A space rock found in Somalia has been found to contain at least two minerals not found before in nature and only previously known to have been produced artificially. It’s not quite the asteroid that gave Wakanda its vibranium, but for geologists, it might be even better. Since these discoveries were made using a single […]
If You Listen Carefully, You Can Hear A Bee Ejaculate
It’s 2023 and high time you knew that you can hear bees ejaculate. The “pop” of bee copulation is caused by the explosive way in which they transfer sperm, and if it makes you uncomfortable you should know that the male drone is left feeling a lot worse. Drones, which are male bees, come into […]
JWST Might Have Seen Cosmic Diamonds In The Early Universe
Carbon-rich dust grains have been detected in the first billion years of the cosmos for the first time. The discovery is another important insight into what the universe was like during its infancy, although it is currently not clear what kind of molecule the researchers are looking at. In the recent universe, up to roughly […]
Two New Species Of Sabertooth Cat Identified From 5-Million-Year-Old Fossils
Sabertooth cats were prowling around much of the world around 6-7 million years ago during the Pliocene, with fossils of many different species found across Africa, China, Europe, and North America. Now, scientists have examined one of the world’s largest collections of Pliocene fossils and found two new species. The fossil collection has come from […]
Why It’s Extremely Unlikely The Universe Is 26.7 Billion Years Old
One cosmologist has claimed the universe is almost twice as old as conventional estimates, and his claims have attracted plenty of attention. The proposition would upend not just the timing of everything, but a great deal of what we think we know about the universe’s development. However, he’s not even close to convincing his peers. […]
Been Phubbing Your Spouse? You Might Want To Stop
Have you ever phubbed your marital partner? It’s ok, this is a safe space. You can tell us. If so, you might want to think about quitting, because a new study has found that regular phubbing is bad news for a happy marriage. If you’ve no idea what we’re talking about, read on and all […]
An Ancient Solution Could Deal With The Problem Of Space Junk
Space junk is a growing issue. From large chunks of rockets to specks of paint, the orbits around Earth are filled with garbage – garbage that moves faster than a bullet and poses a risk to astronauts and other satellites. The number of satellites is growing massively, year on year. Just five years ago, there […]
3,000-Year-Old “Charioteer” Skeleton With Special Belt Discovered In Siberia
An untouched archaeological discovery has been unearthed (literally) in Siberia. Thought to be the skeleton of a charioteer due to a metal object found with the remains, this raises the question about whether horse-drawn chariots had been used in the region. The remains, thought to be around 3,000 years old, were found together with a […]
Post-Menopause Orca Moms Protect Their Large Orca Sons From Whale Fights
The ocean’s apex predators have been getting a bad rap recently – first, they were exposed for attacking boats in Europe and then an unflattering story about salmon hats came out. Now, in a further reminder they are not to be messed with, it’s been revealed that post-menopausal orca moms protect their sons from fights […]
An Asteroid Just Passed Closer To Earth Than The Moon And We Only Noticed Afterward
On July 13, an asteroid passed the Earth at a distance of 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles). Not only was humanity entirely unaware it was coming, no one even noticed until two days later. If this had been something too small to do damage – like the famous “half-a-giraffe” that may have slashed down off Iceland […]
How Coffee Could Protect Against Alzheimer’s: Espresso Found To Inhibit Tau Proteins
Depending on who you listen to, coffee is either a superfood (well, superdrink) or a health hazard, yet a remarkable new study demonstrates that store-bought Java beans can be used to disrupt the formation of protein plaques that contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. And while the experiments were conducted in a petri dish, […]
What Archaeologists Think Indiana Jones Gets Wrong About Archaeology
This summer, Indiana “Indy” Jones returns to the silver screen in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the final installment of this decades-long cinematic saga. Since his first outing in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy’s whip-cracking adventures have been a source of entertainment and inspiration for many people – there are few who cannot […]
Do We Feel Guilty After Cheating? Survey Reveals Surprising Reality Of Infidelity
Think you know why people cheat, how they feel about it, or the impact it might have on their relationship? You might want to think again if a recent study, which casts doubt on common cheating assumptions, is anything to go by. “Findings from this study challenge widely held notions about infidelity experiences,” its authors […]
Why Do I Have To Take My Laptop Out Of The Bag At Airport Security?
Anyone who has travelled by air in the past 10 years will know how stressful airports can be. You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the […]
Avoid Dumping Oil In The Drain, There’s A Fun Method To Dispose Of It
There’s been a lot of hype around air fryers recently, but for foodies like Jay Rayner, nothing beats the indulgent crisp of something that’s been fried in a deep pool of bubbling golden oil (the secret ingredient is danger). However, what’s great for our tastebuds isn’t all that good for the environment as the cooking style results in a […]
How To Keep Your Pets Safe In A Heatwave
As temperatures reach uncomfortably high levels, pets are likely to struggle with the heat. Here’s how to keep them safe during the heatwave. Animals kept in a cage or hutch may find it hard to escape the heat as the sun moves around the garden, so you may need to move them or create shade […]
Phobos, the ‘Doomed’ Moon, Is Going to Crash into Mars
NASA’s Perseverance Rover captured a gorgeous view of Phobos eclipsing the Sun, from the surface of Mars. From the point of view of any Martian microbes lurking out there, the eclipse may have seemed more ominous (yeah ok, there might not be living organisms up there, let alone ones sentient enough to grasp the concept […]
TWIS: Please Stop Phubbing Your Spouse, Death Valley Reaches Hottest Midnight Ever Recorded, And Much More This Week
This week two planets have been spotted appearing to share the same orbit for the first time, we explain why it is extremely unlikely that report suggesting the universe is actually 26.7 billion years old is true, there’s a good reason Einstein makes a cameo in new movie Oppenheimer, and we find out what real […]
Cannabis Use May Trigger Epigenetic Changes, New Study Reveals
Cannabis use, both recent and long-term, has been linked to epigenetic changes in a new study. The researchers found evidence that the drug is associated with DNA methylation, a chemical alteration to the DNA inside human cells. With almost half of adults in the US having tried cannabis at least once, according to some estimates, […]
Does Going Deep Into The Earth Make You Unwell Like Altitude Sickness?
Walking at extreme elevations can lead to fatal altitude sickness, but what happens to people who venture deep into the Earth? Miners and bridge engineers have historically been exposed to atmospheric pressures twice that at the surface, and the toll it took on their bodies was also sometimes fatal. It got us wondering, what does […]
