Ammonites the size of an adult human were gliding through Earth’s oceans around 80 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found all around the world, but the biggest of them all was retrieved in Germany back In 1895, and it was an absolute whopper. It belonged to Parapuzosia seppenradensis, which is thought to be […]
RNA-Editing Octopuses Rewire Their Brains To Cope With Drops In Temperature
Everyone’s favorite smart, sentient “aliens” just got a whole lot weirder: Octopuses are able to recode proteins in their nerve cells to protect their brains from changes in temperature, new research has revealed. When things get chilly, the canny cephalopods tinker with their RNA – the messenger molecule between DNA and protein production – ensuring […]
New 99-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Species Discovered In Utah
A newly discovered dinosaur in Utah is thought to have lived in a time of big environmental change and stood on the edge of a period of rapid warming on Planet Earth. Iani smithi dates back approximately 99 million years and lived in what is now Utah during the mid-Cretaceous. Iani smithi is a special […]
Rebound Relationships: What They Are And Why They Can Work Better Than You Think
The “rebound” is an inescapable trope in romantic novels and rom-coms, understood to be relationships that are started up almost immediately after another one has ended. People who enter into these relationships are often uncharitably thought of as being “hung up” on their previous partners, trying to deal with unresolved feelings by jumping into something […]
Aggressive Rabid Moose Becomes The First Ever Detected In Alaska
The first rabid moose in Alaska was announced by the Department Of Fish And Game after an animal was found stumbling, drooling, and acting aggressively on June 2. Rabies in moose is rare, but not unheard of, and this latest case marks a historic first for the US state. “The moose was unbalanced, stumbling, drooling […]
Are Billionaires’ Extreme Youth-Extending Measures Really Worth It?
Like many celebrities and entrepreneurs, 45-year-old US tech billionaire Bryan Johnson is trying to reverse the ageing process. Spending an average of US$2 million a year on an anti-ageing regimen, Johnson claims he now ages slower than some children. He explains: “the pace my body accumulates ageing damage is less than the average ten year […]
Is A Mysterious Cipher Concealed Within The “Alchemical Hand Bell”?
Scholars are baffled by a mysterious object from Emperor Rudolf II’s collection: a hand bell, made from an alloy of seven metals and said to have been used to summon spirits, contains an enigmatic cipher on the inside. The Habsburg emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) went down in history as one of the greatest patrons of […]
IFLScience The Big Questions: Is Jurassic Park Possible?
In the 30 years since Steven Spielberg’s movie came out, people from all walks of life have wondered if bringing back dinosaurs is possible. We couldn’t let the anniversary pass without asking scientists working on dinosaurs and cloning if such a feat is feasible. Host Rachael Funnell spoke with dinosaur expert Dr Susie Maidment from […]
Greenhouse Gas Emissions At “All-Time High,” Pushing Planet To Its Limits
Greenhouse gas emissions have reached “an all-time high,” causing human-caused climate change to increase at an “unprecedented rate.” This is, of course, in spite of promises from policymakers and the world’s biggest companies to wean the planet off fossil fuels. A new analysis by 50 leading scientists has warned that human-induced warming reached an average […]
Parents Who Phub Could Push Their Kids Towards Phone “Addiction”
Phubbing: you’ve probably done it, and you probably hate it. Ignoring other people in favor of staring in rapt attention at your phone is unlikely to lead to relationship or social success. But have you ever thought about the impact that parents’ phubbing can have on their kids? A new study has found some evidence […]
“Once A Cheater, Always A Cheater” – Is There Any Truth To The Phrase?
“Once a cheater, always a cheater” – it’s an adage you’ve no doubt heard before, perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, red flag waving, but is there actually anything in the phrase? While many people believe that a track record of infidelity in relationships is a surefire sign of future adultery, that doesn’t necessarily mean […]
LEGO Illusion Wins Illusion Of The Year Competition, Beating Equally Mind-Bending Entries
The Illusion of the Year competition has announced its winners. The competition, celebrating brain-bending visual and audio illusions, crowned an illusion of a LEGO car appearing to pass through a solid LEGO wall as its champion. Second place went to a seemingly-ordinary tower of cubes and an actually ordinary pencil. Advertisement Third place in the […]
Brightest Explosion Ever Seen In Space Now Has An Explanation
The Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) officially known as GRB 221009A was so powerful it was quickly dubbed the BOAT (Brightest of All Time). A new study reveals a reason why some of that brightness has been surprisingly enduring. The BOAT did not just edge past previous records. Instead, it was 70 times as bright as […]
“Flat Head” Syndrome: Leaving Babies Supine For Too Long Can Change The Shape Of Their Skulls
Here’s something nobody warns you about until you are about to have, or have recently had, a baby: their skulls are surprisingly malleable. When babies are born, they have soft spots on their skulls where the bones have not yet fused together. Strange as they are to discover on your baby’s noggin, they serve us […]
AI Camera Inspired By Star-Nosed Mole Snaps “Photos” Without Taking Photos
A camera shaped like a star-nosed mole can take photos without needing a lens. How? Because it doesn’t take a photo at all, but instead uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate an image of where you’re standing. The concept has been named Paragraphica by creator Bjørn Karmann, a senior experience and interaction designer based in […]
Elephant Whiskers Improve Trunk Sensitivity, Making Them The Ultimate Thieves
Elephant whiskers aren’t like those found on other animals, like cats and rats. They are thick and immobile, leading researchers to wonder what purpose they actually serve. Elephant whiskers were first described back in 1890, but a new study is the first of its kind to dive into how the bristles may benefit these animals. […]
An Advanced Ancient Civilization Burned Itself To The Ground Before Disappearing 2,500 Years Ago
An enormous pit stuffed with the burned remains of animals, ancient treasures, and unanswered questions was discovered in 1978 by archaeologists in Andalucía, Spain. Here, in the Guadiana Valley, they found the remnants of three temples that housed members of an ancient civilization. That was, until one day they decided to pack it all up, […]
What Ancient Egyptian Sounded Like – And How We Know
The Ancient Egyptians are famed for their intricate hieroglyphic writing system, with many stunning (and disturbing) examples surviving to this day. But have you ever wondered how their spoken language would have sounded, and – more importantly – how we know? Take a trip back into the past to find out more. Advertisement Credit: NativLang […]
Rare Antibody Could Reverse “Incurable” Heart Disease, Finds Breakthrough Study
A deadly and previously incurable type of heart disease has been entirely reversed for the first time, leaving the patients with no symptoms. The team of researchers from University College London found a set of antibodies that reversed transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in three men, which would otherwise have likely caused death within four years. […]
Hollow Earth: The Weird And Ancient Theory That The Earth Is Filled With Mole People
In 2007, a man planned to go on a voyage to the North Pole to find the “gateway” to the center of the Earth, spurred on by his understanding of the “Hollow Earth” theory which had been disproved in 1774. Back before we really knew what was going on beneath our feet, there were theories. […]
