Most of us have heard the one about if you cross your arms over your chest you’re feeling defensive or if you’re fiddling with your hair while talking you feel nervous – but is there really any truth to some of these body language stereotypes? Reading body language can be a useful skill in understanding […]
Aussie Gold Digger Finds Giant Gold Nugget Worth $160,000 In Victoria
An Aussie bloke armed only with a budget metal detector has come across a gigantic gold-filled rock worth a cool AU$240,000 (US$160,000). It was recently discovered in the Australian state of Victoria in an area known as the “Golden Triangle” – between Ballarat, Bendigo, and St Arnaud – by an amateur gold hunter. He took […]
Examples Of Gaslighting, And What You Can Do About It
You may think you’ve heard the term “gaslighting”, but it’s actually just your mind playing tricks on you. You might even be going crazy. Better to just let us explain to you what the phenomenon really means. Those are all the kinds of things we might say if we really were trying to gaslight you […]
How Do Fitness Trackers Work? They’re More Complex Than You May Think
From measuring the number of steps you take in a day to analyzing your heartbeat and sleep patterns, fitness trackers have become increasingly popular in recent years. But what are they and why are they so useful? Physical activity has significant benefits for our bodies and our mental health. Aside from helping prevent and manage […]
These Are The Only Photos Ever Taken Of The Surface Of Venus
When it comes to the surfaces of the other rocky worlds in the Solar System, Mars is probably the best photographed, from both orbit and by several landers and rovers that have mapped and snapped its rocky terrain from the surface. Mercury has been pretty well mapped and imaged too. However, we only have a […]
Vegan Dog Food Is Healthy, As Long As It’s Properly Balanced
Dogs may be able to go vegan if the meatless food provided to them contains the right mix of nutrients, new research has revealed. After feeding two carefully formulated vegan diets to 12 adult dogs, the study authors found the pooches to be no less healthy than those that ate meat. In fact, those that […]
What Is Micro-Cheating And How Do You Know If You’re Doing It?
When does seemingly harmless behavior cross the line and become cheating? People in relationships will have different ideas of where the boundary lies, but the more obvious types of cheating are usually pretty easy to spot – sleeping with someone else, unless previously agreed with your partner, is going to be difficult to explain away! […]
Two New Species Of Carnivorous Plants Discovered High In The Ecuadorian Mountains
Carnivorous plants are some of nature’s most fascinating species. From evolving to count, to winning competitions, these species have specialized in digesting everything from mammals to reptiles and insects. Now two new species of carnivorous plants have been discovered high in the mountains of Ecuador. These particular species belong to a genus of insectivorous plants […]
New Supermassive Black Hole Weighs 30 Billion Times Our Sun
At the center of the Abell 1201 cluster resides a huge elliptical galaxy, and at its center sits a supermassive black hole. Previous analysis suggested that the object was big – bigger than most known black holes. The latest one places among the biggest objects in the universe, bigger than certain galaxies. It has an […]
Buckle Up For More Supercell Storms In The US Driven By Climate Crisis
As the US starts to heat up due to climate change, the country can expect to endure more dangerous hail storms and killer tornadoes caused by supercells, according to a new study. The new research indicates that lethal supercells are likely to increase in the late winter and early spring months, especially in eastern parts […]
A Neutron Star Collapsing Into A Black Hole Might Have Released A Fast Radio Burst
April 25, 2019 was an exciting day for different groups of astronomers. The second-ever detection of a neutron star collision was reported, being picked up by one of the two LIGO detectors. Two and a half hours later, the CHIME observatory picked up a Fast Radio Burst (FRB), a very brief powerful release of radio waves. […]
The Only Treatment For Rabies Involves Doctors Almost Killing You
Rabies is a terrifying disease with an almost zero percent survival rate. If bitten by an animal carrying the virus, a person has just 24 hours (or 48 hours if they are vaccinated) to reach a hospital to stop it from infecting the nervous system, where the infection takes hold and begins causing symptoms. If […]
Bomb Detector Rats’ Genitals Will Open And Close Several Times Through Their Lives
A rat that can sniff out bombs has just revealed a new party trick, as research has discovered that the African pouched rat’s genitalia is constantly transforming throughout its adult life. The unusual approach to reproductive development sees the vagina open, then seal up only to open again later. Magic. The southern African giant pouched […]
WHO Announces 8 More Cases Of Highly Fatal Marburg Virus Disease
Eight more cases of the hemorrhagic disease Marburg have been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) after the initial outbreak was announced on February 13, bringing the confirmed total to nine with 20 more cases likely to be Marburg. The virus that causes Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) is related to the Ebola virus and […]
This Brand New “Einstein” Tile Can Do Something No Other Shape Can Do
Einstein has done it again. No, not that one: this time, the “einstein” that’s changed the world of math and physics is a tiny, skew-whiff polygon that’s been dubbed “the hat”. There’s no relation to the famous physicist: in this case, “einstein” comes from the German “ein Stein”, meaning “one stone”, and it’s a pretty […]
Ettore Majorana: The “Genius” Physicist Who Predicted Neutrons And Then Disappeared Completely
From when he was a small child, it was clear Ettore Majorana was going to be a brilliant mathematician or physicist. Born in Sicily in 1906, Majorana completed high school early, before heading to Rome to study engineering and then physics, under the supervision of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi. Fermi – awarded the prize […]
Where Two Worlds Collide: Do The Atlantic And Pacific Oceans Mix?
If you stand on the southernmost tip of South America, you’ll be able to look out and see roughly where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. Despite what you may have seen in viral videos, there is no clear distinction between these waters, and the oceans will happily drift into one another. Nevertheless, sailors […]
A New, Massive Hole In The Sun’s Atmosphere Is Pointing At Earth
Last week, a massive hole in the Sun’s atmosphere led to a severe geomagnetic storm that put satellites on high alert and delivered Northern Lights down to very low latitudes. And now there is another one. Forecasting expects another increase in solar wind to arrive towards the end of the week, providing another chance for […]
World’s Most Venomous Octopus Bites Woman Multiple Times, And She Survives
Earlier this month, a woman in Australia was bitten multiple times by a blue-ringed octopus – the deadliest octopus in the world, and one of the most venomous animals full stop. However, in what may seem a surprisingly happy ending, she lived to tell the tale. While swimming at a beach in New South Wales […]
People With Mental Illness Are Biologically Older Than Peers
New research has shown that people with various different mental disorders have increased biological markers of aging, indicating that they are physically aging at a faster rate. People with mental illness typically show more age-related disorders and have shortened lifespans, though research until now has failed to highlight exactly why. While severity varies by individual […]
