Deborah Bloomfield

On May 15, Gilmour Space Technology was supposed to launch its Eris rocket into space, which would have been the first launch of an Australian-made rocket from Queensland. A fault with electrical wiring was to blame; the source had to be investigated, and the first suspect turned out to be a red herring. Well, actually, […]

Two Yangtze finless porpoises have been returned to the wild for the very first time, offering fresh hope for this deeply troubled species. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is the world’s only freshwater porpoise, known for its cute “smiley” face and marvelous melon-shaped head.  Native to the Yangtze River system in China, the […]

A giant haboob from the Sahara desert is about to reach the southeastern USA, predicted to hit Texas and Florida on Wednesday. Haboobs are a regular occurrence in the Sahara desert between May and October, particularly in June, as thunderstorms kick dust up high into the atmosphere. “Haboobs result from a microburst – an intense […]

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Sometimes, when you see dusty artifacts in a museum or crumbling ruins in the streets, it’s easy to forget that these things were once new. Ancient Greek statues were complete and gaudily-painted; Pompeii was a bustling (and other activities) metropolis. In Egypt, the Pyramid at Giza shone and sparkled in the Sun – and murals, […]

When satellite images revealed what a part of Canada looked like from the skies, people noticed a striking rock formation resembling a human face in side profile. Remarkably, it’s possible to clearly make out distinct features, including an eye, nose, mouth, chin, neck, cheekbones, the jawline, and even what appears to be a feathered headdress […]

A team of physicists from the University of Waterloo have succeeded in making a ball roll vertically down a wall without applying any external force, a feat once thought impossible. “On perfectly vertical surfaces, rolling is conventionally deemed impossible without external torque. While various species like geckos and spiders exhibit vertical locomotion, they cannot achieve […]

As well as being super clever, breaking our hearts in that Netflix show and even riding sharks, octopuses are pretty famous for having eight limbs. What is even more remarkable is that they can regrow lost limbs and even have arms that split during the regrowth process. What scientists are trying to work out is […]

The Trump administration has released its final budget proposal and in response, many have expressed concern that it will stifle American science and halt NASA’s and other agencies’ work for decades to come. For NASA in particular, the planned cuts are set to eliminate several important upcoming missions, as well as end missions that are already […]

Think learning and memory are all the job of the brain? You might want to think again, if the results of a recent study are to be believed. In a first, scientists at New York University (NYU) uncovered evidence of a type of learning called the massed-space effect in cells from outside the brain, suggesting […]

From around 50,000 to 10,000 years ago, Earth was home to terrestrial giants: mammoths, moa, and mega-marsupials, including something that “would have looked like a wombat the size of a hippo”. We really had it all, until we didn’t.  The disappearance of Earth’s megafauna remains something of a mystery, not least because we don’t have […]

It would be fair to assume that the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), the world’s smallest otter species, had gone extinct in Nepal. After all, the last time it was officially spotted in the country was 1839 – but now, that’s all changed. Nepal has historically been home to three otter species: the smooth-coated otter […]

For the first time ever, scientists have managed to determine the biological sex of an ancient human ancestor that lived in Africa around two million years ago. By analyzing proteins in the prehistoric creature’s teeth, the study authors were also able to shed new light on genetic diversity within the Paranthropus genus, suggesting that a […]

In 2023, a massive landslide in Greenland triggered megatsunamis in the Dickson fjord. Although no one was harmed, the event generated mysterious seismic signals that puzzled scientists globally because they didn’t know where this strangely rhythmic rumbling was coming from. What had shaken the world? The key to understanding the phenomenon rested on data recorded […]

NASA astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have shared spectacular images they took of lightning below them on Earth. Orbiting the Earth on the ISS, astronauts get an unusual view of just about any large-scale phenomenon occurring below, from red sprites to “space angels” and the aurora borealis. In the latest slew of […]

The US is sitting on a largely untapped energy source that could significantly boost its electricity supply, according to a new report from the US Geological Survey (USGS). The study examines the potential of geothermal energy – the natural heat simmering beneath the Earth’s surface – as a major power source. While the US already […]

The southern tip of Africa is slowly lifting out of the water by up to 2 millimeters each year. Now, scientists think they’ve finally figured out why. GPS devices in South Africa have long hinted that something unusual might be happening to the landmass. These instruments can determine both their horizontal position and elevation with […]

Ever been out for a walk and noticed a pair of sneakers dangling from a power line? It’s a surprisingly common sight, and there’s a reason behind it. Shoe tossing – also known as ‘shoefiti’ – happens all around the world, and for a variety of reasons. Let’s explore some of the most common theories […]

It’s a well-known (and somewhat awkward) fact that Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred. While previous research has explored when these encounters took place, findings have revealed where exactly it happened. Scientists took a close look at the geographical distribution of both species in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe around the time we know they hooked […]

In a plot straight out of pretty much any Dan Brown book, ancient sketches by Leonardo da Vinci have revealed the location of secret tunnels underneath a medieval castle in Milan, Italy. In the 15th century CE, Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, ordered a fortification be built on the remains of one built in the […]