Deborah Bloomfield

Ants have long been a source of food across the globe, and each species has its own unique flavor. Researchers have analyzed these edible ants to get an idea of where their delectable tastes and smells come from, highlighting the untapped potential for their use in culinary settings in countries that have historically been reticent […]

With their extraordinarily long tentacles and elusive behavior, bigfin squids are arguably one of the most alluring animals of the deep sea. Sightings of live individuals in the wild are extremely rare, but an increasing number of observations have been made in recent years thanks to advancements in deep-sea exploration technology. Bigfin squids belong to […]

The transmission of deep notes within red giant stars can tell us their distances, providing a new way to measure the universe. That could prove useful to astronomers under any circumstances – but even more so when measurements of cosmic distances have put question marks over our models of the universe, which some consider a […]

An enormous ancient island that now lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean may hold vast reserves of rare earth elements and other valuable minerals. Known as the Rio Grande Rise (RGR), the submerged continental plateau formed as a volcanic ridge around 40 million years ago and was once a large tropical landmass covered […]

Cicada season is coming up soon, and you’d better make sure you grab your raincoat if you’re planning on heading outside. Why, we hear you ask? Not because of April showers, it turns out, but because you might just get hit by a jet stream of cicada pee – and this unusual trait has helped […]

Beneath the rocky surface of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, US, lurks a settlement primed for Armageddon. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex was built at the height of the Cold War, and, when it pulls out all the stops, can withstand nuclear, electromagnetic, and biological attacks. What is the Cheyenne Mountain Complex? The bunker-on-steroids is one of […]

Hair loss is something that many people will experience in their lives, and though some might be tempted to say, “it’s just hair”, it can have a profoundly negative impact on the people affected by it. As a result, science has long been searching for a way that hair loss can be treated – so […]

You’re probably familiar with classic sauropod dinosaurs – the four-legged herbivores famous for their long necks and tails. Animals such as Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Diplodocus have been standard fixtures in science museums since the 1800s. With their small brains and enormous bodies, these creatures have long been the poster children for animals destined to go […]

This week, new data challenges the belief that male mammals are typically larger than females, scientists are investigating the effects of microgravity on blood spatter patterns, and 11,000-year-old earrings and lip studs might be the world’s oldest piercings. Finally, we question why animals act so strangely during a solar eclipse. Subscribe to the IFLScience newsletter […]

Long COVID is real, as are the experiences of those who suffer with lasting symptoms after a bout of the illness. But according to new data, it may not be a unique condition. At an upcoming conference, a team including the Chief Health Officer for the state of Queensland, Australia, will present evidence suggesting there […]

It’s safe to say that the Stanley Quencher Cup reached an astronomical level of popularity last year – to the point where people went full “fisticuffs at dawn” just to get a particular color. But then, earlier this year, a series of videos on social media started claiming that the cups contained lead – which, […]

Scientists have found the first unconventional superconductor whose chemical composition is also found in nature. The mineral in question is called miassite, a truly peculiar substance. There are only three other natural superconductors but they follow the rules of Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory, the first microscopic theory of superconductivity. Lab-grown miassite is different. Superconductivity means the ability […]

The farthest human-built object is in trouble. Voyager 1 is 24 billion kilometers (15 billion miles) from our planet, flying through interstellar space, and over the last several months NASA has not been able to properly communicate with it. But a first step towards a solution has been achieved. The engineering team has recognized a […]

It’s a conundrum many of us have wrestled with. We all want to do our bit to help the planet and fight food waste – yet we know that the minute the leftover spaghetti touches the inside of that plastic food container, it will be consigned to a life of orange-stained abandonment at the back […]

A research team consisting of archaeologists and a professional tattoo artist has finally unlocked the secrets encoded onto the skin of Ötzi The Iceman. Arguably the world’s most famous prehistoric corpse, Ötzi’s body was covered in tattoos, yet until now scientists were unsure how the markings were made on the old geezer’s skin. Thought to […]

Long legs, brown fur, big ears, and a bushy tail – the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) looks remarkably like a fox, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a wolf as the name suggests. However, this remarkable creature is actually not closely related to either. So what exactly is a maned wolf, and what […]

Not all solar eclipses are equal – even if we’re ignoring partial and annual eclipses, some are more impressive sights than others. Part of the building excitement about next month’s North American eclipse is how much longer it will last than the 2017 equivalent, leading to questions like: when was the longest eclipse of all? […]

A new study explores the motivations that lead some individuals to pursue polyamory, the practice of engaging in multiple consenting romantic and/or sexual relationships. According to the study, polyamorous individuals are largely driven by a desire for greater relatedness (connection with people), autonomy, and a desire to have more of their needs met. The results […]

As the world tries to wean itself off emission-belching agriculture, giant pythons could prove to be a more sustainable, slithering alternative to beef, pork, and chicken. In a new study, a team of scientists argues that pythons could provide a “flexible and efficient” alternative to other conventional farmed livestock, since they are surprisingly sustainable while […]

We come across a lot of bizarre animals here at IFLScience and the one we present to you today is no different – but you’d definitely be forgiven for thinking it was a sign of an alien invasion if you came across one. What on Earth (literally) are we on about, we hear you ask? […]