Deborah Bloomfield

Earlier this year, astronomers announced the discovery of Earendel, the most distant known single star. From the beginning, there was the possibility that it was not one star but two: a star system whose light traveled for almost 13 billion years. The latest observations from JWST have provided new insight and the best evidence yet […]

The human mouth is teeming with many different organisms, over 700 species in fact. Some are beneficial, while others may be associated with conditions such as migraines. The human body is a great host, as we are warm and moist, however, the mouth is a harsh landscape to live in. It can be difficult for […]

Two six-meter (20-foot) high mounds on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU) are the oldest human-made structures ever discovered in North America, according to new research in the American Journal of Science. Using radiocarbon dating, the study authors determined that construction of the mounds began around 11,000 years and was completed over several millennia. […]

This summer, devastating droughts have revealed dead bodies and sunken Nazi ships, but it hasn’t been all macabre: a set of dinosaur tracks have recently been discovered due to the receding waters at the Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas. Advertisement Once covered by mud, silt, and shallow water, the giant footprints were recently revealed […]

Walking sharks are taking the headlines by storm this year. While Discovery’s Shark Week shared some footage of an epaulette strutting its stuff in Papua New Guinea, new research has investigated for the first time how these animals’ early life stages may influence their locomotion and found that even as ball-bellied babies they are pretty […]

Wind turbines are an essential part of the struggle for a habitable climate, but they are not without their faults. One drawback that has drawn recent attention is the challenge of recycling the immense blades, rather than sending them to landfill. Although already more recyclable than the fossil fuel industry’s supporters like to make out, […]

Transcranial brain stimulation has been shown to help everything from depression to Parkinson’s, and a growing body of research suggests it could be a massive tool against a variety of neurological conditions. Now, new research has suggested that non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation could boost the memory of older adults for a month, with possible resounding impacts on […]

The stunning observation of the Cartwheel galaxy by JWST has revealed the exceptional ability that the latest space observatory has. The birthplace of new stars, the hot gas, and the activity of the supermassive black hole are all shining in this incredible photograph. But there’s more. Now you can sit back, relax, and fly towards […]

“Unity Kinkaid finds it harder and harder to stay awake. She now sleeps for almost 20 hours a day. She used to dream; to shift in her sleep, muttering and sighing, locked in half-remembered fantasies. Now she lies unmoving, breath shallow and silent, lost to the world. Unity sleeps.” – The Sandman. Advertisement At the […]

Ever been told you have a doppelgänger? It could be that you had more in common with that person than looks, as new research suggests that people who share similar physical traits may have similar DNA. Advertisement The curious finding follows an analysis of some of the humans employed in Canadian photographer François Brunelle’s portfolio […]

A Twitter post has once more brought the practice of “sunning your holes” out of the darkness, so to speak. In a widely-shared tweet, user moochi posted a screenshot of a TikTok video of someone, with the accompanying caption “people always ask me how I am so happy all the time. Sunning your holes for […]

Carbon monoxide is observed clearly in the disks surrounding young stars that are forming planets. But there is a problem. Theories suggest that there should be a lot more of it than astronomers can actually see. Where is this missing carbon monoxide? A new paper has a solution: The molecule is trapped in ice formation […]

An audio clip recently shared by NASA has captured the imagination of people online and, frankly, freaked them out. What on Earth did NASA share? Oh, only the eerie sounds of a black hole. Yes, it’s creepy as hell.  Advertisement NASA actually released the sonification of a couple of black holes for Black Hole Week […]

Researchers in India are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a new disease dubbed “tomato flu” or “tomato fever.” Causing red blisters that can enlarge to the size of a small tomato, the cause of the contagious disease is currently unknown, although some researchers suspect it might be related to other diseases known […]

The Gospel of John identifies the fishing village of Bethsaida as the birthplace of Saint Peter, Saint Andrew, and Saint Philip, plus being the site of two miracles. A new discovery may help settle the question of Bethsaida’s location, and even mark the house where brothers Peter and Andrew were born. Advertisement Recent digging at […]

Being a world expert in a niche subject can take you to some wild places – pirate historian Dr Rebecca Simon can attest to that. Her expertise on pirates and public executions means she is much in demand, from Netflix to the History Channel, and BBC documentaries to popular podcasts. Author of two excellent piracy […]

Living near a fracking site is linked to an increased risk of children developing leukemia, new research has suggested. The new study was published last week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Advertisement Scientists at Yale University studied a sample of nearly 2,500 children in Pennsylvania, with 405 diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a […]

In 1989, a toddler died of a rare condition. As a result, his mother would be convicted of his murder, and only released after an episode of Unsolved Mysteries brought the case to the attention of a biochemist at Saint Louis University.  Advertisement On July 7, 1989, in Jefferson County, Missouri, a three-month-old Ryan Stallings […]

Russian attacks on Ukraine could leave scars in the ground that remain detectable for millions of years as part of the fossil record. “Bombturbation,” as the process is known, describes how military explosives can contaminate soil with dangerous materials and chemicals and has already been demonstrated by heavy metals left behind by artillery used in […]

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption on January 15 in the Kingdom of Tonga was an incredibly powerful explosion. It produced the loudest sound in over a century, sent a plume of material into the stratosphere, and generated a tsunami that spread across the Pacific. The height of the initial wave has now been estimated to […]