Monoclonal antibodies inserted directly into the vagina via a dissolvable film are being tested as a method of both contraception and protection against sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). Nicknamed “plantibodies” as they are produced using tobacco plants, researchers aim to use them against sperm cells, HIV, and herpes. The contraceptive and STI-preventative applications of the antibodies are […]
Dogs Ask Humans For Help But Pigs Just Try And Help Themselves
There’s a rather unfair saying about putting lipstick on pigs, although new research would suggest that there’s some truth to the idea that the curly-tailed podgers are indeed immune to sophistication. After conducting a series of experiments, the study authors found that even pigs that had been raised as pets lacked the ability to communicate […]
Have You Seen The Green Comet Yet? It’s Now Visible With The Naked Eye
The last time Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was visible in the night sky, Neanderthals were still roaming the planet with our ancestors. In the intervening 50,000 years, a lot has changed, and we can see these celestial objects with binoculars and telescopes – but you won’t need them to see this comet. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is […]
US Has First Cases Of Super-Gonorrhea Strain Resistant To Five Antibiotics
Two cases of a novel strain of super-gonorrhea have been reported in the US for the first time. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) on January 19, the bacteria had picked up potent anti-drug resistance and showed reduced responses to five different antibiotics. Fortunately, both cases were eventually treated successfully with an […]
Museum Discovers Its “Replica” Sword Is Actually 3,000 Years Old
For nearly 100 years, the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has held a sword, thought to be a well-made replica of a Bronze Age weapon. A new analysis, however, has indicated that the sword looks quite authentic because it is, having been made around 3,000 years ago. While preparing for an exhibition on […]
Cliff Palace Is One Of The Most Spectacular Historical Sites In The US
Cliff Palace is like few other buildings on planet Earth. Found in the rocky cliffs of Colorado’s Montezuma County, this giant dwelling was constructed over 750 years ago and provides an invaluable insight into how Native Americans lived in the centuries before colonization. Unfortunately, the condition of Cliff Palace is being slowly deteriorated by the […]
Alaska’s First Fatal Polar Bear Attack In 30 Years Claims Two Lives
Residents in Wales, Alaska, are mourning the deaths of two residents following a polar bear attack on Tuesday, the first in the US state in 30 years. According to the Alaska Department Of Public Safety State Troopers Public Information Office, locals Summer Myomick, 24, and her 1-year-old son, Clyde Ongtowasruk came across the polar bear […]
Is There Such A Thing As Nothing?
Is there such a thing as nothing? – Reggie, aged seven, Darlington Could someone see nothing? What does nothing look like? – Maya, aged nine, Bristol Advertisement Imagine you hear a noise outside your window. You think it might be a dog barking, or maybe a child shouting. But when you get up and have […]
How To Talk To Someone About Conspiracy Theories In Five Simple Steps
People’s first instinct when engaging with conspiracy believers is often to try and debunk their ideas with factual and authoritative information. However, direct confrontation rarely works. Conspiracy theories are persuasive, often playing on people’s feelings and sense of identity. Even if debunking conspiracy theories was effective, it’s difficult to keep up with how quickly they […]
Woman’s Entire Scalp Reattached In Complex Surgery After It Was Torn Off By Drill
A woman whose scalp was ripped off by a drill has undergone complex surgery to have it meticulously reattached. “Total scalp avulsion”, as the injury is described in a case report, is incredibly rare and the authors believe this to be one of the largest ever to have been successfully replanted, after the woman’s entire […]
Five Mysteries Surrounding Space And Physics
Deborah BloomfieldSource Link: Five Mysteries Surrounding Space And Physics
At 2,100 Years Old, Lady Dai’s Mummy Is Still In Unbelievable Shape
The mummy of Lady Dai is in such spectacular condition she’s sometimes called China’s Sleeping Beauty. At over 2,100 years old, she might be looking good for her age, but scientific studies have shown that this noblewoman lived a lavish lifestyle that took a toll on her health. The tomb of Lady Dai, also known […]
Fossil Hunter Unearths Enormous 12 Million-Year-Old Whale Skull
Fossil hunter Cody Goddard thought he’d reached the beachcombing peak when he found a whale vertebra last February. That was, until he blew the proverbial bucket list to smithereens by discovering the enormous skull of an ancient baleen whale, one of the most complete specimens of its kind ever found in the region. What’s perhaps […]
Poor Sleep Linked To Paranormal Beliefs Around Aliens, Ghosts, And Demons
It’s amazing how creepy the nighttime can be, so it’s perhaps no surprise that people tend to experience more paranormal activity after lights out. According to new research, an inability to sleep well could make the night appear even more alive, leading to stronger beliefs in ghosts, demons, aliens, and the afterlife. A number of […]
Can “Super” Eels Explain Loch Ness Monster Sightings?
It’s possible to love both scientific validity and the idea of hypothetical beasts, which is exactly why our eyes went out on stalks when we spotted a new preprint that explores the theory that Loch Ness Monster sightings might actually have been European eels. The “eel hypothesis” suggests that particularly large Anguilla anguilla might be […]
The Eye Of The Sahara: A Geological Mystery Staring Into Space
When viewed from above, the Eye of the Sahara looks just like an enormous impact crater sitting in the middle of the Sahara Desert of Mauritania. Stretching 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter, comprised of a series of uniform ripples, this crater-esque anomaly is in fact entirely terrestrial. This spectacular ancient geological formation was used […]
There’s A Formula To Calculate Any Digit Of Pi, And Nobody Noticed For Centuries
What’s your favorite number? There are literally infinite options, and yet only a few which seem to stand out as more popular than others: there’s seven, obviously; 13 or 666 for the badasses among us; and √2 for anyone who just likes annoying Pythagoreans. But there’s really only one number out there that can claim to […]
Laser Experiment Breaks Record While Crossing University Hallway
Efficient cable communication uses fiber optic cables to transmit data. Light sent through them has a maximum theoretical transmission efficiency of about 92 percent. There are drawbacks to these fibers, but sending laser signals through the air cannot compete with that. However, over the last decade, researchers have started working on ways to do the […]
Those White Dots On Strawberries Aren’t Strawberry Seeds
You might already be aware that the name “strawberry” is a misnomer, as strawberries aren’t really berries at all. Well, it seems strawberries are full of surprises, or rather covered in them, because those seedy-looking white dots aren’t actually seeds. The strawberries’ pitted accessories are called achenes, and they are in fact the plant’s fruit, […]
“Lightning Bolt” Of Plasma 500,000 Kilometers Long Shoots Through The Sun’s Atmosphere
The longest lightning bolts on Earth can extend for hundreds of kilometers, but even the longest produced by our planet’s clouds are dwarfed by the kind of discharges the Sun can produce. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has caught a plasma discharge 500,000 kilometers long (which could wrap around the equator 12 and a half times) […]