Slowly but surely, humanity is better understanding the interior of Mars and with that, what the early Solar System was like. We know that Mars used to be a lot more like the Earth, with water on its surface. Today, Mars is a frigid desert, but deep inside it might retain similarities. One perhaps is […]
For The First Time Ever We Have A Complete Map Of Brain Activity, And It’s Dazzling
A huge project led by neuroscientists from all across the world has achieved world-first insight into what decision-making looks like in the brain. It marks the first time a single-cell, electrophysiological brain map of this size has been generated in a mammal, and it’s already challenging what we thought we knew about how decisions are […]
This Very Strange Fish Has Clear Blood And Is The Only Known Vertebrate To Lack Hemoglobin
Growing up in Antarctica isn’t easy. The hostile conditions here have pushed animals to the extremes of evolution to overcome things the rest of us take for granted, like breathing, eating, and not freezing to death. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. […]
Government Warning Uses AI Video To Show What Will Happen To Tokyo If Mount Fuji Erupts
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has released a video containing AI-generated imagery to warn what would happen if Mount Fuji erupted in the 21st century. While there’s no suggestion the volcano is set to blow any time soon, an eruption within the next century would not be totally unexpected – and the impact on Tokyo would […]
Astonishing Restored Photos Show NASA’s Pre-Apollo Missions In All Their Glory
When people think of NASA, despite all the work it does monitoring the Earth’s climate and exploring the bodies of the Solar System, most people’s minds go to the Apollo era, when the US space agency repeatedly put humans on the Moon. But Apollo was not the agency’s first steps into space, as newly restored […]
How To Get More IFLScience: Add Us As A “Preferred Source” On Google
Google has just made it easier to see your favorite media outlets more often. If you’re a fan of science – from the weird to the wild, ridiculous, and deadly serious – we invite you to add IFLScience to your favorite publishers: all you have to do is click right here and select the box. […]
“This Appears To Be A Universal Law”: 50-Year-Old Mystery About Our Sun’s Storms May Have Been Solved
A new study looking at solar flares may have solved a 50-year-old mystery about our host star, finding that solar flares may be far hotter than we realized. Solar flares are a common event on the Sun’s surface. They can be seen regularly throughout the year, and particularly during the solar maximum phase of the […]
Watch First-Ever Footage Of A Black Jaguar Mating In The Wild
In world-first footage, researchers have captured a wild black-coated jaguar mating with a spotted jaguar deep in the Brazilian Amazon. The big cats are notoriously elusive, hence this latest breakthrough provides much-needed insight into their courtship and mating interactions, which could inform future conservation strategies. “We hit the proverbial jackpot and captured the first ever […]
A New Blue Zone? Researchers Find Another Region Where People Live Exceptionally Long Lives
There are a few hotspots on Earth that are linked to longer-than-average human lifespans. From the sun-soaked island of Okinawa in Japan to the rugged mountains of Ogliastra in Sardinia and the coastal landscapes of Ikaria in Greece, these regions are famous for nurturing unusually long-lived populations. Thanks to new research, scientists now claim they […]
LIGO Could Detect Gravitational Waves From An Alien Spacecraft, But There’s A Catch
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) could potentially detect gravitational waves from an alien spacecraft as it makes its way through our galaxy, according to a team of physicists. The LIGO experiment is awesome even without the potential for finding intelligent alien life. It was aimed at detecting gravitational waves (GWs) – ripples in spacetime, […]
How Outer Space Helps Clouds Form On Earth
In elementary school, we learn that clouds form when water vapor from seas, oceans, and other bodies of water, the ground, and living things rises into the sky and condenses into a large mass of droplets suspended in the air. For simplicity, this explanation often omits the need for aerosols, suspended molecules that help with […]
Teenager With Exceptional “Mental Time Travel” Abilities Sees Past And Future With Rare Clarity
A 17-year-old girl from France with an unusually rich, detailed, and accurate memory can mentally travel both forwards and backwards in time, according to the authors of a new case report. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. Described as a successful high-school […]
Think Hay Fever Season Is Over? Think Again – Fall Allergies Are On The Way
September can be an exciting time: back-to-school season, cozy fall fashion, all things pumpkin, cinnamon, and apple (choose your fighter) – and for many, an end to the horrors of hay fever. But not so fast: allergies don’t magically disappear with the turning of the calendar. Seasonal allergies can affect people pretty much all year […]
Microscopic Engine Is Hottest In The World – Just Like The Core Of The Sun
Researchers are taking thermodynamics to a whole new level: the microscopic level. The science of heat and energy exchange underpins most of our modern life, as well as the fate of the universe. Despite centuries of work, however, there are still plenty of mysteries to be solved, including how the theories actually work at the […]
Gerrymandering Explained: How Math Is Used For Political Gain To Win Elections
In 1812, Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts signed a bill creating a new voting district in Boston, the shape of which was so Byzantine, so strange and contorted in shape, that journalists likened it at the time to a slithery salamander. In honor of its creator, the new district was termed the “Gerry-mander” – and […]
The Longest Sperm On Earth Is 20 Times The Animals’ Body Size, But Whose Is It?
Life is a hard slog, just look at conception. There’s a goal – the egg – but there’s not enough to go around. Sperm must compete with everything they’ve got to be the one that makes it, lest they wind up a wasted warrior in the fight for life. They have to compete against their […]
Ancient Bacterial DNA Has Been Recovered From A 1.1-Million-Year-Old Mammoth
From the tooth of a mammoth that roamed Earth more than one million years ago, scientists have pulled traces of the ancient bacteria that once lived inside it. The discovery marks the oldest host-associated microbial DNA ever recovered, offering a rare glimpse into the hidden microorganisms that shaped the lives (and perhaps even the deaths) […]
On Sunday, 7 Billion People Will See The Moon Turn Red. But Who Will See The Blue Band?
We literally can’t wait for the eclipse this weekend! A record-breaking 7 billion people, from Oceania to the eastern coast of the Americas, will see the Moon’s disappearance inside the Earth’s shadow before turning red. As it is darkened by our planet, the Moon might gain some extra color: a blue band at the edge […]
670-Year-Old Manuscript On “Unexplained Phenomena” Is Bad News For Believers In The Shroud Of Turin
A new study looking at a “treatise on unexplained phenomena” written between 1355 and 1382 has found references to the infamous “Shroud of Turin”. The Shroud of Turin is a large piece of linen cloth that was used to wrap the body of Jesus Christ, according to those who believe in it. The cloth contains […]
What’s The Largest Egg Of Any Animal? Clue: It Doesn’t Come From An Ostrich
Today, the biggest egg you can get your mitts on is that of an ostrich. The biggest of those eggs on record weighed in at an impressive 2.589 kilograms (5.7 pounds), or about the weight of a small house cat. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to […]
