Watch any nature documentary, and something becomes quickly obvious: human babies are… kind of rubbish. Giraffes, for example, can stand up within an hour of being born – it takes humans the best part of a year to do the same – while your pet kitty is basically a teenager by the time it’s six […]
The “God Flower” Is Disappearing And Folks Are Blaming Climate Change
A gorgeously garish species of orchid, known to the Indigenous Tsou people as the “God Flower”, is rapidly disappearing from the mountainous wildlands of Taiwan. Just like the plight of countless other flowering plants around the world, some suspect that climate change is the prime suspect. Also known as the Dendrobium orchid or golden grass […]
The Secret To A Long Life? Clams Could Hold The Key
Could clams be holding the secret to a longer life? One team of researchers from Bologna believe so – but probably not in the way you think. Humans are living longer than ever before, with the average life expectancy worldwide increasing by no less than two decades in the past 60 years alone. But we’re […]
You Won’t Need A Telescope To See Next Week’s Rare Occultation Of Betelgeuse
If you live in a long but narrow part of the world, you have an opportunity this month to contribute to a global project exploring one of the most famous and enigmatic stars. That’s because on December 12, on a path running almost half the way around the planet, the asteroid 319 Leona will pass […]
One Man’s Six-Month Journey For A $1,500 Homemade Sandwich Ends In Disappointment
How much would you spend on a chicken sandwich? $5? $10? What about $1,500? Sounds like a lot for a sandwich, and the deal gets even less sweet when you find out it takes six months to make it from scratch. The sandwich was the passion project of Andy George, host of How To Make […]
Africa Is Tearing Into Two Continents And A New Ocean Could Eventually Open Up
Africa is slowly but surely splitting in two. Like anything in geology, it’s an extremely long process that will take millions upon 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 […]
8,000-Year-Old Fortress Discovered In Siberia Is World’s Oldest
Ancient hunter-gatherers in Siberia’s Lower Ob’ region may have built the world’s very first fortress on the banks of a river. Whether these prehistoric communities constructed their fort for protection or to stake a claim to premier fishing territory is unclear, although radiocarbon dating conducted at the site reveals that it was erected an incredible […]
Something Concerning Is Happening To The Sea Near Bermuda
Some concerning changes are impacting the waters around Bermuda. After 40 years of tracking, scientists have noticed that the Atlantic Ocean surrounding the archipelago is warming and losing oxygen, as well as becoming increasingly salty and acidic. Researchers have been keeping track of the water around Bermuda since 1983, taking monthly samples to assess the […]
We Now Know How Our Ancient Ancestors Traveled From Africa
We know that, around 2.1 million years ago, Homo erectus, the first humans, migrated out of Africa. But how did they make this epic journey across territory that is covered in expansive desert? For a long time, researchers have puzzled over how H. erectus managed to cross through northeastern Africa and the Middle East, to […]
Why Are People Talking About A Redesign Of The COVID-19 Vaccines?
A new discovery about the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology behind some of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines has led scientists to look again at the vaccines’ design. By making a small tweak, the study team hopes to improve future mRNA therapeutics – but the announcement has left some feeling concerned about the reports of […]
Woman Injured By Concealed Gun During MRI Scan, Fossil Plant Turns Out To Be A Tiny Baby Turtle, And Much More This Week
This week naturally occurring magnetic monopoles were measured for the first time, a study of identical twins reveals the health benefits of a vegan diet, and we may know less about El Niño than previously thought. Finally, we investigate the theories surrounding the inception of the QWERTY keyboard. Subscribe to the IFLScience newsletter for all […]
Hangxiety: Why Might You Feel Anxious After Drinking Alcohol?
Do you ever wake up after a night on the booze, heart pounding, with the feeling that the world is ending and everyone hates you? If you’re someone who experiences hangover-related anxiety (often nicknamed hangxiety or beer fear), you’re probably keen to know why this happens. So, let’s break down the science. How alcohol affects […]
If Humans Disappeared, What Would Happen To Our Dogs?
For many of us, dogs are our best friends. But have you wondered what would happen to your dog if we suddenly disappeared? Can domestic dogs make do without people? At least 80 percent of the world’s one billion or so dogs actually live independent, free-ranging lives – and they offer some clues. Who would […]
Should You Be Eating Peach Fuzz?
The unusual texture of peach skin is quite a complex defense mechanism that protects the fruit from burrowing insects and prevents mold from growing on the fruit’s surface. While peach hair, technically called trichomes, might benefit the plant, eating it is not always peaches and cream for everyone. While the idea that peach skin is […]
Giant Sea Snails Experience Intergenerational Trauma Too, Getting Stressed By Ocean Acidification
Going through stressful events at a young age can sometimes have a lasting impact on our own lives and the generations that come after us. But that’s not a uniquely human phenomenon – researchers have discovered a similar pattern in red abalone, with a legacy of stress created after exposure to ocean acidification. “For red […]
Why Dimming The Sun Would Be An Effective Tool In The Fight Against Climate Change
It’s becoming increasingly clear that we will fail to meet our climate goals. We were already at 1.26°C of warming in 2022 and are on track to blow through 1.5°C in the mid-2030s. Research even suggests that current climate policy will lead to more than 2.5°C of warming by the end of this century. Warming […]
Minor Planet Chiron Doesn’t Have Rings After All – It’s Something Weirder
What astronomers in 2011 took for rings around the minor planet Chiron is actually something much stranger, new research reveals. The true nature of the material orbiting the icy world remains unknown, but it appears to be an ever-shifting disk of dust and gas. The initial discovery of Chiron, an object around 210 kilometers (126 […]
Digital Devices Are Changing Kids’ Brains – Do We Need To Worry?
Use of digital devices from an early age leaves its mark on children’s brains. Before you roll your eyes, we’re not in the business of prophesying a technological doomsday – this finding is based on a review of evidence gathered over 23 years of scientific studies. But what does it actually mean for our kids? […]
Billionaires’ Vision For New Californian City Mired By Ongoing Trouble
The billionaire-backed effort, California Forever, is having a hard time delivering its utopian dream. The vision, to create a new city in northern California, is being met with harsh opposition from the local communities who are just not buying it. What is this dream? California Forever is owned by parent company Flannery Associates, which has […]
What Are Cave Pearls And Which Caves Can You Find Them In?
Cave pearls the size of tennis balls feature in the Planet Earth III episode “Extremes”, which dives into Hang Son Doong Cave, a sprawling limestone cave located in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park in Vietnam. As one of the largest caves on Earth, it’s a portal to a world of oddities including animals living in […]
