Deborah Bloomfield

On October 6, 1889, a German geology professor named Hans Meyer, an Austrian mountaineer called Ludwig Purtscheller, and a group of local guides from the nearby Moshi province all made history. As they climbed the final steps to the highest peak of Kilimanjaro, a mountain never known to have been scaled before, they must have […]

Nothing is as joyous for a child as jumping into a local lake for a quick refreshing dip on a hot and sweaty day. Unfortunately, a brain-eating amoeba may be lurking underneath the surface, waiting for a chance encounter with an unsuspecting human. Advertisement There have been many summer cases over the past few years. […]

A monkey had cops scratching their heads on August 13 after they received a mysterious 911 call. After losing connection, they investigated the source, finding that the call had been made from a zoo where no keepers owned up to being the caller – but a 10-month-old capuchin had reportedly nicked a cellphone. Advertisement “We’re […]

One of the world’s largest moths has been officially reported in the US for the first time. Since Atlas moths, which have a wingspan of 25 centimeters (10 inches), are typically found in the tropical forests of Asia, entomologists are currency clueless about how the outlawed insect found itself in Washington.  Advertisement The moth was […]

Scientists have successfully adapted an atom-based radio communication system to also receive color video signals and even stream a video game from a console. This is a huge step forward for these devices, whose small size and tolerance to noise make them potential substitutes for certain environments. Plus, it passed a golden standard for tech: […]

Did you know that IFLScience has a brand new free e-magazine? Yup, it’s called CURIOUS. Each month you can kick back for a more relaxed form of scientific exploration delivered straight to your inbox as we take you through the month’s science highlights with deep dives into intriguing topics, diary dates for events not to […]

According to the most recent surveys, nearly one in every three Americans are gun owners. Out of those, around two-thirds cite “safety” or “protection” as their main motivation for doing so. Objectively speaking, this doesn’t make sense: Decades of studies have consistently found that living with guns in the home makes a person more likely, […]

A human foot still inside its shoe has been spotted in one of Yellowstone National Park’s bubbling hot springs. Nobody is sure how the body part ended up in the geothermal feature, but park officials are reportedly investigating. Advertisement The unusual situation first unfolded on Tuesday, August 16, when a park employee saw the foot […]

Astronomers have produced the sharpest view yet of the R136 star cluster and its most famous inhabitant R136a1, the heaviest star in the cosmos as far as humans know. This incredibly massive object has now been seen with such clarity that the team was able to refine the mass estimates, something that has profound consequences […]

On August 20, 1977, Voyager 2 was launched into space. Its twin, Voyager 1, would be launched 16 days later. Together, they’d bring a new understanding of the gas giant planets in the Solar system and would become the first human-made objects to leave the heliosphere behind and enter interstellar space. Forty-Five years on, the […]

Missions to Mars have many obstacles to overcome, and perhaps chief among them is the danger astronauts will not be able to perform their duties after too long in microgravity. However, a preliminary model suggests the average healthy astronaut probably will cope with the weak Martian gravity, provided they stick to their exercise routine en […]

Thanks to a new breakthrough, “forever chemicals” may no longer be a problem for eternity. Chemists at Northwestern University have found a way to break down two major classes of PFAS chemicals into harmless by-products, according to a new study published in the journal Science.  Advertisement Using powerful computational methods, the researchers found the “Achilles’ […]

Apple has warned iPhone, iPad, and iPod users of a serious security flaw that could allow attackers to take complete control of devices. To fix the vulnerability, they’re urging all users to update their devices ASAP. Advertisement Apple sounded the alarm bell on Wednesday August 17, explaining that hackers were actively exploiting the security flaw […]

This week, a deceased woman gets to have the final word at her own funeral, the puzzling phosphine on Venus saga takes a dramatic turn, and we find out why whales aren’t commonly born with cancer. Advertisement   Hologram Technology Allows Woman To Answer Questions At Her Own Funeral An AI-driven chatbot technology has allowed […]

As a general rule, if you’re going to get sick, you should try not to do it in the past. The present? Sure. The future? Go for it. But the past? Extremely bad idea. At best, you’re going to be sat in the moonlight and just told you feel better – and at worst, you’re […]

In 1922, Howard Carter and his team of archaeologists were the first to enter the most famous Egyptian tomb ever uncovered – Tutankhamun’s tomb. Much like many tombs of the era, the tomb was sprawling, with thousands of treasures including gilded beds, miniature golden statues, and intricate amulets meant to guard the dead within their […]

You love plants, and you’ve tried your hand developing a green thumb, but your plants always seem to let you down. They droop or fade no matter what you do. You’ve Googled and scrolled the numerous sites to figure out the problem, but the information you’ve discovered is contradicting and confusing. Sound familiar? We’ve got […]

A snailfish positively brimming with antifreeze proteins has stunned scientists studying these animals in the sub-zero waters of their home turf off Greenland. Liparis gibbus, as our frozen-water-friendly fish is known, was first noticed for its flashy bioluminescence, but later revealed it was packing record levels of antifreeze proteins in its tiny body, too.  Advertisement […]

An image filled with galaxies was chosen as the first to be released from JWST because it demonstrated the space telescope’s capacities so well. That, however, was just a taster. With more time for light collection, JWST is growing further into its power, as demonstrated by its latest release, part of the Cosmic Evolution Early […]