Deborah Bloomfield

The world’s oldest DNA has been recovered from Ice Age sediment in northern Greenland, revealing some surprising insights into this unique ecosystem. The 2-million-year-old genetic material provides a snapshot of a thriving prehistoric ecosystem like nothing we see today, made up of animals including – most unexpectedly – mastodon, an Ice Age elephant-like mammal that’s […]

Being an empath has become a badge of honor for people who feel they are highly attuned to the emotions of those around them. However, new research has found that while we’re pretty good at identifying playfulness in people and animals, we’re actually quite bad at spotting aggression. Particularly in dogs. Humans are receptive animals, […]

Following the start of a four-day work week pilot program in the UK in June, 86 percent of respondents to a survey of companies taking part now state they are likely to continue the idea when the trial ends. The data comes at the halfway point of the trial and demonstrates that while workers are […]

The discovery of fossils apparently killed on the very day the dino-killing asteroid hit stands as one of the most astonishing scientific discoveries of the century. The most significant follow-up so far has been two papers that independently analyzed the site and concluded the event occurred in late spring or summer in the Northern Hemisphere. […]

Charles Darwin believed evolution created “endless forms most beautiful”. It’s a nice sentiment but it doesn’t explain why evolution keeps making crabs. Scientists have long wondered whether there are limits to what evolution can do or if Darwin had the right idea. The truth may lie somewhere between the two. Advertisement While there doesn’t seem […]

NASA’s Orion is coming back to Earth on Sunday using the skip reentry technique, a way to control where a spacecraft will land by bouncing on the atmosphere. This approach has been planned since the Apollo missions, and while used by robotic craft, has never been attempted with a vehicle designed to carry astronauts. The […]

A jawbone discovered over a century ago in the Spanish town of Banyoles may represent the earliest documented presence of modern humans in Europe. Intriguingly, however, the mandible doesn’t quite match up with that of any known human species, indicating that the fossil’s long-dead owner may have descended from a mysterious group of unknown ancient […]

Although it’s well known that COVID affects the respiratory system, it’s perhaps less well known that the virus can also affect cognitive function. Many people with COVID experience a phenomenon commonly called “brain fog”, which can include problems remembering, concentrating and performing daily tasks. Brain fog can also be a symptom of long COVID, where […]

Anyone who has ever lost a pet will known the tidal wave of grief it can bring, and yet for some reason losing a pet is often disregarded as a source of trauma. A new review is working to change that by providing counselors with new perspectives to keep in mind when working with clients […]

You may have come across a strange, walnut-sized growth on your Christmas tree at some point and either thought “is that a pine cone?”, before fetching more eggnog, or “what is that?”, before fetching more eggnog. Well, we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but if you do find these growths it’s something […]

“Skalk,” I cursed in Kelvak. It’s my favourite language to curse in – there is nothing as satisfying as the harsh consonants and default imperatives of the primary Kelvaki language. This quote is by the main character in the sci-fi novel The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston. Writers like Johnston who invent alien profanity […]

You are really interested in tech, so much so that you wish you can change your career for one in this super industry. You’ve done your research, and you know that tech is the fastest growing industry with a long-term landscape that could mean you will be securely employed for many years to come. And, […]

Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid hit the Earth with the force of 10 billion atomic bombs and changed the course of evolution. The skies darkened and plants stopped photosynthesising. The plants died, then the animals that fed on them. The food chain collapsed. Over 90% of all species vanished. When the dust settled, all […]

In recent times, thousands of dead seals have washed up on Russia’s Caspian Sea coast. Now officials are saying the most likely cause is hypoxia, or deprivation of oxygen. Around 2,500 seals or more have washed up in recent weeks, according to a top Russian environment official giving an update on Monday, according to AP. […]

It’s the Late Cretaceous and you, an ankylosaur, have been minding your own business while eating some plants. You’re famished from bashing away Tyrannosaurus rex all day – those pesky predators – and now some other ankylosaur is moving in on your patch. Time to dust off that tail, because it’s clubbing time. That’s the […]

The remains of a medieval man, found at a monastery in Poland, have revealed he had two different forms of dwarfism, the combination of which has never been reported before in the medieval period in Central Europe.  The skeleton is believed to date from between the ninth and 11th centuries CE and was discovered in […]

A mysterious structure has been revealed along Daytona Beach Shores in Volusia County, Florida, on the heels of Hurricane Nicole and Hurricane Ian. No one is quite sure yet what the object may be, but there are some interesting ideas floating around the local community, from a shipwreck to the relics of a long-lost NASCAR […]

As 2022 is drawing to a close, it’s time to find out what has been crowned Oxford Word of the Year. Without further adieu, we’re pleased, and a little surprised, to tell you, that it’s “goblin mode”. For the first time in its history, the vote was opened up to the public, and after more […]