head […]
World’s Oldest Example Of A Continuously Practiced Ritual Discovered In Australian Cave
Two sticks found in a cave in southeastern Australia show signs of processing that perfectly match curse-making practices described in the 19th century. The sticks have been dated at an estimated 11,000 and 12,000 years old, which would make this the longest period over which we have evidence for the continuation of a cultural practice […]
We Might Owe Wine To The Asteroid That Killed The Dinosaurs 66 Million Years Ago
Researchers looking for fossilized grape seeds across Colombia, Panama, and Peru, have found seeds that are between 60 and 19 million years old – and one example is from the oldest grape ever found in the Western Hemisphere. The researchers think that the proliferation of grapes might have come as a result of the changes […]
Meet The Gila Monster: The Only Venomous Lizard In The United States
Some countries have a bounty of animal species in one particular group: Peru and Columbia, for example, have the most butterfly species of any country. By contrast, North America has only two species of venomous lizard and only one is found in the United States – the Gila monster. Advertisement Description: The Gila monster (Heloderma […]
Fishing Cat That Quacks Like A Duck Surprises Scientists By Hunting In Trees
Something rare and highly unusual was caught on camera in Bangladesh by scientists studying bird colonies. The fishing cat that quacks like a duck is famous for its aquatic hunting skills, and yet their cameras revealed – for the first time – that they also hunt in the treetops. Advertisement What are fishing cats? Fishing […]
Four New Species Of Firefly Added To IUCN Red List – And They’re All In Danger Of Extinction
Outside of entomology circles, bugs aren’t generally known as a romantic or particularly charming kind of animal. There are exceptions, however: fireflies, with their eerily beautiful glow, have long captured imaginations the world over, appearing in legends and lore from as far afield as Japan, Italy, and Miranda. Advertisement But as beloved as they are, […]
This Is How Neanderthals Managed To Take Down Giant Elephants 125,000 Years Ago
Despite its name, the mammoth was not the largest Pleistocene land animal. That status goes to its relative, the straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), which, due to weighing up to 13 tonnes, was twice the size of a modern African elephant and lived across Asia and Europe until around 100,000 years ago. Anthropologists have sought evidence that Neanderthals hunted Palaeoloxodon, maybe […]
The Genetic History Behind Blue Eyes
More than one in four people in the US have blue eyes. In the UK, it’s three out of every seven; in the Netherlands, it’s three out of five, and in Iceland, it’s three out of every four. Depending on where you live, it’s a very popular ocular color to have. Advertisement But that’s kind of weird, […]
Do We Still Live In An Age Of Dinosaurs? Find Out More In Issue 24 Of CURIOUS – Out Now
Issue 24 (July 2024) 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. Read Issue 24 of our digital magazine now by clicking below! Use the arrows to navigate or […]
A 44,000-Year-Old Frozen Wolf May Still Contain Living Bacteria, Family Sues NASA After Piece Of ISS Smashes Into Their House, And Much More This Week
This week, freshly analyzed Neanderthal remains suggest our extinct relatives were caring and compassionate, researchers spotted the world’s largest land mammal migration ever recorded, and a robot with a face made out of lab-grown human skin became everyone’s new nightmare. Finally, we explore how some physicists once believed the explosive Tunguska event was actually caused […]
New Machine Learning Technique May Revolutionize Research Into 500 Million-Year-Old Microfossils
Have you ever heard of Palynomorphs, “microfossils” that are abundant pretty much everywhere? They’re microscopic fossils that appear in sedimentary rocks across the world and are invaluable for geologists and paleontologists researching the planet’s evolutionary history. However, their tiny size and sheer numbers can be a challenge to work with, so researchers have now created […]
Modern Human DNA Contains Bits From All Over The Neanderthal Genome – Except The Y Chromosome. What Happened?
Neanderthals, the closest cousins of modern humans, lived in parts of Europe and Asia until their extinction some 30,000 years ago. Genetic studies are revealing ever more about the links between modern humans and these long-gone relatives – most recently that a rush of interbreeding between our species occurred in a relatively short burst of […]
How Are Underwater Tunnels Built?
Thousands of people take the Tube from the north side of London to the south, or pop across the English Channel via the Channel Tunnel every day, but they’re only able to do so thanks to one pretty important feature – underwater tunnels. But how is such an impressive feat of engineering built? Advertisement The […]
Saunas: Great For Health Or Just A Lot Of Hot Air?
On the face of it, spending any amount of time in a small, 80°C (176°F) room might sound thoroughly unenjoyable – but many people do it willingly on a regular basis. How? Visiting saunas, which are a regular part of life in countries like Finland but have recently shot up in popularity elsewhere too. That […]
How Often Should I Wash My Office Coffee Mug?
The humble mug is one of the most important parts of an office. It’s there to hold your coffee when you need that boost first thing in the morning, to show off your personality with a funky pattern or amusing joke, or to hold on to for warmth when someone else is controlling the aircon. […]
The Fascinating Sex Lives Of Insects
Some insects have detachable penises, others produce sperm that is 20 times the size of their own body. Others have evolved with special equipment to help them tear rivals off potential mates. Insects can be creepy, promiscuous or murderous – but they are rarely dull. Advertisement The stag beetle male – Europe’s largest beetle has […]
Ultra-Processed Foods Should Be Given “Tobacco-Style” Warnings, Scientist Argues
Ultra-processed foods are so harmful to health that they should be sold carrying tobacco-style warnings, according to the epidemiologist who coined the term. Advertisement “UPFs [Ultra-processed foods] are increasing their share in and domination of global diets, despite the risk they represent to health in terms of increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases,” Carlos […]
How Do Astronomers Map The Universe?
The motion of celestial bodies has been studied and interpreted for tens of thousands of years. Understanding how the Moon and Sun move helped our ancestors thrive across the changing seasons. Expanding that to the planets gave us an idea of our place in the universe. And the advent of the astronomy of precision several […]
