The Basque language is one of the most unique languages still spoken today in Europe. Separated by millennia of evolution, the language is unrelated to any other existing language on the planet, making it a treasure trove for linguists wishing to understand the past. Also known as Euskara, the language comes from the Basque […]
This Insidious Tick Can Give You A Nasty Meat Allergy, Here’s How To Spot Them
The lone star tick isn’t afraid of latching onto humans, and when it does its bite can launch a nasty and peculiar disorder known as Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS). Its symptoms range from a cough, to nausea and breathing difficulties, but curiously it can also cause you to become allergic to meat. Anaphylaxis in AGS isn’t […]
The Out of Africa Hypothesis – The Origins Of Our Origin Story
Have you ever wondered where our ancestors, a bunch of highly specialized primates, first came from and how they managed to spread to pretty much every corner of the planet? If so, then you have entertained a question that has occupied many minds for centuries – and although various ideas have been suggested in that […]
New JWST Deep Field Shows How Galaxies Changed The Universe
During the first billion years or so, the universe was opaque. Starlight was absorbed by the neutral hydrogen that existed in intergalactic space. But the light of the most massive stars ripped the electrons from the hydrogen atoms, making the universe transparent. This is known as the Epoch of Reionization. Bubbles of transparent hot gas […]
New Treasure Map Reveals Long-Lost Shipwrecks Of The Bahamas
For hundreds of years, the Bahamas in the Caribbean has been an invaluable pitstop to some of the most prominent chapters in modern maritime history, from colonist voyages and explorers to pirates and slave traders. Due to all of this seafaring activity, not to mention its treacherous waters, it’s since become home to a wealth […]
Extremely Warped Supernova, Just Spotted, Will Help Us Understand The Dark Universe
Astronomers have spotted a very distant supernova, much brighter than it ought to be given how far away it is. And they did not only see it once. They saw it four times. Don’t worry, the laws of physics have not gone haywire. It is simply that the light of this event passed near the […]
After Returning From The Moon, The Apollo 11 Crew Quarantined. Then It All Went Wrong
After the first humans set foot on the Moon and successfully splashed back onto Earth, their mission wasn’t quite over. While it may seem a strange idea now given what we know about the lifelessness of the lunar surface, at the time there were a lot of unknowns. Upon their return, the crew of Apollo […]
Cave Contains Earliest Clear Evidence Of Modern Humans In South East Asia
Human fossils found in Tam Pà Ling cave in northern Laos have been dated as 68-86,000 years old. The fossils’ finders are confident these came from Homo sapiens, rather than a near relative like Denisovans, making these the oldest reliable evidence of humans in East Asia and answering some big questions about humanity’s great migration […]
The Legend Of The Moss Men Who Went To War Covered In Bryophytes
From skull lichen usnea to “mummy brown” paint, humankind is said to have found all sorts of unlikely uses for strange materials, but our latest favorites are the Moss Men of Béjar. Their legendary and unique use of moss would put them alongside insect larvae and weevils when it comes to camouflage approaches, and they’re […]
The Beatles Will Release One “Final” Song Using Artificial Intelligence, Paul McCartney Says
The Beatles are set to release one final record, using artificial intelligence (AI) to isolate John Lennon’s voice. Paul McCartney told the BBC that Lennon’s voice had been “extricated” and used to complete the song, which will come out later this year. Though McCartney did not explicitly name the song in the interview, the BBC […]
How Can Molecules Be Left-Handed Or Right-Handed?
You wouldn’t think molecules could be left- or right-handed – they’re too tiny to have limbs, after all. However, they absolutely can be, and it’s all to do with a property called chirality. Chirality is defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) as “the geometric property of a rigid object (or […]
T. Rex’s Vision Wasn’t Based On Movement, But It Was Cool In Jurassic Park Anyway
“Keep absolutely still. Its vision is based on movement.” That’s the line delivered by a petrified Dr Alan Grant in a memorable sequence of Jurassic Park that sees the resident Tyrannosaurus rex, evidently no longer satisfied with tethered goat, escape its enclosure and set upon some stranded human guests. Frozen, Grant and chaotician Ian Malcolm […]
“Einstein-First” Teaching Takes School Science Classes Out Of The 19th Century
For all the variation in science teaching worldwide, classical Newtonian physics is almost always taught before 20th-century discoveries. For a decade, however, some schools in Western Australia have been trying a radically different approach. This idea, known as “Einstein-First”, has been so successful it’s now being taken nationwide, accompanied by a newer program called Quantum Girls. […]
What Are Mexican Jumping Beans?
Mexican jumping beans are seed pods that are inhabited by the larvae of a small moth. Due to the tiny larvae flexing and flickering around inside the pod, the seed jumps around. This strange phenomenon is often used as a novelty joke or magic trick, but it’s a perfectly natural part of the bugs’ life […]
Man Develops “Flesh-Eating Disease” After Being Bitten By Relative At A Reunion
A 52-year-old man in the US has developed a flesh-eating bacterial infection after being bitten by a relative during a family get together. Donnie Adams, from Riverview, Florida, noticed a pain in his left thigh as well as a small raised bump. According to Tampa Bay Times, he assumed that the mark was probably from […]
Stone Penis Found In Ruins Of Spanish Castle Was A Warrior’s Best Friend
A 15-centimeter (6-inch) stone penis has recently been unearthed during excavations at a medieval fortress in southwest Spain. While phallic objects were not uncommon in the ancient world, most notably in the lands of the Roman Empire, it’s pretty strange to find one dating from the European Middle Ages. However, unlike similar artifacts from the […]
Lava Vs Magma: What’s The Difference?
We’ve all seen images of volcanoes spewing out rocks and smoke into the sky – but is the glowing red rock running down the side of the mountain magma or lava, and how can you tell which one you are looking at? Here, we break down the science behind these molten rocks. According to the […]
Pluto’s Gate: The Ancient Doorway To The Underworld That Is Still Deadly
There is a place in Turkey where strange vapors issue from the ground, which ancient Greco-Roman people used in their rituals to the gods of the underworld. The place, known as Pluto’s Gate, is very much a deadly portal between two worlds. Pluto’s Gate is a great example of a ploutonion, a religious temple dedicated […]
Earth’s Days Stopped Getting Longer For A Billion Year Period
The Earth’s days are slowly getting longer, thanks mostly to the Moon. However, it seems this is a much less even process than has been imagined, with the lengthening having stalled at least once. For a long period starting around two billion years ago, it may have stopped entirely, something that may have been driven […]
See A Bubble Of Plasma Explode Across The Sun In Amazing Footage
In December 2019, the Sun’s Solar Cycle 25 began, and it’s been a lot more active than scientists predicted. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) has released a timelapse of this active cycle, including some of the most spectacular events that have taken place on the surface of the Sun. Among the many observations […]
