Deborah Bloomfield

Roughly 720 million years ago (give or take a few tens of millions), Earth plunged into one of the most extreme climate events in its history. In several stages, the planet became a giant snowball, encased in ice from pole to pole for millions of years. What exactly triggered this deep freeze has long divided […]

Scientists report a new quantum state of matter that might lead to a computer that can self-charge but is also capable of withstanding the extreme radiation that can be found in deep space. This new quantum state of matter is the spin-triplet excitonic insulator. Electronics are based on semiconductors, which can be understood as having […]

The sharks just don’t stop coming at Mammoth Cave National Park in the US, where palaeontologists have uncovered yet another new species of ancient shark that lurked in the shallow seas submerging the region millions of years ago. The new species, which is thought to have only reached less than 30 centimeters (12 inches) in […]

A non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptive pill with very few side effects might not be as far off as previously thought, early human trial results suggest. In a first-in-human study, a drug called YCT-529, developed by YourChoice Therapeutics, was found to be safe and well-tolerated when administered to healthy men. Even at its highest dose, the […]

The JWST has turned its powerful eye on the Apep Nebula, sometimes known as the Cosmic Serpent, and found it eating its tail. Or perhaps you could argue the tail, in the form of enormous shells of dust, is being consumed by its half-sibling in a tale worthy of ancient myth. The system could be […]

Issue 37 (August 2025) of CURIOUS is out now, bringing you science highlights for the month plus deep dives into intriguing topics, interviews, exclusives, diary dates, and explanations for some of Earth’s most perplexing natural phenomena and landscapes. Read Issue 37 of our digital magazine now by clicking below! Scroll to navigate or download the […]

Atlantis may be a favorite among proponents of pseudoarcheology, but it is entirely fiction – it’s not even a myth. There is, however, evidence for ancient cities and settlements that once were thriving but are now submerged underwater, from Atlit Yam in Israel to Thonis-Heracleion in Egypt.  Jerome Dobson, a Professor of Geography at the […]

Meet the Rumplestiltskin of the animal kingdom: the Trichonephila clavipes, otherwise known as the golden silk orb-weaver.  This striking arachnid might not spin threads of pure gold, but the critter is able to skillfully craft large golden-hued webs that can reach impressive lengths up to three feet long. The pigment responsible for the silk’s bright […]

Put July 29, 2025 in your calendar. Two meteor showers will peak on the exact same night, creating a spectacular light show. If that wasn’t enough, the Perseids – one of the year’s most prolific meteor showers – will be gracing our skies at the very same time.   The stronger of the two is […]

What links black-eyed peas and cancer? The cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), which researchers believe could pave the way for a low-cost but effective new treatment option for cancer patients.    Immunotherapy is an exciting area of medicine that exploits the patient’s immune system to treat cancer. Several viruses are being investigated as contenders for immunotherapy […]

At some point, you have probably heard somewhere that oil comes from dinosaurs, as if every time you fill up at the gas station, you are pumping refined velociraptor into your Volvo. It’s a vivid image, but it’s not true. Despite how widespread the belief is, oil isn’t made from decomposed dinosaurs. “For some strange […]

Motty remains the only confirmed hybrid between an African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). Although the calf tragically died just days after birth, his unique descent earned him the rare distinction of being named the “world’s rarest elephant” by Guinness World Records. Motty was born on July 11, 1978, at Chester […]

This week, a Cretaceous-era trackway in Canada provides the first evidence of a dinosaur herd combining two species, scientists walked back on the claims that 10,000 is the optimal number of steps per day, and the so-called “entropy catastrophe” has been bypassed after researchers superheated gold to 14 times its melting point. Finally, we explore […]

Mirrors that focus sunlight to produce electricity have been vastly outpaced by photovoltaic panels, but one scientist thinks they could have a second application, spotting asteroids at night. Solar thermal power has a great advantage over solar panels on roofs or in most solar farms: it can continue to produce electricity after the Sun has […]

COVID-19-induced brain fog could be partly explained by the formation of plaques in the nervous system that resemble those found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. As well as helping scientists unpick the causes of lasting COVID symptoms, this new discovery could be useful for those investigating some of the most pressing medical questions […]

Snowflake was unlike any other gorilla the world had ever seen – or has seen since. With his dazzling white fur, pink skin, and piercing light eyes, he remains the only known albino gorilla in recorded history. His extraordinary journey began on October 1, 1966, deep in the jungle of Nkó, Equatorial Guinea (then known […]

Counting wildlife is a tricky business, especially when the subject of your count has a tendency to swim away every now and then. However by combining aerial imagery with modeling, researchers have counted over 41,000 giant South American river turtles, representing the largest turtle nesting site in the world.  On the Guaporé River sandbanks between […]

Scientists may have identified a new diabetes subtype in Sub-Saharan Africa and some Black American patient groups. The research shows that many children and young adults in Africa and some people in the US may have a form of Type 1 diabetes that is not caused by the immune system. The discovery could offer new […]

Neanderthals possibly had a secret ingredient in their kitchen that provided them with the fatty protein they needed to survive. Rather than feeding on lean game meat, our prehistoric sister lineage may have deliberately stored their kills until the rotting carcasses became infested with maggots, which they then gorged themselves on. This predilection for grubs […]

Scientists have determined that hexahydrocannabinol, a synthetic cannabinoid that is sometimes used in legal recreational drugs, can produce effects similar to those of the psychoactive chemicals in cannabis. The research also found that another form of the chemical has weaker psychoactive effects, suggesting that different types can produce different effects in people. Hexahydrocannabinol, otherwise known […]