Space in Earth’s orbit is getting crowded. The number of satellites in orbit in 2018 was just over 2,000 – but the introduction of megaconstellations such as Starlink has increased the number massively. There are currently 9,000 satellites, and by the end of the decade, the number is expected to reach 60,000. That could become […]
Ancient Viruses Could Be Drivers Of Autism, New Research Suggests
Viral fossils that integrated into our genetic code millions of years ago could be responsible for some subtypes of autism, a new study has suggested. Experiments in mouse models revealed a possible role for these endogenous viral elements and suggest that this should be an avenue for further research. The human genome is littered with […]
Look To The West At Dusk This Month To Spot Ghostly Zodiacal Light
The space between planets is not clean and pristine, despite being an excellent vacuum. It has dust, and this dust often catches sunlight creating a faint glow that permeates interplanetary space. The ghostly glow appears visible from Earth as a hazy triangle of light known as “zodiacal light”, and the best time to see it […]
Cocaine Cat: African Serval Found In Ohio Tests Positive For Coke
In a bizarre case of wildlife imitating art, an African serval cat rescued from a tree in Ohio tested positive for cocaine, according to the animal rescue group who nursed the strung-out animal back to health. Rest assured, the story has a much happier ending than Cocaine Bear and the wild cat is now living […]
Why Can We Only Take Liquids On Planes In Tiny 100ml Bottles?
Love it or (more likely) loathe it, there’s certainly a routine to boarding a plane. Every day, millions of us line up in snaking queues, separate out our electronics from the rest of our luggage, take off our belts, shoes, and jackets, and desperately try not to make eye contact with the TSA agent who […]
Underground Chamber Found At Leicester Cathedral Suggests Folktale May Be True
Archaeologists have uncovered a sunken Roman room on the grounds of Leicester Cathedral, UK. The discovery of the chamber believed to date to around 200 CE may confirm an old folktale about the cathedral and how the grounds were used for worship (and possibly sacrifice) long before the cathedral was erected. The approximately 4-meter by […]
In 2011, A Magnitude 9.0 Earthquake Shifted The Planet’s Axis And Shortened Earth’s Days
In March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan, shifted the Earth’s axis, and shortened days on Earth. The quake – the most powerful on record to hit the country – shifted the planet’s axis by about 17 centimeters (6.5 inches), and may have moved the main island by about […]
Rare Tickborne Illness Caused By Bacteria Identified For First Time In US
In a US first, a case of tickborne relapsing fever caused by a particular species of bacteria has been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The pathogen in question is Borrelia lonestari, a distant relative of the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, which has never before been found to cause […]
Oldest Reference To Norse God Odin Found On 5th-Century Gold Disk
Researchers have discovered the earliest known runic inscription referencing the Norse god Odin, resident of the heavenly realm of Asgard and overseer of Valhalla. Etched into the surface of an ornamental gold disk, the engraving predates the next oldest mention of Odin’s name by around 150 years. The thin gold ornament – or bracteate – […]
Bacterial Enzyme Makes Electricity Out Of Thin Air
Some bacteria are capable of producing electricity out of tiny atmospheric concentrations of hydrogen. Having identified the enzyme responsible, scientists have demonstrated it can do this without the rest of the organism, opening the path to long-lasting ways to charge devices that can run on small amounts of electricity. The discovery could also allow for […]
IQ Scores In The US Have Recently Dropped For First Time This Century
New research indicates that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) in the US has declined for the first time in nearly 100 years. But does this mean that the population of the US is actually getting dumber? Not necessarily. Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Oregon looked at the results of online IQ tests […]
Unraveling The Mystery Of The Bear Fecal Plug
With the recent release of the movie Cocaine Bear, people might be more inclined to question just what is possible in the ursine world. Foremost on the list of what bears can or can’t do is the mystery of how bears create feces when they don’t eat for months at a time. North American bear species […]
Cyclone Freddy On Track To Becoming The Longest-Lasting On Record
Cyclone Freddy first came into the world on February 6 and has since been causing carnage across the Indian Ocean, making landfall in Madagascar and Mozambique. The deadly tropical storm has already broken some grim records, including being the only storm in the Southern Hemisphere ever to have intensified more than three times, and is […]
Enzyme That Clears Fat By-Products Could Be Key To Delayed Aging
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 […]
