A new mechanism by which toxic substances are metabolized by an enzyme, mitigating their harmful effects and considerably lengthening lifespan, has been discovered. Experiments in the model worm Caenorhabditis elegans and in yeast revealed that increasing the expression of the adh-1 gene was enough to delay aging, and the researchers suspect that the same could be […]
Rats In NYC’s Sewers Could Be Carrying Various COVID-19 Variants
Rats can be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and those within the New York City sewer system may already be carrying the virus, according to new research. The study is among the first to demonstrate that rats, both laboratory and wild, can be infected by the coronavirus, and that it may present a second way for humans […]
Quantum Mechanics: How The Future Might Influence The Past
In 2022, the physics Nobel prize was awarded for experimental work showing that the quantum world must break some of our fundamental intuitions about how the universe works. Many look at those experiments and conclude that they challenge “locality” — the intuition that distant objects need a physical mediator to interact. And indeed, a mysterious […]
How To Beat A Lie Detector. Find Out In Issue 8 Of CURIOUS – Out Now
The latest issue of IFLScience’s free digital magazine CURIOUS is out now, bringing you science highlights for the month plus deep dives into intriguing topics, interviews, exclusives, diary dates, and explanations for some of Earth’s most perplexing natural phenomena and landscapes. Join us as we put curious questions to top experts, share excerpts from the […]
Why A Couple Of Post-Workout Beers Probably Won’t Stop You Gaining Muscle
If you’re trying to build muscle, you’ve probably come across a slew of videos online by influencers and so-called experts discussing all the things you need to do outside of the gym to help your progress. One popular piece of advice is to avoid alcohol entirely if you want to build muscle, with many suggesting […]
DARPA Is Looking For A Drug That Can Keep You Warm
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a drug that could temporarily raise people’s body temperatures, making them resistant to cold environments. A bioengineer has won a funding grant from DARPA and the Pentagon to explore any drugs that could do this, which will utilize the body’s own machinery of breaking down […]
Yellowstone’s Searing-Hot Pulsing Pool Acts Like A Thumping Thermometer
Among the many natural wonders that call Yellowstone National Park home, there’s a bubbling hot spring that researchers have recently discovered has a very special ability. Known as the Doublet Pool, the hydrothermal pool lets out a bold thump every 20 to 30 minutes, vibrating the near-boiling water and the ground around it. As per […]
There’s Now 171 Trillion Bits Of Plastic Pollution In World’s Oceans
There are now over 171 trillion pieces of plastic floating around in the world’s oceans, according to a new estimate. The news comes less than a week after the signing of the historic United Nations (UN) High Seas treaty, which sought to safeguard the world’s oceans. By the looks of this new study, they’ve got […]
Lake Tahoe Has Flipped, Here’s What That Means
Lake Tahoe has reportedly flipped, and while we’d love to report that it’s just stuck the landing on a very wet 360, the realities of lake turnover are a little more nuanced. Lakes flipping like this can happen episodically each year and are a natural and normal phenomenon that comes with the added benefit of […]
New Superconducting Material Could Transform Electronics – If It Works
Superconductivity is an incredible property of certain materials with exciting consequences. Once reached, for example, said materials can conduct electricity without resistance, so no loss of energy. But most materials are superconductive at extremely low temperatures. The quest for a room-temperature superconductor is ongoing, and is not without a bit of scientific drama. A few […]
Have You Been Eating Beaver Butt Juice With Your Favorite Desserts?
If you’ve been using social media over the last ten years, you may have come across a dubious and stomach-turning claim about the origins of vanilla flavoring. According to this recurrent trend, the popular flavoring – in anything from ice cream to lattes, and a host of other sweet treats – comes from the anal […]
Scientists Figure Out How To Spawn New Neurons In Adult Brains
Dormant stem cells in the brains of adult mice have been resuscitated by kick-starting their metabolism, leading to the production of new brain cells. The new study shows how even adult brains could still have potential for regeneration, which could have long-term implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Neural stem cells (NSCs) […]
Microbiologist Investigates After Her Beef Soup Turned Blue In The Fridge
A team of microbiologists has begun an investigation after an assistant professor in biological science at California State University San Marcos discovered that the beef soup she had been keeping in her freezer had turned blue. Dr Elinne Becket began the “blue soup saga” – or “blue beef soup saga” as it should be known […]
NASA Can’t Rule Out One 50-Meter-Wide Asteroid Hitting Earth In 2046
The small asteroid 2023 DW could ruin Valentine’s day for a portion of North America in 23 years’ time. The chance of a collision is less than 1 percent, but despite ongoing observations have failed to drop to zero. If 2023 DW does hit, the impact would be more like an atomic bomb going off, […]
Why Do Airplane Window Shades Have To Be Up During Takeoff And Landing?
During a long flight, you may have wondered a number of things, like why flight attendants never seem to drink hot drinks, what the tiny hole in your window is for, or why the aircraft crew asks you to keep your window shades open during takeoff and landing. Well, wonder no more. You might reasonably […]
Humans Will Fly Around The Moon In 2024, NASA Announces
The mission to return humans to the Moon is moving on to its next phase, NASA has announced. While reporting the current analysis of the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission, the agency revealed when the first crewed mission will take place. Artemis I was the first test flight for NASA’s megarocket Space Launch System (SLS) and […]
Secret Identity Of The Famous “Tequila Worm” Has Been Revealed
The secret identity of the famous Mezcal worm has been revealed in new research that extracted DNA from bottled specimens. While there are several insects commonly eaten in Mexico, where the agave-based spirits are famous, it turns out that all of the worms sampled belonged to just a single species of moth. They say you […]
3D Animation Compares The Size Of 150 Living And Extinct Animals
A neat new animation from Global Data has compared the sizes of 150 living and extinct animals. Measuring their length, the video includes tiny creatures like bees (1.2 centimeters/0.7 inches) all the way to huge beasts like the Supersaurus (the length of 2,833.33 bees). There are a number of surprises in there, especially seeing where […]
IFLScience Meets: Dr Daniel Moore On Giant Phantom Jellies And Venomous Deep Sea Sharks
A mystery from the deep just got a little bit less mysterious thanks to the first scientific paper to arise from the Viking Expedition Team. While drifting through Antarctic waters, a guest snapped a picture of Stygiomedusa gigantea, commonly known as the giant phantom jellyfish. Looking a bit like an errant piece of Halloween toilet […]
Eigengrau: The Shade You See When You Shut Your Eyes Isn’t Perfect Black
When you shut your eyes in perfect darkness, the shade you see isn’t actually black, but a deep shade of gray that’s sometimes called “eigengrau.” Although the term isn’t generally used in scientific papers, it does shed some light (so to speak) on how our eyes perceive the world around us. Eigengrau translates from the […]
