Deborah Bloomfield

The “Geological Wizard” William Buckland was arguably one of the most eccentric scientists in history. He began his career focused on rocks, minerals, and fossils, but in his spare time enjoyed some adventurous gastronomical exploration in effectively eating his way through the animal kingdom.  If reports are to be believed, that included gorging on everything […]

As comedian Spike Milligan famously quipped, “Money can’t buy you happiness – but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.” The first half of that, of course, is total bunk: having money can, in fact, make you much happier than not having it. But what about the rest of it? Are the super-rich […]

The big picture of Earth’s geologic history over the last 2 billion years is of continents coming together and then breaking apart every 600 million years or so. A future rejoining is inevitable, but geologists have long debated whether it will occur when the Americas’ west coasts run into Asia, or if their east coasts […]

One of NASA’s pioneering women astronauts has given a talk to inspire girls interested in science, and specifically space exploration. Susan Kilrain returned the shuttle safely after a potentially dangerous fuel cell failure, so she has a powerful story – but there is considerable irony in her telling it in a place that only allowed […]

Buried at the back of a cave in southwest France lies what may be Europe’s first ever murder victim. According to a new analysis of the departed’s battered skull, the assassination was probably achieved with a blunt object such as a stone axe, and the target may have taken up to a month to die […]

Children’s development is not negatively impacted by having same-sex parents compared to heterosexual parents and the child may even be better off, according to new research. The analysis, which covered 34 previous studies, backs up previous findings that children can flourish under both same- and different-sex families, disputing the idea that it damages their development.  […]

Have you ever wondered how much saliva you produce in an hour? How about a day, or a year? Hey, let’s go all in, how about in the average lifetime? Well, the answer is pretty surprising. On a normal day, the average person produces between 0.5 and 1.5 liters of saliva – that’s more than […]

Are you scared of clowns? You are not alone. Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is a widely acknowledged phenomenon. Studies indicate this fear is present among both adults and children in many different cultures. Yet it is not well understood due to a lack of focused research. While numerous possible explanations of the phobia […]

Late on Saturday March 4, 2023, United Nations (UN) member states finally agreed the legal framework for a treaty designed to protect the high seas. This development was nearly 20 years in the making and represents an important step towards reversing biodiversity loss and ensuring sustainable development. However, it is only the first step in […]

Africa is slowly but surely tearing in two. Like anything in geology, it’s an extremely long process that will take millions of years, but it will eventually see part of East Africa chip off from the rest of the continent, likely resulting in a new ocean arising between the two land masses. The colossal breakup […]

With pages that wouldn’t look out of place in a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, the Voynich manuscript is a roughly 500-year-old book filled with puzzling illustrations and writing in a seemingly indecipherable language. Named after Wilfrid Voynich, an antique bookseller who purchased the manuscript in 1912, the meaning behind the approximately 240 pages remains […]

A new high-speed train line from Las Vegas to Southern California was announced recently, marking the first bullet train in the US to begin development. The track will run 352 kilometers (218 miles) along Interstate 15, establishing an important connection between the two regions.  “The High-Speed Rail Labor Coalition is proud to be in partnership […]

The Curiosity rover is not just studying Martian rocks, sometimes it finds time to look at the sky. This has allowed it to capture images of the rare Martian clouds, expanding our knowledge about the Red Planet’s atmosphere. On February 2, it was rewarded with the image above, the clearest image ever taken of sun […]

A study has looked into human penis size as depicted in paintings throughout the centuries, finding that the appendage has grown significantly over the last seven centuries, particularly in the 20th century. The team wanted to assess the ideal penis size throughout the ages, and how the male ideal has been altered by cultural differences. […]

A new study has detailed the unusual case of an unborn twin that was discovered in the brain of a 1-year-old girl in China. While this case is extraordinarily rare, it’s not the first time it’s been reported in the medical literature. Doctors at Fudan University in Shangai explained that the young girl presented with […]

When you’ve had one too many, staying on your feet can feel like an impossible task. In a new study, mice under the influence of alcohol were able to recover their balance and coordination thanks to the effects of the hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Mice, just like humans and other animals that consume […]

At last count, there are 118 confirmed elements in the periodic table – yet, out of that huge number, you’re more than nine times more likely to come into contact with just five than the other 113. That’s because, out of all of the dozens of elements found in the Earth’s crust, it’s those five […]

The Japanese government has recently announced controversial plans to release over a million tons of water from the remains of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. While the move has raised concerns and anger from local fishing communities and neighboring countries, how safe is this decision? On 11 March, it will have been 12 years […]

Fossilized dinosaur bones are always an incredible discovery, but it’s a true treat when scientists manage to unearth hints of soft tissue that have somehow managed to remain intact until the present day.  A few years ago, scientists from North Carolina State University discovered blood vessel-like structures in the 80 million-year-old fossil of a hadrosaur […]