Deborah Bloomfield

Astronomers have known for a while that WASP-18b is a weird planet. A world with an upper atmosphere dominated by carbon monoxide is not your run-of-the-mill exoplanet. New observations by JWST reveal even more intriguing insights into this ultra-hot Jupiter. First of all, the research team found evidence of water vapor. An important discovery. WASP-18b […]

It is always nice to know we are not alone on our path, even if those companions are not exactly traveling with us. This is the fate of the quasi-moons of Earth, not-quite satellites of our planet whose orbit around the Sun also takes them around Earth. Now, Earth’s got a new one. The object, […]

If you want healthy feet you’ve got to be honest with yourself about one simple and salient question: are you washing your feet properly? We’ve all been guilty of forgetting to soap the odd bit here and there, but if you’re not dedicating any scrubbing time to your tootsies, you could be opening yourself up […]

The crossover between acid house raves and scientific research is pretty limited, but a new study has managed to marry the two by examining the effects of mixing LSD and MDMA in the lab. Known as “candyflipping”, the combination has been a favorite among dancefloor demons since the late 1980s and has now piqued the […]

NASA has just held its first public meeting on its study of UFOs, revealing some surprisingly juicy information about the reports they’ve gathered. Among the hundreds of sightings they have received, many have involved reports of unexplained metallic orbs flying at high altitudes all around the world. The was panel launched last year with the […]

Unusually colored animals are always interesting. They are most likely either a result of a mutation that causes them to not produce enough melanin, creating albino animals – or the opposite, with excess production of melanin pigments resulting in melanistic all-black animals. Some species even experience leucistic expression and are black and white in different patches […]

A vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease. It sounds amazing, even fantastical – but we are a lot closer to this goal than you might think. As well as providing a new and innovative therapeutic option for a disease that has been notoriously difficult to treat, vaccination could unlock the door to that most elusive of objectives: […]

Around 40 petroglyphs have been uncovered on a steep rock face in Sweden that’s been covered in moss for thousands of years. Crafted some 2,700 years ago, the Bronze Age rock art depicts several different motifs, including strange human figures, ships, and wild beasts.  The collection of ancient artworks was recently discovered by the Foundation […]

The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1, and forecasters are keeping a close eye on rising ocean temperatures, and not just in the Atlantic. Globally, warm sea surface temperatures that can fuel hurricanes have been off the charts in the spring of 2023, but what really matters for Atlantic hurricanes are the ocean temperatures […]

In 2013, a 6-year-old boy visiting the shores of Lake Michigan with his family became trapped beneath 3.35 meters (11 feet) of sand when a sinkhole opened up on Mount Baldy. Nathan Woessner climbed up the Mount Baldy sand dune inside the Indiana Dunes National Park, where he quite suddenly disappeared. The boy fell into […]

Scientists in China have begun digging a 10,000-meter (32,808 feet) hole into the Earth, the deepest ever attempted in the country. Digging down through 10 layers of rock, the team hopes to reach rocks from the Cretaceous Period, the layer known as the Cretaceous System, which dates back up to 145 million years. The project, […]

Filming wildlife behaving naturally can be difficult because much of it is very observant. Chuck a camera operator amongst a group of dolphins and they’re going to know something’s up, but what if you could convince them that there’s nothing but nature all around them? Enter the BBC’s latest wildlife series, Spy In The Ocean. […]

Over 310 people are known to have died while attempting to climb Mount Everest since the 1920s. While that’s the highest absolute death count of any mountain on Earth, it’s worth considering that Everest attracts significantly more mountaineers than other notorious peaks. If you take a look at the fatality rate of expeditions instead, a […]

Thinking of X-rays might trigger memories of broken bones or dental check-ups. But this extremely energetic light can show us more than just our bones: it is also used to study the molecular world, even biochemical reactions in real-time. One issue, though, is that researchers have never been able to study a single atom with […]

Three ancient individuals buried across the UK whose teeth contain DNA from a strain of bacteria that was responsible for the Black Death have been unearthed by researchers. But these plague carriers lived thousands of years before the infamous pestilence ravaged Europe in the 14th century, making it the oldest evidence of the disease in […]

The infamous IQ test. Having a high IQ is perhaps the only thing that can make you seem both incredibly smart and incredibly dumb at the same time, depending on who you speak to when bragging. It has a fraught history of questionable science, elitism, and even eugenics, yet it is still used in some […]

While sleeping one’s way to the top may be a successful career strategy for some, many people who get romantically involved with a colleague find themselves in a position of vulnerability. Going public with one’s relationship status can be particularly nerve-racking – and new research reveals why, indicating that those who share both an office […]

The impact of humans on the planet is undeniable. But how much is too much? Researchers have produced the first quantification of the boundaries for a safe and just planet, and they show that we are taking a huge risk with the welfare of our planet – and gambling with the whole future of our […]

When offered either a transparent cup containing fruit or an opaque cup, four species of apes chose the safe option in a trial, a new study reports – human children aged 3-5, however, decided to risk the possibility of danger or disappointment over a guaranteed small reward. As much as anything else, this willingness to […]

The first-ever live stream from the orbit of Mars is all set for Friday, June 2. The European Space Agency (ESA) will be broadcasting the one-hour feed on YouTube, providing viewers with an intimate look at the Red Planet. ESA is sharing the live stream to celebrate the 20th birthday of Mars Express, their ongoing […]