In 1999, a plane took a strange course across the United States. It had climbed to its designated altitude as usual, but instead of heading towards Dallas, it began flying straight over the US towards Canada. No contact could be made with the crew, and military jets scrambled to intercept the phantom flight, fearing the […]
Our Brains Seem To Prefer Positive Human Sounds That Come From Our Left
Sounds may be physical phenomena, but to humans they also carry meaning and certain qualities. For instance, some sounds are more pleasing than others, while some are more ominous or unsettling, relaxing and soothing, or just plain noise. Now a group of Swiss researchers have discovered that our brains show a preference towards pleasing sounds […]
Atypical Case Of Mad Cow Disease Detected In The US
Mad cow disease – or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) – has made a rare appearance in the US, although the detection of the condition in a single cow in South Carolina does not pose any danger to people. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the animal was identified and isolated before it had […]
Man Hospitalized After Mistaking NOS Octane Booster Racing Formula For Energy Drink
A medical case report documents the time a man drank a big bottle of NOS Octane Booster, believing it to be an energy drink. The 54-year-old man showed up at the emergency department in Washington, Seattle, after experiencing seizures and a state of agitation. Usually the onset of seizures would require a bit of investigation, […]
Statue Of Unity: Tallest Statue In The World Is A Spectacular Megastructure
The Statue of Unity is the tallest statue in the world, towering so high that the Statue of Liberty’s outstretched arm barely reaches its belly. Standing at 182 meters (597 feet) tall, the giant statue can be found gazing over the Narmada River near the town of Kevadia in Gujarat, India. It depicts Vallabhbhai Patel, […]
A Supernova Just Exploded So Close A Backyard Telescope Can See It
If you own a telescope, now might be a really good time to take a look at a famous galaxy in Ursa Major. If you don’t, but know someone who does, see if they’ll let you take a look – it’s not often you get to watch a giant star explode before your eyes and […]
This Is What AI Thinks Is The “Perfect” Man And Woman
An eating disorder awareness group is raising awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) image-generators and how they propagate unrealistic standards of beauty like the data on the Internet they were trained on. The Bulimia Project asked image generators Dall-E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney to create the perfect female body specifically according to social media in […]
TWIS: Stunning New Titanic Scans Revealed, First Baby Rewilded Tasmanian Devils, And Much More This Week
This week, we explore the gravity anomaly at Hudson Bay, Canada, find out the estimate for the maximum number of T. rexes to ever walk the Earth, and investigate whether you can actually sniff out an oncoming downpour. Subscribe to the IFLScience newsletter for all the biggest science news delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday […]
Ancient Babylonian Flood Myth That Inspired Biblical Tale Had A Dark Twist
The flood story you may be most familiar with is probably Noah’s Ark, but it’s far from the only tale of a great flood sent by a god to destroy a civilization. There are eight basic plots in storytelling, not seven: Overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, comedy, tragedy, rebirth […]
Does The Brain Really Mature At The Age Of 25?
When can you really consider yourself to have an “adult” brain? People often claim that the brain is fully cooked at the age of 25, making us more rational but also harder to change – but in reality, things are a lot more complex. Does the brain stop developing at 25? The short answer: No. […]
Suspected Real-Time Gravitational Wave Detection Of A Black Hole Eating A Neutron Star
A likely detection has been made of gravitational waves from a long-sought event: a black hole consuming a neutron star, and telescopes worldwide are hoping to confirm it. The signal was picked up by LIGO during an engineering run, and the circular alerting astronomers acknowledges uncertainty remains. Nevertheless, there is a better than even chance […]
Forensics Are Different When Someone Dies In A Body Of Water. First, You Need To Locate Them
While the iconic “crime scene – do not cross” tape may be a familiar sight on land, it’s a different story when it comes to water. With no way to tape off an entire lake or a slice of the vast expanse of the ocean, investigations in, under or beside the water present a unique […]
Scientists Once Scanned The Brains Of 3 Suspected Zombies In Haiti
The undead don’t usually participate in clinical studies, although three supposed zombies once agreed to have their brain activity measured by researchers in Haiti. Like an episode of Scooby Doo, the investigation was launched in an attempt to uncover the identity of the spooky trio, each of whom had been recognized by locals as long-deceased […]
Germania: Hitler’s Dream For His Third Reich Capital Megacity
From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the tranquility of the Tiergarten, modern-day Berlin is certainly not short of attractions. Germany’s capital is also peppered with clues to a tumultuous and sometimes troubled past. During one of its darkest episodes, as the Nazis rose to power and the world hurtled towards global conflict once more, Adolf […]
Amazing Footage Suggests That Octopuses May Have Nightmares Too
Keep an eye on an octopus taking a nap and you might catch their skin flashing between a sallow white tone and a vibrant color. Amazingly, scientists believe this is evidence of dreaming. While you might expect octopuses to dream happy thoughts of chasing shrimp, it appears that not all their dreams are pleasant – […]
Prehistoric Planet’s 5-Day Dino Party Is About To Kick Off – Here’s What To Expect
Prehistoric Planet is back for a second season on Apple TV+ as narrator David Attenborough and producers Jon Favreau, Mike Gunton, and Tim Walker take you back in time to enjoy life as it was 66 million years ago. Our jaunt through the Cretaceous will take place as a five-day viewing event that showcases dinosaurs, […]
Blue Origin Vs SpaceX Is Back On: NASA Awards Competitive Lunar Contract To Bezos
Blue Origin is the second private company to receive a contract to develop a lunar lander for NASA. After SpaceX, it’s Bezos’ company that will be ferrying the Artemis astronauts from Lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back. The goal is to have this new landing system ready and tested for Artemis […]
Why Did Early Humans Have Perfectly Straight Teeth?
Fossil records suggest that ancient humans usually had straight teeth and wisdom teeth. Today, between 25-50 percent of people require some kind of orthodontic intervention. So, what happened? It appears humans having crooked teeth is a relatively recent development. Dentistry isn’t cheap, so where did it go wrong for us? Advertisement Credit: TED-Ed Deborah BloomfieldSource […]
Hope Diamond: Legend Of A Curse Follows This Precious Jewel
There’s a centuries-old myth that whoever owns the Hope Diamond will inevitably fall into misfortune. Taking a quick look at a few of its ill-fated owners, it’s easy to see how this tall tale came about. The Hope Diamond is a 45.52-carat diamond, measuring around 25.60 millimeters by 21.78 millimeters by 12 millimeters (1 inch […]
What Time Is It On The Moon?
Time shapes our lives and we can’t avoid it. We are influenced – and stressed out – by clocks and alarms, and even if we were to get rid of our tech and go back to nature we’d be at the mercy of the rotation of our planet on its axis and around the Sun. […]
