Deborah Bloomfield

Neutron stars are the end product of certain supernovae. Massive stars collapse on themselves and then explode, leaving behind a dense object which in many cases is spinning very fast, emitting pulses of radio waves. Some of these objects spin hundreds times per second. Now, researchers report the discovery of a radio-emitting neutron star that […]

While hunting for submerged fossils off the coast of Florida, a 29-year-old man discovered the huge tusk of a mastodon, a distant cousin of the woolly mammoth and modern-day elephants. Advertisement Alex Lundberg recovered the 1.2-meter (4-foot) tusk in April 2024 while exploring the waters off Venice Beach in the Gulf of Mexico. Upon diving, […]

On May 31, the Hubble Space Telescope automatically entered safe mode due to one of its three gyroscopes giving faulty telemetry readings. These instruments allow the telescope to point consistently in the right direction, and they are key to the functioning of the space observatory. Advertisement NASA has now announced a press conference  to update […]

Some of the largest and most enigmatic rock art in the world can be found along South America’s Orinoco River, featuring a zig-zagging snake that stretches for more than 40 meters (131 feet) along with human figures and giant Amazonian centipedes. Advertisement In a new study, archaeologists have mapped the 14 sites that comprise this […]

NASA’s rovers on Mars do not have feelings– which is probably a good thing, given that they are living on a planet populated entirely by robots, with nothing but a barren landscape to explore alone. But every now and then, one of the rovers will pick up a companion. The latest to join Perseverance on […]

During an expedition to survey the biodiversity of northeast India’s Siang Valley, entomologists have stumbled upon a brand-new species of teeny-tiny ant with a rare appearance: it’s a dazzling metallic blue. Being so shiny appears to have done it a favor when it comes to being found – the team noticed something glistening whilst searching […]

Eating too much meat is bad for you, bad for the environment, and fatal for the animals involved. Those are straight facts, indisputable and proven through years of study. But counterpoint: have you considered that vegans are annoying? Advertisement If the comments section under just about any media promoting a vegetarian or vegan diet is […]

A leading architecture and engineering firm behind the world’s tallest building – among other major projects – has teamed up with startup Energy Vault in order to design skyscrapers that incorporate gravity batteries into their design. Advertisement As the planet moves towards renewable energy, we are faced with the problem of storage. The problem is […]

Some people’s specific genetic traits could leave them more vulnerable to heart attack during times of stress, like national holidays or elections. Recent research is showing how an inherited vulnerability could be behind a trend that’s long been observed but has remained poorly understood. Advertisement “We found people who are genetically predisposed to stress tend […]

Japan is looking to revitalize its dying whaling industry – and the unveiling of their new “mothership” shows they mean business.  Advertisement Japan’s new whaling factory ship, the Kangei Maru, set sail on its maiden voyage from the port of Shimonoseki on May 21, according to Japanese media. Advertisement The $48 million ship is a […]

For Ancient Egyptians, the Nile was the source of life itself: it irrigated their crops and fed their animals; it was a highway and a compass; it even underpinned their religious beliefs. But while some of the Ancient Egyptians’ beliefs may seem naïve – even amusing – to us here in the 21st century, a […]

The reason for giraffes’ iconic long necks has been revealed, and it turns out food was the original driver after all, just as Darwin thought. However, the alternative explanation, that it was about male sexual competition, gets a compensatory prize, having modified the shape of male giraffes’ necks. Advertisement Giraffes’ remarkable necks are not only […]

Bright and shiny animals are all over the place, from deep sea worm species to electric blue tarantulas and even bright jellyfish. Now, several ancient harvestmen have been discovered in Germany, and the iridescence has even been preserved within the fossil.  Advertisement This research marks the first fossil harvestmen discovered from the Eocene, roughly 48 […]

After one of its cookie dough products was taken off shelves last year following the discovery it contained peanuts that weren’t supposed to be there, a cookie manufacturer has been issued a warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after an inspection uncovered “serious violations”. Advertisement Back in October 2023, a Cookies-N-Milk product was […]

The game of “58 Holes” is one of the oldest games in the world. According to traditional interpretations, the board game first appeared in ancient Egypt during the second millennium BCE, but recent excavations have also discovered evidence of the game in the South Caucasus during this period, challenging our understanding of its origins. Advertisement […]

The skeleton of a female warrior who appears to have been slain in battle has been discovered at a cemetery for Medieval knights in central Spain. According to the authors of a new study, the ancient soldieress may have been a member of the Order of Calatrava, which defended the kingdom of Castile from North […]

Survey data from a nationally representative panel of US adults has revealed that a quarter still do not accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that there is no link between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine – or MMR jab – and autism. This is one conspiracy theory that’s proving exceptionally hard to shake off, despite […]

The strange features of quantum substances are being explored in the hope they will lead to engines more powerful and efficient than their classical counterparts. There’s still a lot we don’t understand about how the various aspects of quantum physics can help and hinder machines. A new exploration of one of quantum physics’ most distinctive […]

For millennia, humans have been able to manipulate metals. In modern times, we have learned ways to make them more resistant to environmental effects. One could assume that in the vacuum of space, metals would fare better without ways to rust or degrade, but there are other concerns in vacuum. Concerns that can have very […]

The oldest crystals in the world show evidence of exposure to both fresh and salty water during their formation, a new study reports. This indicates that the very early Earth had both oceans and land on which rainwater could collect. Although hellish in many ways, it suggests a planet far more like the one we […]