Deborah Bloomfield

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 […]

An astrophotographer has found a patch of oxygen he’s named the Phantom Stinger Nebula, which appears to have been overlooked by generations of astronomers, amateur and professional alike. The discovery is part of a project by amateurs to explore the sky at a wavelength professional observatories are arguably neglecting – the 495.9-500.7 nanometer band where […]

The Dark Ages has a bad reputation. In fact, it’s possibly the only period of history literally named after its bad reputation: the title, as we all learn in school, is a reference to the idea that, after the Roman Empire fell in the West, everyone spent the next few centuries in the metaphorical dark […]

Issue 17 (December 2023) of 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. In This Issue… Advertisement OUR COVER STORY: Are No Two Snowflakes Alike? Snow crystal development is complex […]

The Fermi Paradox puts forward the following puzzling question, if humans are not special and civilizations can rise commonly in the cosmos, why are we yet to find anybody else?  A science paper has a bold answer. Even if there are tens of thousands of civilizations out there, they need to survive for thousands of […]

If living in the future has taught us anything, it’s this: that no matter how smart you think you are, you’re always just one well-placed social media post away from having your mind blown by some completely basic life skill or fact that has somehow passed you by. In the last year alone, for example, […]

A study has identified a pattern of gradual relationship decline prior to one person having an affair – and that once the affair happens, very rarely does a healthy relationship occur afterward. The results suggest that there are clear decreases in well-being prior to such a dramatic event, which may help explain and identify why […]

The discovery of 6,770 ancient bones belonging to 52 different animals dating to the Iron Age left archaeologists with a big question: what on earth went on here? In a new study, researchers in Spain believe they might have a clear answer. The jumbo bone pit was recently excavated at Casas del Turuñuelo, a site […]

Here’s an unusual fact that takes a bit of explaining. The center of the Earth is around two and a half years younger than the surface. About 4.6 billion years ago, a hot cloud of dust orbiting the Sun coalesced and cooled. As it did so, the heavier elements formed the center of the Earth, […]

Traces of ancient DNA appear to have been found within the 6-million-year-old fossil bones of an extinct turtle. This is staggeringly old evidence of DNA and may suggest that genetic material can last much longer than previously appreciated. Found along the Caribbean coast of Panama, the fossil consists of a broken shell, but the remaining […]

Picture yourself at an amusement park, hitting one of those boxing arcade machines. Think of the energy of that punch. Now imagine giving that energy to a single particle, which traveled across space from the local void and slammed into our planet’s atmosphere, showering the Telescope Array detector in secondary particles. The particle was called Amaterasu, […]

A mystery that has dogged materials science for 200 years has finally been solved. A mineral found in many ancient rock formations had stubbornly resisted the efforts of scientists to grow it in the lab, even though they could recreate the conditions they thought formed it in nature. Now, a team has cracked the problem, […]

Do you know what the padlock symbol in your internet browser’s address bar means? If not, you’re not alone. New research by my colleagues and I shows that only 5 percent of UK adults understand the padlock’s significance. This is a threat to our online safety. The padlock symbol on a web browser simply means […]