A preprint paper has made the case that humans owe our existence to gravitational waves – and that in a purely Newtonian universe, advanced life forms might not exist. As far as we know, just a few elements are needed for life: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus, with sulfur almost as ubiquitous. Some simple […]
NASA To Send Rockets To Study The Eclipse’s Effect On The Ionosphere
Eclipse fever is not just for those looking forward to spectacular sights next week. NASA will launch three sounding rockets to see how the temporary blocking of sunlight affects the upper atmosphere as part of APEP (Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path, but also the name of the Egyptian Sun God’s nemesis). Starting 90 kilometers (55 […]
What Language Did The First People In North America Speak?
Despite being the last continents on Earth to be inhabited by humans (excluding Antarctica), the Americas are thought to have been home to around half of all language families ever spoken. Tracing these dialects back to their prehistoric roots, the author of a new study has revealed that every North American language can be linked […]
This Is The Best Way To Escape The Solar System And Get To Interstellar Space
Interstellar space is not too far. We have already sent two probes beyond the heliosphere – the region where the Sun dominates with its solar wind. Our foray into the space between the stars has brought crucial new insights but remains too limited to provide a deep understanding of our place in the galaxy. One […]
Space Agency Announces Earth’s True Shape And More April Fool’s News
April 1 is a great day on the internet. Suddenly, people start to apply critical thinking before sharing news, memes, and posts – after all, you do not want to be caught believing something silly, do you? It is also a day for scientists to share funny papers that can range from total BS to […]
66-Million-Year-Old “The Thing” Is A Close Second For World’s Largest Egg
When it comes to the biggest egg the world has ever seen, it’s a close fight between reptiles and birds. The elephant bird claims the top spot with an egg big enough to make the extant ostrich’s look average-sized, but “The Thing” discovered by scientists in Antarctica was a close second, and it came from […]
Yes, This Adorable Toad Really Has Heart-Shaped Pupils
The yellow-bellied toad is sure to win the hearts of even the most hesitant of anuran appreciators, being an adorable little amphibian with heart-shaped pupils. Exactly what the pupil shape means in terms of the toad’s vision isn’t known for certain, but the staggering diversity of anuran pupil shape has taught us that previously held […]
Javan Tiger May Not Be Extinct After All, DNA Analysis Of Hair Suggests
Once declared extinct, a type of Indonesian tiger may still be around, recent DNA analysis has tentatively suggested. Much more research is needed to be certain, but conservationists say there is now a glimmer of hope the Javan tiger could still be out there, roaming the island’s forests. The Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) was […]
Korean Fusion Reactor Breaks Record, Staying 7 Times Hotter Than The Sun’s Core
Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research, or KSTAR, is one of the most advanced test fusion reactors on the planet. Nicknamed the Korean artificial sun, it has now demonstrated sustained fusion temperature for almost a minute and the ability to contain extremely hot plasma for over 100 seconds. Fusion is what powers stars, but in stars, […]
Can You Die From Hanging Upside Down?
Face turning red, eyes feeling squashed, a pulsing in your ears: hanging upside down is not a pleasant experience, but how dangerous can being suspended the wrong way up really be? The truth is that it is possible to die from hanging upside down because the posture puts undue pressure on certain organs. The human […]
New Tiny Deer Species Is First Discovered In South America For Over 60 Years
A new species of tiny deer has been discovered in the central Andes in Peru, becoming the first new cervid species found in South America for over 60 years – though that’s not the only cool thing about this discovery. Previously, there were thought to be just two species of a group of deer known […]
If Brain Transplants Like The One In Poor Things Were Possible, This Is How They Might Work
The neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero announced in 2015 that he could soon be capable of performing the world’s first human head transplant procedure. This would mean that it would be possible to remove someone’s head, and graft it onto the neck and shoulders of another person. As of yet, this has only been performed on cadavers […]
Do Animals Have Friends? Find Out More In Issue 21 Of CURIOUS – Out Now
Issue 21 (April 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. In This Issue… Advertisement OUR COVER STORY: Do Animals Have Friends? From canine companions to beluga besties, […]
Upcoming Solar Eclipse Could See Dramatic Shifts In Bird Behavior
Though millions of people across North America will be looking up to the sky to witness April 8’s total solar eclipse, some scientists will have their sights elsewhere: on animals, especially those of the flying variety. A team of researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology will be keeping a particularly close eye on birds, […]
FDA Cleared Vs FDA Approved: What’s The Difference?
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the big cheeses of public health, responsible for regulating a whole bunch of products that people use every day. These products are either “cleared” or “approved” (or neither) – but what do these terms actually mean? Is there any difference between the […]
The Alarming Reasons Why The Colorado River No Longer Reaches The Sea
The Colorado River is perhaps one of North America’s most iconic, curving through such natural wonders as the Rockies and the Grand Canyon – but its waters are also historically low, to the point where it no longer reaches the sea. In an effort to figure out how best to tackle the problem, a new […]
“Barbie Pigs” Among Possible New-To-Science Species Discovered, Potentially Fatal Consequence Linked To Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse, And Much More This Week
This week, the first image of the magnetic fields around Sagittarius A* has been taken using the Event Horizon Telescope, male and female crab spiders may be using cooperative mimicry to resemble a full flower in a world-first, and climate change is affecting the shape of the Earth which may impact global timekeeping. Finally, we […]
California’s Yurok Tribe To Regain Lost Gold Rush Land As Gateway To Redwood National Park
Having lost 90 percent of its territory during the 1800s gold rush, a historic memorandum signed on March 19, 2024, will see a region of land returned to the Yurok Tribe, with plans for it to serve as a future gateway to the Redwood National and State Parks, managed by both the tribe and the […]
How Will The Solar Eclipse Affect Solar Power Generation?
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, from the west of Mexico all the way to Newfoundland in Canada. Since solar power continues to grow across the United States, the impending eclipse has people wondering how much it will affect power generation across the country. In particular, the path of totality […]
Why Do Galaxies Come In Their Mix Of Shapes?
If asked to draw a galaxy, you’d probably produce a spiral shape like the one above. When it comes to gaining our attention, spiral galaxies have big advantages – for one thing, most people regard them as extremely beautiful. They’re also brighter, having more hot young stars, so unless we look really closely we see […]
