Deborah Bloomfield

The Tusk Conservation Awards returned for its 11th year on November 27, 2023, celebrating the inspirational work of conservationists championing biodiversity, wildlife, and the environment. The work of this year’s winners has contributed to the preservation of chimpanzee, gorilla, bonobo, and painted dog populations, and has earned them recognition as some of Africa’s leading conservationists. […]

An early-stage clinical trial of an injectable stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown that the treatment is not only safe, but may also show promise in stopping the disease from progressing. The trial recruited 15 patients with secondary MS – the progressive phase of the disease – aged from 38 to 57 […]

For the first time in aviation history, a passenger jet powered only by alternative “green” fuels has left the tarmac. Currently making its way from London to New York, the Boeing 787 aircraft is carrying 60 tonnes of propellant made entirely from waste fats and agricultural by-products. Operated by Virgin Atlantic, the flight – which […]

As deep-sea weirdos go, they don’t get much more bizarre than anglerfish. But if their nightmarish looks and dangly bioluminescent lures aren’t enough for you, some species of anglerfish have another strange string to their bows: they spend their whole lives upside down. The species in question are ceratioid whipnose anglerfish from the genus Gigantactis. […]

Researchers have built nanowires with a precise 1:2:2 ratio of ytterbium, rhodium, and silicon (YbRh2Si2) in a peculiar phase of matter. This phase is called “strange metal“, and true to its name the quantum material is exhibiting behaviors that have challenged expectations. One of these is that electricity in this material does not move as […]

Nestled beneath the tranquil surface of Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang Province, China, lies a submerged world frozen in time – the ancient city of Shicheng, a 600-year-old remnant from China’s Imperial past.  Often referred to as the “Lion City” (due to its proximity to the nearby Wu Shi Mountain, or “Five Lion Mountain”), conflicting reports […]

The world’s first all-electric hydrofoil passenger boat has cruised through its “test flight” in Sweden and is now set for serial production at a factory near Stockholm. Designed by Swedish tech company Candela Technology AB, the Candela P-12 can travel at 30 knots, a record for electric passenger vessels, with a range of up to […]

New Zealand has scrapped its historic world-first generational smoking ban to help pay for tax cuts. Needless to say, health experts are not impressed.  In 2022, New Zealand’s previous administration under Jacinda Ardern passed pioneering legislation that would have prevented anyone born after January 2009 from purchasing tobacco products for the entirety of their lives. […]

Stubbing your toe is the perfect example of disproportionate pain. As your pinky collides with the unforgiving corner of your coffee table, it can feel as if your phalanx has just erupted through the skin of your toe, and yet five minutes later it’s basically fine. Given the intensity of feeling from such a minor […]

There’s another dietary fad in town, coming soon to a social media platform near you – unless, that is, the algorithm gods have already gifted you with videos of people chowing down on sticks of straight butter. To the uninitiated, this one’s difficult to comprehend. If you’re anything like us, biting into a hunk of […]

Although messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines had been in research and development for many years, the search for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 brought them to the forefront. However, alongside the approval of mRNA vaccines against the virus came a slew of misinformation about their capabilities – namely, the claim that mRNA in the vaccines could alter […]

Aurorae, both northern and southern lights, are spectacular celestial phenomena, the complex interaction between our planet’s magnetic field, the atmosphere, and the stream of particles that fly off from the Sun. The end product is magnificent, with colorful curtains that extend high into space. Sometimes, they can appear orange – but are they really this […]

The small group of paleontologists that argue an outburst of volcanic activity rather than a massive asteroid impact was the underlying cause of the mass extinction that wiped out the largest animals to walk the Earth has received some inhuman support for their position. Others, however, argue that the way you phrase the question can […]

In 1905, the remains of mummified baboons were discovered in Egypt, sparking over a century of speculation as to how they came to be so far from home. Now, in a study that marries biology and history to answer questions surrounding the origin of these ancient interlopers, we finally have some idea of where they […]

Have you ever wondered whether our long-extinct ancestors were capable of speaking like us? Well, recent research has shown that Neanderthals were in fact able to both perceive and produce human speech.  The study was published in 2021 and was conducted by an international multidisciplinary team that investigated the evolution of language and linguistic capacities […]

Rhinos are having something of a moment, from ambitious plans to rewild them across Africa, to cutting-edge technology bringing back ancient species DNA. Rhino calves are also popping up in the UK, and now the Sumatran rhinos are joining in with the birth of a new calf.  At the Sumatran Rhino Reserve, Way Kambas National […]

The skincare habits of a pod of orcas have been captured in world-first footage of a rare behavior. Filmed as part of National Geographic WILD’s new series Incredible Animal Journeys, the clip shows the animals using the rough surface of icebergs as a way to exfoliate irritants. Does skincare get any fresher? The behavior appears […]

High up on the freezing Tibetan plateau, a pair of prehistoric hominid children created the world’s earliest rock art when they intentionally left their hand and footprints on a soft limestone wall about 200,000 years ago. At least, that’s the narrative that archaeologists proposed back in 2021, although a new analysis challenges this account and […]

A variant of the flu strain H1N2, similar to one that’s currently currently circulating in pigs, has been detected in a human for the first time in the UK.  The case of influenza A(H1N2)v was recently detected as part of routine national flu surveillance after an individual visited the doctor with respiratory systems, the UK […]

This month, conservationists at Chester Zoo, UK were thrilled to hear the pitter-patter of tiny rhino toes as an incredibly rare, critically endangered new arrival was safely born – and they captured it all on camera.  New mum Zuri, an eastern black rhino, gave birth to a female calf on November 12 following a 15-month […]