Deborah Bloomfield

Buddhist monks who practice deep meditation on a daily basis may have a healthier microbiome than non-meditators, according to a new small-scale study. After analyzing the gut bacteria of 37 monks from three temples in Tibet, the study authors found that the devotees had higher concentrations of several beneficial strains than their secular counterparts. “Tibetan […]

In Bronze Age Greece and Crete, marrying one’s first cousin was commonplace, new research suggests. The “unprecedented” finding marks the first time researchers have been able to peek behind the curtains of ancient marriages in Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece, using genetic material from human bones. In another first, the researchers were also able to […]

Evidence is building up fast that most people need time in nature to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Although it cannot prove causation, a Finnish study has shown that better health for regular users of nature may cover a broad range of conditions, at least based on the medications they consume. Those who visit […]

A common ingredient in cough syrup, ambroxol, is being tested as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Researchers led by a team at UCL will soon launch a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of the drug in 330 people with the disease. “I am delighted to be leading this exciting project,” said study […]

The world’s largest plane has taken to the skies to prove that having a 117-meter (385-foot) wingspan does not stop it from going the distance, after breaking yet another world record by flying for six hours straight. Stratolaunch’s Roc, a launch vehicle for hypersonic aircraft and currently the world’s largest plane, completed a six-hour flight […]

One 400 million-year-old trilobite specimen has revealed new insights into the evolution of sexual combat weaponry. The trilobite’s trident, typically a three-pronged fork that was thought to be used for feeding, had four prongs, leading researchers to believe that it evolved for fighting, not feeding. “The extraordinary Devonian trilobite Walliserops carried a unique, giant trident on […]

Lasers can act as virtual lightning rods, redirecting the direction in which bolts jump – although we’re a long way from being able to call down the wrath of science on unbelievers like a creature of myth. The Franklin lightning rod was a major scientific advance of its day, preventing millions of fires and electrocutions […]

We’ve all thought about sitting atop a floating cloud, but have you ever considered what might happen if a cloud sat on you? Don’t be fooled by these seemingly weightless collections of water molecules, enormous clouds actually carry an enormous amount of mass. Of course, for the same reason a person couldn’t sit on a […]

At the center of almost every galaxy lies a supermassive black hole. And if it is continuously feeding, it is known as an Active Galactic Nucleus, or AGN. AGNs are the most compact steady source of energy in the universe – and new research suggests that scientists have underestimated just how much energy is emitted […]

Dozens of headless skeletons were discovered at a prehistoric pit in Slovakia last year, leading archeologists to ask a simple question: what on Earth went on here? Now, researchers are starting to unveil the story behind this gruesome site – and things might not be as straightforward as they first appear.   In 2022, the […]

In a sobering reminder that we are all just sentient bags made up of lots of smaller bags, a video recently shared to Twitter demonstrates the medical emergency that gives rise to the “doughnut sign”. Intestinal intussusception is the culprit, a condition in which the intestine effectively folds in on itself that can lead to […]

More and more studies reveal that our brain is a pretty miraculous thing. Okay, well we’ve always known it was fundamentally miraculous, but the research suggests that in order to keep our brains fit and young, we need to give it some daily exercise. And, we’ve got the perfect solution in one perfect app.  With […]

Siberia is currently going through some dangerously cold weather. On Sunday, April 15, temperatures of -62.4°C (-80.32°F) were picked up in Tongulakh, a rural part of Sakha Republic, Russia. The temperatures were reported by Ventusky, a meteorological company based in Czechia. They explain that this is a “new all-time low” for the station at Tongulakh and […]

“We know more about the Moon than the deep sea.” This idea has been repeated for decades by scientists and science communicators, including Sir David Attenborough in the 2001 documentary series The Blue Planet. More recently, in Blue Planet II (2017) and other sources, the Moon is replaced with Mars. As deep-sea scientists, we investigated […]

This week, the UK’s first meteorite in 30 years is found carrying compounds essential for life on Earth, giving up alcohol can see some negative effects reversed in as little as 18 days, and we explore the curious reasons archaeologists refuse to open the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor. Advertisement Ancient Pompeii […]

Sea levels in Micronesia rose much faster over the past 5,000 years than previously thought, according to our new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This sea-level rise is shown by the accumulation of mangrove sediments on the islands of Pohnpei and Kosrae. The finding may change how we think about […]

On August 11, 1775, lookouts on the whaling vessel Herald spotted something strange in the waters off the coast of Greenland. A three-masted schooner, named the Octavius, seemingly sparkling with ice and snow, was drifting towards them – with no crew in sight. Accompanied by four of his men, the Herald’s captain, Warren, boarded the […]

The galaxy is filled with rocky planets a few times the mass of the Earth, (called super-Earths) and astronomers have been struggling to explain why. A new paper draws on modelling of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons to explain super-Earths’ abundance and a number of their curious features. However, in the process, it overturns work by […]