Deborah Bloomfield

The planet’s largest-known lithium deposit may have been found hiding beneath an ancient supervolcano along the Nevada–Oregon border in the US. Given the skyrocketing demand for lithium, this deposit could be a treasure trove – although obtaining it could come with a bunch of challenges and dangers.  An estimated 20 to 40 million metric tons […]

The largest collection of prehistoric cave art in Eastern Iberia has been discovered in a cavern in Spain’s Valencia region. Consisting of over 100 images, the extensive array of engravings and paintings features at least 19 different animals and has been dated to over 24,000 years old. Found in a cave known as Cova Dones, […]

Evidence has been found of black holes a tenth of the distance of the previous closest observation to Earth. Moreover, unlike previous discoveries, this is one where anyone with access to moderately dark skies can stick out their finger and say, “They’re there.” The Hyades Star Cluster is overshadowed in the public mind by the […]

After lifting off last Saturday, India’s solar probe has now sent back some remarkable images of the Earth and Moon, as well as a cheeky selfie. Advertisement The two images were taken on September 4 by a camera mounted on Aditya-L1, with the most striking picture showing the Moon as a tiny speck beside the […]

Cut off from the rest of the world 5.5 million years ago, the Movile Cave has developed a unique and bizarre ecosystem like no other place on Earth. Sitting a few miles from the Black Sea coast in Romania, the cave is one of the most isolated places on the planet, having been sealed off […]

Through the science of seismic imaging, researchers have revealed that an ancient ocean floor may be wrapped around the Earth’s core.  The layer in question sits at the core-mantle boundary (CMB), the region inside the Earth at which the molten outer core meets the silicate rock mantle, around 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the surface. […]

The idea of space-based solar power (SBSP) – using satellites to collect energy from the sun and “beam” it to collection points on Earth – has been around since at least the late 1960s. Despite its huge potential, the concept has not gained sufficient traction due to cost and technological hurdles. Can some of these […]

At least 632 people have died following a powerful earthquake that struck Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The earthquake hit just after 23:00 local time and measured 7.2 on the Richter scale according to Morocco’s geophysical center, categorizing it as a major earthquake event. Approximately 10 to 20 such major earthquakes occur […]

Supermassive black holes are found at the center of almost every galaxy, and when they get enough material around them they enter a feeding frenzy phase we call an active galactic nucleus, or AGN. There was an expectation that when the universe was more active in the past, with enhanced star formation and galaxy mergers, […]

Romantic relationships are known to have many benefits, but they can sometimes also threaten a person’s sense of independence, individuality, and autonomy. Now, researchers have developed a quick questionnaire to measure levels of individuality in your relationship, which can help develop healthier dynamics. What is individuality in a relationship?  Most adults will experience at least […]

September 8 is Star Trek Day, the 57th anniversary of the first broadcast of the groundbreaking original television series. IFLScience recently attended Destination Trek in the UK to speak with Chris Lee, the first Chief Scientist at the UK Space Agency. The challenge we put to him is how he envisions the near future of […]

This week India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander seems to be detecting movement from beneath the Moon’s surface, a few simple hacks could improve the Wi-Fi connection in your home, and an “Earth-sized planet” may be hiding in the solar system. Finally, we investigate why Neil Armstrong’s Moon poop is so important. Subscribe to the IFLScience newsletter for […]

Crows have a peculiar response to death. Folklore states they hold court to decide an individual bird’s capital fate, likely spurred on by observations of groups of crows – that come with the goth collective noun of “a murder of crows” – standing around a dead bird. This does happen but not in the way […]

Sometimes, in order to predict what might happen in the future, you need to be familiar with what came before. Predicting how our planet responds to the climate changes brought forward by humans is a difficult job – but so very important. One approach that researchers are taking is studying the climate of ages past, […]

Plumes of devastation known as “pyroclastic density currents” ripped across the seabed following the Tonga Eruption in 2022, a volcanic blast that’s claimed near-countless world records. Carrying debris like rock, mud, and ash, they traveled at speeds of up to 122 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and carried on for over 100 kilometers (62 miles). […]

In a world first, researchers have successfully grown humanized, early-stage kidneys in pig embryos, adding to the potential for using animals to grow human organs for transplantation. Kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs in humans, with more than 25,000 kidney transplants performed in the US in 2022, coming from both living and deceased donors. […]

The risk of bird flu has been in the press a lot in the last few decades, and it is a virus that scientists are constantly watching. Now, researchers have identified a subtype of the avian flu virus that is currently undergoing changes that could increase the risk of transmission to humans. Bird flu has many strains, […]

Floating islands sound like the stuff of Avatar – but for residents of Chippewa Flowage, Wisconsin, they can be a real pain in the butt. Here, a particularly large giant floating island causes problems almost every year as it drifts about, getting in the way, and it takes the work of over 20 boats to […]

It’s commonly said that some languages – let’s say French or Italian – are easier on the ears than others – mentioning no names (German, obviously). But can a language be intrinsically beautiful, while another might just be innately unpleasant? In a new study, researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences and Lund University in […]