The Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa contains some of the oldest exposed rocks on Earth, some over 3.6 billion years old. It also contains some layers, a bit younger than that, which have perplexed geologists as they looked like a jumble of different rocks put together. Researchers now have a proposal: That portion is […]
New “Starry Night” Gecko Species Found In India Named After Van Gogh
“Life imitates art” might be an overused cliché, but a newly discovered gecko species found among rocks in the Western Ghats in India appears to be taking the phrase quite literally. Back in April 2022, a team of researchers had set out on an expedition in the deciduous forests of the southern Western Ghats – […]
Record-Breaking Most Precise Clock Would Lose One Second In 40 Billion Years
Precision time-keeping has a new record. Researchers have created a clock with an uncertainty of about 8 parts per tenth of a billionth of a billionth. This level of precision is so incredibly small that it would take the clock slightly less than three times the age of the universe to lose a single second […]
World’s Rarest Mammal Issued First-Ever Extinction Alert From The IWC
A new partnership between Re:wild and Colossal Biosciences hopes to prevent the extinction of some of the world’s rarest animals, like the critically endangered vaquita. Colossal, a de-extinction company known for wanting to bring back the mammoth, has paired up with the conservation giant – headed up by scientists and Leonardo DiCaprio – to create […]
PTSD Service Dogs Could Be Able To Sniff Out Flashbacks Before They Happen
As if we needed any more evidence of the wonder of dogs, new research is showing that some service pups may be able to add a new skill to their resumes. As well as those that sniff out serious conditions like cancer and Parkinson’s disease, some proficient pooches may be able to detect symptoms such […]
Surprise! Japanese Lunar Lander SLIM Survives Second Deadly Night On The Moon
News of Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon’s (SLIM) demise are greatly exaggerated. SLIM landed on the Moon in late January, demonstrating high precision landing on another world – unfortunately, it landed a little wonky which complicated the whole operation. Still, the tech was clearly strong enough to survive the dramatic drop in temperature experienced […]
Three New Species Of Sea Cucumbers Found With Ridiculous Amounts Of Tube Feet
We know by now that the deep ocean is full of frankly bizarre-looking animals like Barbie pigs and funky things with tentacles, and we love it. Now deep-sea sea cucumbers are getting in on the act, with three new species discovered in the South China Sea. Five scientific expeditions from 2018-2023 were taken using the […]
Next Month’s Total Solar Eclipse Could Come With Rare Bright Pink Streamers
There is a reason some people chase solar eclipses around the world: this is definitely not a phenomenon where if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Instead, each solar eclipse is different, and the April 8 North American total solar eclipse will likely come with a few extra features, including an abundance of red, […]
Humans Pass On More Viruses To Animals Than We Get From Them
Animals get a pretty bad rap when it comes to spreading viruses. After all, some of the most well-known infectious diseases in humans – think COVID-19, Ebola, or swine flu – are the result of viruses that naturally circulate in animals. But a new study might just salvage that reputation, with researchers having found that […]
Were Velociraptors Brood Parasites? And Other Dinosaur Egg Mysteries
The skulls of two baby predators found littered among a nest containing the near-complete embryo of an Oviraptor puzzled scientists when they described the find back in 1994. Why were these Velociraptor-like animals in such close association with what appeared to be the nest of its prey? The juiciest among several explanations is that it […]
Beautiful Video Captures Extremely Rare Hummingbird Previously Thought Extinct
There are few things we enjoy hearing of more than a rediscovered species. Since the rare Santa Marta sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus), a beautiful blue and green hummingbird, was unexpectedly rediscovered in 2022 after 64 years as a lost species, researchers have been studying this striking bird to learn more about this extremely rare population. “The […]
The Longest Plane Flight Without Landing Was 64 Days Of Madness
Next time you’re bracing for a long-haul flight, spare a thought for Robert Timm and John Cook. In 1958-1959, the two pilots set the record for the world’s longest-ever flight when they flew non-stop for 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes over Las Vegas, landing on February 7, 1959. In total, the journey clocked […]
There’s No Evidence That CBD Works For Chronic Pain
Taking cannabidiol (CBD) for chronic pain is unlikely to have much of an effect, but it may at least relieve you of some of the weight in your wallet, a new study has found. After analyzing the results of existing clinical trials involving CBD, researchers found that there is simply no evidence that the compound […]
Whales Must Be Granted Personhood, Say Pacific Indigenous Leaders
Indigenous leaders from across the Pacific have officially ratified the He Whakaputanga Moana (Declaration for the Ocean), a document that calls for whales to have legal personhood and all the rights that come with it. “The sound of our ancestor’s song has grown weaker, and her habitat is under threat, which is why we must […]
Next-Gen “Invisibility Shields” Are Here And Stealthier Than Ever
Invisibility cloaks were once the stuff of ancient myth and sci-fi, but a British start-up has been busy spending the past four years making them a reality. Invisibility Shield Co. released their first-generation product in 2022 with much online fanfare and hype. Now, the company is looking to launch their latest second-generation shields that are […]
Why Do Onions Make Us Cry?
By far the biggest drama queens of the fruit and vegetable world are the alliums: the onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and various bulbous cousins. Oh, they may look calm and innocent when they’re sitting pretty in the grocery store or your cupboard – but as soon as you cut into them, out come the waterworks. […]
Rare Dust Particle Trapped In Ancient Meteorite Is Older Than The Sun
The composition of a tiny grain within an Antarctic meteorite alerted astronomers it predated the Sun. On further investigation, they have concluded the mix of isotopes present requires the grain to have been formed from the output of an unusual type of supernova, which seeded the galaxy with some very distinctive isotopes. Although most meteorites […]
Potentially Fatal Consequence Linked To Upcoming US Total Solar Eclipse
With April’s total solar eclipse fast approaching, we’ve had our fair share of warnings already, from potential air travel disruption to expected difficulties accessing food, water, and fuel. Now, according to new research, we may also need to beware of potentially fatal road traffic crashes. Looking at 2017’s total eclipse, researchers found that fatal road […]
Human Brains Are Getting Bigger – Could This Impact Our Health?
The size of the human brain has been increasing each decade since at least the 1930s, new research has revealed. According to the study authors, this cerebral growth is likely to be the result of improved early life environmental factors and may act as a buffer against the threat of dementia as we age. Researchers […]
Aphantasia: Everything We Know So Far About Having No Mind’s Eye
It was only in 2015 that Professor Adam Zeman first came up with a term to describe the peculiar condition of having no mind’s eye. He called it aphantasia, and before it had a name many who resonate with the description had no idea others processed information differently. Now, almost 10 years on, Zeman has […]
