Deborah Bloomfield

The dodo has become an iconic symbol of humanity recklessly driving animals into extinction. By the end of the 17th century, European colonizers had wiped this flightless bird from the planet. Practically nothing of the species now remains, except for a fascinating specimen at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The so-called “Oxford Dodo” […]

Today at 2:20 pm Eastern time, cell phone, TV, and radio users in the US will be met with an emergency alert test on their various devices. The alert will test the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on TV and radio, and the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system for cell phones.  Advertisement “We want to ensure […]

In a study of more than 100 species of mammals, all but one were found to glow externally when exposed to UV light; even the exception, the dwarf spinner dolphin, has fluorescent teeth. Nevertheless, not all species fluoresce to the same extent, with white fur being a strong predictor of blacklight glow. Fluorescence is the […]

When the Moon blocks out most of the Sun on October 14, tens of millions of North Americans will look to the skies for one of the greatest sights the heavens can offer. European astronomers have some advice on how they can do it cheaply and safely: dig out an old disco ball, which can […]

The winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics are Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier. The award was given for their discovery of how to generate pulses of light that last for attoseconds – that is one billionth billionth of a second. The prize is worth 11 million Swedish kronor (around 1 million […]

It’s perfectly possible for domestic pigs to interbreed with wild boars to create a hybrid hog. They may be tough, intelligent, and purportedly delicious, but these so-called “super pigs” have the potential to cause a real headache for native animals and the natural ecosystem.  There have been many active attempts to breed boar–pig hybrids by […]

It is almost time to get some eclipse glasses and look to the sky. On October 14, millions of people across the Americas will get the chance to see an annular eclipse of the Sun. This happens when, during a total solar eclipse, the Moon is near its apogee, the furthest point from Earth. The […]

Same-sex behavior is sometimes said to be an “evolutionary conundrum” since it doesn’t appear to directly help with the reproduction of genes and the survival of species, at least on the surface. However, in a new study, scientists demonstrate how same-sex sexual behavior has evolved independently multiple times across hundreds of different animal species and […]

Putting telescopes on the far side of the Moon, safe from Earthly interference, is one of the biggest reasons to revive lunar missions. However, the Moon has its own challenges, including a 300°C (530°F) temperature range, leading to some doubt about how long instruments would survive. To test the waters, or lack thereof, the LuSEE-Night […]

It may feel like we’re always telling you what not to do – don’t stack rocks while out hiking; leave that sand dollar alone – but, just this once, here’s something you can do: hold onto shards of sea glass if you stumble across them on the beach. In fact, when it comes to sea glass, taking […]

Back in 2022, AST Space Mobile launched BlueWalker 3, a new prototype of telecommunication satellite that can send satellite internet directly to regular mobile phones with no modification to their hardware. It is made by an enormous antenna of 64 square meters (693 square feet). This is the largest commercial antenna ever deployed in low […]

Astronauts aboard China’s Tiangong space station have lit a candle inside it, to demonstrate how flames act in zero gravity. Gui Haichao and Zhu Yangzhu lit the candle while live-streaming a lecture to viewers down below. On Earth, the hot gases from the flames rise while gravity pulls cooler and denser air downwards to the […]

During the late 1960s, a renowned British scholar undid his whole career by backing a pretty wild claim: According to John Marco Allegro, an influential philologist and archaeologist, Jesus was not a living man but a mushroom. I know, it all makes sense now. For some, the Bible represents the literal truth in all things, […]

Despite being the closest planet to Earth, and all other planets in the Solar System, in fact, Mercury gets little in the way of attention.  It only has itself to blame, being an inhospitable scorched planet with temperatures reaching 430°C (800°F) in the 59-Earth-day-long Mercury daytime. Even ignoring its lack of atmosphere, it’s not exactly […]

Clams and cockles have been succumbing to a contagious form of cancer for centuries, two new studies have found. The analysis is reshaping our understanding of cancer and could lead to new approaches to tackling the human form of the disease in the future. We don’t typically think of cancer as being something that can […]

A new Netflix documentary series, named Encounters, has explored eyewitness testimony of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and supposed encounters with alien species, including one from 1994. But what really took place on that day? On September 16, 1994, 62 students at the Ariel School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe, claimed to witness an unknown craft descend from the […]

There is much we do not know about the nomadic peoples who lived in Saudi Arabia before the Neolithic era. We know there are amazing monumental stone structures and accompanying cave art from this time, as well as the remains of hearths that indicate temporary habitation, but not a lot else. Now, researchers have uncovered […]

From adding a bit of warm sweetness to baked goods to spicing up meats, sausages or sauces, nutmeg can be found in many kitchen cupboards across the world. But this household spice has a lesser-known effect if consumed in high quantities – it can be a dangerous hallucinogen.  For centuries, nutmeg was highly prized throughout […]

New research has revealed the existence of a brand new organelle within mammalian cells. The never-before-described “mini organ” is called the exclusome, and is made up of DNA rings called plasmids. The team responsible for its discovery believe it could be involved in autoimmune disease and may help further our understanding of how nuclei evolved. […]