Deborah Bloomfield

The universe appears fond of special numbers. Some come from geometry, like π or the square root of two. Some, like the fine structure constant, connect stars being able to shine to why buttered bread falls more often on the buttered side. Then there is e, or Euler’s number: a mathematical constant found across fields […]

Nearly a century after it was first posed, mathematicians have made a breakthrough in one of the most difficult problems in combinatorics – the mind-bending area of math responsible for such concepts as numbers bigger than the universe and completely unique card shuffles. As any mathematician can tell you, there ain’t no party like a […]

NASA has announced the four astronauts that will make up the crew of Artemis II, the next step in the ambitious mission to return humans to the surface of the Moon. The four astronauts announced today are NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and record-breaking Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission will not […]

There is a big problem with penis research – or, at least, men will tell you it’s big. If you ask men their penis size, they will lie and tell you it is bigger than it actually is. A new study has looked at just how much men lie about their penis size to researchers, […]

We know now that light behaves as both waves and particles. Back in 1801, Thomas Young’s famous double-slit experiment clearly showed light’s wave nature. As light passes through two narrow, close-to-each-other slits, it interacts creating a diffraction pattern. Scientists have long suspected that the same would happen if the double-slit were to occur in time […]

Two new species of poisonous birds have been discovered during an expedition into New Guinea’s rainforest. Scientists discovered the species on their most recent venture to the region, gathering samples from poisonous birds that are packing enough neurotoxin in their feathers to make your eyes water like you’re chopping at an onion. The latest species […]

Cosquer cave is a beautiful display of ancient cave art, remaining one of the only known caves to depict over 150 animals across its walls in ornate paintings and engravings. But Cosquer cave is also entirely unique for another reason – it has just one entrance, and that entrance is deep underwater. So, how did […]

The world’s most valuable parasite makes a home for itself inside larval ghost moths, which it infects during the summer, while the caterpillars are underground. The body-snatching fungus will slowly eat away at its host over the coming months before sending its near-dead slave to the surface and spearing a fruiting body out of its […]

Scientists believe they have identified the cause of a mysterious surge of severe hepatitis cases that impacted hundreds of children around the world last year. According to a trio of new studies, the outbreak was likely driven by joint infections of common childhood viruses. The reason these otherwise common infections acted so unusually, they believe, […]

A repeating signal from the star YZ Ceti is thought to indicate that its innermost planet has a strong magnetic field. If so, this would be the first time we have detected a strong field around a rocky planet, Earth aside, rather than a Neptune-sized gas planet. Of all the things that make the Earth […]

This glimmering collection of ancient gold jewelry was found in an ancient burial cave near Jerusalem. Decorated with the symbol of the Roman goddess Luna, the 1,800-year-old jewelry was intended to ward off evil spirits and provide protection for a young girl in the afterlife. The beautiful objects were first discovered over 50 years ago, […]

Polyamory has been on the rise for some time, despite the social and political stigmas surrounding it, but research suggests that such romantic relationships can offer emotional and physical benefits to all involved. Consensual polyamory – having more than one sexual or emotional relationship at once – has become increasingly common in many countries in […]

Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered the first direct evidence of a gruesome practice known as the “gold of honor” ceremony, which involved the public dismemberment of enemy warriors. Though the bloody tradition is well documented in Egyptian tomb inscriptions, the discovery of 12 severed hands at an ancient palace has allowed researchers to study amputated […]

A traveling collection of ancient mummies from Mexico is thought to contain potentially hazardous colonies of fungi that warrant a review of how they’re displayed to ensure visitor safety. This advice comes from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, following concerns that the fungal growths could potentially infect people handling displays as well as […]

Bigfoot has been “spotted” hundreds of times over the years. It usually turns out to be someone in a gorilla costume, or a bear. But sometimes, just sometimes, it turns out to be a man dressed up in animal skin from head to foot, performing shamanic rituals in the woods. In perhaps the most famous […]

Ancient civilizations were often far more advanced than people give them credit for. There are many incredible technologies and feats of engineering that we still do not completely understand, but looking into these achievements can feel like a minefield as they have become the stuff of numerous modern-day conspiracy theories.  The internet is awash with […]

Just recently, evidence suggesting that there is an active volcano on Venus was reported by researchers. Now, two other scientists have published a new map of the planet and its 85,000 volcanoes, which might help to discover new fresh lava flows and inform future missions that will study the second planet from the Sun. The […]

Nobody likes to see their pet suffer, which is why some pet owners spend up to $700 every year on healthcare for their four-legged pals. But sometimes, there’s not much you can do: your beloved pup or kittycat is just genetically predisposed to getting certain illnesses. In some cases, those conditions are so rare as to […]

Decades of observations of Saturn were hiding a major feature in plain sight. The region of the atmosphere closest to the ring is hotter. Hydrogen shines in a particular wavelength more there than elsewhere across the planet. And the heating is due to a rain of ice particles coming from the rings. The spectacular rings […]

Back in 2018, astronomers discovered a very peculiar stellar explosion, which got the automatic name of AT2018cow. Since then, it’s become known simply as the “cow” and it is the prototype of a new class of objects called Fast Blue Optical Transients (FBOTs). And researchers have now realized that the event was even weirder than […]