We’ve all been there: you’re standing in the cereal aisle of the supermarket, staring up at countless near-identical boxes of multicolored hoops, frozen in indecision over which brand to buy. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE Should you choose this one, which boasts a higher fiber count? Or that one, which is better value by weight? The […]
Astronomers Capture Astonishing High-Definition Image Of Cosmic Web Connecting Two Galaxies
Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile have imaged a filament of the cosmic web connecting two galaxies in unprecedented detail. Running simulations, the team says that the data collected lends further support to the current cold dark matter model of the universe. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE As we […]
Homo Erectus Loved Collecting Spherical Volcanic Rocks For Some Unknown Reason
Millions of years ago, our early ancestors roamed an area of Africa known as the Cradle of Mankind, scouring the landscape in search of perfectly round rocks. According to a new study, these long-extinct human species valued the lithic spheres for their uniqueness and may have experimented with different uses for them, although exactly what […]
Watch Invisible Electrical “Wires” Be Created Using Sound
Electricity is extremely dangerous, but also extremely useful when we can contain it and send it from A to B. It turns out that we do not need wires, tubes with special gases, or lasers to do that – even sound can be used to manipulate electric charges to behave how we wish, new research […]
Why You Really Need To Stop Doomscrolling On Your Phone In Bed
Chances are you have a nighttime ritual that really isn’t doing you any favors. A 2022 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 58 percent of Americans regularly scroll through their phone within an hour before bed or even while in bed. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE A snooze-worthy pile of studies shows why this […]
Science Under Attack, Dino-Era Ducks, And Do We Own Our Bodies?
This week on Break It Down: the world’s oldest runestone might have been carved by a woman in a language that predates the Vikings, asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 2.3 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032 (but we’re not panicking yet), an ancient jawbone might reveal a new branch of the hominid family tree, […]
In 1995, Divers Spotted A “Mystery Circle” – It Was One Of Nature’s Greatest Creations
How do you let someone know you’re interested in them romantically? Perhaps a nice dinner, a cheeky DM. Science has even weighed in on the best way to flirt, but everything that humans have to offer is frankly rubbish compared to the dating game of pufferfish. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE We didn’t quite appreciate the […]
Tarantulas Can Run Just As Fast With 6 Legs As They Can With 8
Spiders might cause some fear among arachnophobes, with their unusually high number of legs and scuttling way of moving, however, new research has found that they don’t need all eight limbs to get around and can even drop as many as two to avoid predation. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE Losing limbs might appear to affect […]
2.4-Kilogram Chunk Of Egyptian Blue Pigment Found At Nero’s Infamous Party Palace
On the grounds of Emperor Nero’s grand palace, where legendary parties once shocked and amazed, archaeologists have uncovered a giant chunk of pure Egyptian blue pigment, roughly the size of a swollen grapefruit. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE The rare relic was found during recent excavations of the Domus Aurea, the monumental residence commissioned by Emperor […]
“Silver Mountain”: Perseverance Nabs Oldest Mars Sample Yet With Texture “Unlike Anything We’ve Seen”
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has just collected its 26th sample, named “Silver Mountain”, and NASA has confirmed not only does it have curious textures “unlike anything we’ve seen before” but it’s the oldest one yet. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE Perseverance has been exploring a site called Blue Hill that has been described by the science […]
“Slime” That Generates Electricity When Squeezed Could Be Used In Medicine And Green Energy
Researchers have developed a new slime-like material made of natural materials that’s basically something out of a sci-fi movie: it generates electricity when squeezed! This crazy goo may have a whole range of potential uses, ranging from new medical applications to supporting green energy production or being used in robotics. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE The […]
“Tooth-Like Structures” With Human And Pig Cells Grown In Mini Pigs’ Jaws
Researchers have developed a way to grow human-sized tooth-like tissues in the mouths of pigs – this may be a lot to chew on, but the results could lead to new biological tooth substitutes that can be used to replace existing synthetic implants. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE The idea of growing human-like teeth in another […]
American Crocodiles Are Booming At A Nuclear Power Plant In Florida
Lurking in the cooling canals of a Florida nuclear power plant, an unlikely population of American alligators has taken up residence and continues to thrive. Fear not – the crocodiles aren’t glowing, radioactive mutants with strange superpowers. In fact, the artificial habitat has helped to restore populations of the imperiled species. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE […]
Another Good Reason To Keep Your Cats Indoors Found In Bird Nests
Few debates are more heated than whether to keep your cat indoors or let them meander around the neighborhood. Unfortunately for free-roaming fans, a new study has uncovered another reason to keep cats inside: unexpected exposure to flea treatments. ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE Despite cats’ innate desire to wander and hunt, they are often kept […]
Amateur Astrophotographer Captures NASA Astronaut Conducting Record-Breaking Space Walk
An amateur astrophotographer has captured an astonishing image of NASA astronaut Suni Williams conducting a record-breaking spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). ADVERTISEMENT GO AD FREE Last week, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore – famously “stranded” on the ISS after faults on the Starliner spacecraft – left the safety of the space […]
What Is The Most Intelligent Snake Species?
Animal intelligence is a complex and hotly debated topic; there’s even some debate about the sentience of certain species and their ability to think. However, that hasn’t stopped us from giving bees math problems and marveling at falcons’ ability to solve puzzle boxes. But where do snakes fit into this spectrum of animal intelligence? ADVERTISEMENT […]
Comics In Court? These Researchers Have Novel Ways To Explain Science To Jurors
TV shows often lie, especially when it comes to complex topics, like those surrounding forensic science. Anyone who has watched a crime scene show will likely have the impression that crime scene science is unambiguous and that the “who done it” is typically made clear once the right piece of evidence is identified. That’s how […]
Chernobyl’s “Elephant’s Foot” Was So Tough, Kalashnikovs Were Used To Chip Off Samples
Had you lingered in the room with this hardened mass in the late 1980s, your chances of seeing another birthday would have been slim. Just seconds in its presence would leave you puking, feverish, and barely able to think. This is no ordinary industrial debris – it’s a relic from the heart of the Chernobyl […]
Good Mornings And Bad Nights? Happiness Is Higher At Certain Times Of The Day
How do you feel in the morning? Do you feel like the day greets you at your best, that you’re at your brightest as you rise from bed but gradually feel less “perky” as the day goes on? If so, then you may not be alone as, according to a large new study, people generally […]
New H5N1 Bird Flu Virus Genotype Found In US Cows In Second Spillover Event
Avian flu first made the jump from birds into dairy cows on farms in a number of US states in spring 2024. Until now, all such cases of the H5N1 virus have been ascribed to a genotype called B3.13, but the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just announced the detection of a second genotype, […]
