Pareidolia is the peculiar human behavior of seeing meaningful images in random patterns. We see faces in plug sockets, queens in clouds, and the entire world in funny-shaped rocks. Martian rocks are no exception, with everything from the famous “face” that turned out to be a hill to secret doors spotted on the Red Planet. […]
Everything You Need To Know About NASA Cashing A Spacecraft Into An Asteroid This Month
In just two weeks, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will test humanity’s capabilities to alter the path of an asteroid by slamming into Dimorphos, a small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos. The asteroids pose no threat to Earth but will allow NASA to test a crucial approach to planetary defense in a way […]
Another New COVID Variant Is Spreading – Here’s What We Know About Omicron BA.4.6
BA.4.6, a subvariant of the omicron COVID variant which has been quickly gaining traction in the US, is now confirmed to be spreading in the UK. The latest briefing document on COVID variants from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted that during the week beginning August 14, BA.4.6 accounted for 3.3 percent of samples […]
Is Your Gas Stove Bad For Your Health?
Cooks love their gadgets, from countertop slow cookers to instant-read thermometers. Now, there’s increasing interest in magnetic induction cooktops – surfaces that cook much faster than conventional stoves, without igniting a flame or heating an electric coil. Some of this attention is overdue: Induction has long been popular in Europe and Asia, and it is […]
That Time The King’s Anus Changed Surgery Forever
It takes a lot to distinguish yourself if you are the fourteenth king named Louis. Louis XIV managed to do this in several ways: becoming one of the most powerful French monarchs and helping to bring surgery on the anus (and elsewhere) into the modern ages. Louis XIV had a number of illnesses, with recurring […]
How Much Is The Royal Family Worth?
The British Monarchy has been dominating headlines following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. After her majesty’s bejeweled, lead-lined coffin made its way across the UK, we find ourselves asking, yet again, just how much is the royal family worth? In true British nature, the royals aren’t big on disclosing their financial […]
Are You A COVID “Super-Dodger?” Then Scientists Want To Hear From You
COVID-19 has infected over 600 million people (as of September 13) in practically every patch of the planet. Yet still, somehow, some people have managed to avoid the virus. That might include health carers who spent months surrounded by infected patients or even just people who have shared a bed with a sick partner. If […]
Strange Hexagonal Diamonds Crashed To Earth From Ancient Dwarf Planet
Scientists have discovered how a rare form of diamond is created in space. Found in four meteorites in north-west Africa, the strange hexagonal diamonds do not naturally occur on Earth. Now, we may know where they come from. Billions of years ago, there was a dwarf planet in the inner Solar System that had carbon […]
Why Did This Famous Medieval Palace’s Golden Ceilings Start Turning Purple?
All that is gold is not gold-colored, as Bilbo Baggins probably meant to say. Sometimes it’s purple, as in the Alhambra Palace where a gold layer on wall and ceiling ornaments has changed color over centuries. The chemistry of this conversion has finally been explained. The Alhambra Palace in Granada is considered one of the […]
Simple Blood Test Detects Multiple Cancers At Early Stage Without Obvious Symptoms
Results from a huge study have shown the fight against cancer may have an incredible new weapon: a simple blood that test can detect multiple different types of cancer before they even show symptoms. The Pathfinder study, which enrolled 6,600 adults aged 50 and over, offered the blood test to each adult and mixed […]
How To Get A Baby To Stop Crying, According To Science
If you’re a new parent who has found themselves pleading “how do I get my baby to stop crying?!” in the dark hours of the morning (or at any time, for that matter) you’ll be pleased to know that scientists believe they have found a recipe for respite. Their “method to soothe and promote sleep […]
JWST To Reveal Secrets Of Star Birth With Gorgeous New Orion Nebula Image
Most of the objects the JWST has studied are so faint they can’t be seen with binoculars, let alone the naked eye. The Orion Nebula, sometimes known as the Great Nebula or M42, is different. It’s the closest star-forming region to Earth and looks like a fuzzy star in Orion’s sword in the constellation. Even […]
“Striking” Zebrafish Embryo Video Wins Nikon Small World In Motion 2022 Competition
The 12th Nikon Small World in Motion competition saw hundreds of entries from all over the world. A sister to the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, both reward skill and excellence in video and photography under the microscope. The video portion encompasses any movie or digital time-lapse photography taken through the microscope, opening up new […]
An Experiment Crashed A Boeing 727 To See Which Seats Are Best For Survival
In 2012, TV producers bought a Boeing 727 with the intention of smashing it into the ground. The collaboration between the UK, the US, and Germany televised the results of the experiment, which would attempt to answer the question: where should I sit on an aircraft if I want to survive a crash? The plane […]
Climate Crisis Is Leading To “Uncharted Territory Of Destruction,” Says New UN Report
The world is heading in the wrong direction when it comes to fixing the planet’s climate concerns, according to a new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). While world powers have been continuously ramping up their pledges to go net-zero, the latest reports highlight a vast gulf between their aspirations and reality. […]
“Velociraptors Of The Sea” Show Off Synchronized Hunting Techniques In Incredible Video
It’s no secret that orca are trained assassins (they’re known as “killer whales” for a reason), but a sequence from the newly released Frozen Planet II serves as a harrowing reminder of just how skilled they are. In it, a synchronized pod can be seen targeting a seal who evidently thought they were safe snoozing […]
What Is The “Stone Of Destiny” And How Is It Being Used For King Charles’ Coronation?
Look, a lot of the traditions that go on in Britain are a bit weird. Every year at the opening of Parliament, a hostage is taken by the monarchy until the ceremony is complete. A search is then carried out for gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament, in case Guy Fawkes has pulled off some […]
The People Who Claim That They Found Noah’s Ark
The myth of a flood being sent by an angry god to punish humanity (by pretty much drowning all of them) appears in a surprising number of cultures, from the Gun-Yu of ancient China to the Babylonian myth that may have inspired the Bible. Though possibly based on memories of ancient floods, the tales are […]
The Green King? King Charles’ Long History Of Environmentalism Could Be Vital
Whether you love or loathe the UK monarchy, it should bring a glimmer of reassurance that the newly appointed King is an outspoken environmentalist who’s continually pushed for sustainability and climate action over the past five decades. It’s debatable whether this passion will actually result in hard policy change. After all, the UK monarchy holds […]
New Colored Images From Ingenuity Make You Feel Like You’re Flying On Mars
NASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, recently took its first flight after a two-month hiatus due to dust, freezing temperatures, and low power as Jezero Crater experienced winter. Although just a short hop, it marked Ingenuity’s 31st flight on Mars, and new colored images taken by the Marscopter make you feel like you are flying along with […]
