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Never one to take a relaxed approach to surveillance, China is reportedly looking into ways to install an extensive network of sensors and cameras to monitor their future base on the moon. The International Lunar Research Station is a planned lunar base proposed in 2021 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Roscomos, the […]

Did you know that platypuses are armed with a venomous spur on their hind legs? Well, one “Good Samaritan” found out the hard way when she was struck with excruciating pain while attempting to rescue a troubled platypus on the side of the road.  Jenny Forward, the unfortunate woman who was spurred by the platypus, […]

France has become the first country in the world to enshrine the right to an abortion in its constitution. The change comes after a pledge made by President Emmanuel Macron in the wake of the historic overturning of Roe v Wade in the US in 2022, and is the first amendment to the French constitution […]

Meet Qizai: not only is he thoroughly friend-shaped, but he’s also quite the mystery man. The giant panda is one of just seven brown and white members of the species ever reported, and the only one in captivity. The reason for this unusual coloring had long eluded scientists – but with the help of genetics, […]

Google has launched a global competition with XPRIZE and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) to apply quantum computing to real-world challenges.  Quantum computers use quantum mechanics to solve problems that are simply too complex to be calculated by traditional computers, or even supercomputers. The hope is that, as the field progresses, these computers […]

If someone says “Galápagos Islands”, it often conjures up thoughts of giant tortoises or Charles Darwin – but there’s something important missing from that list. The islands are volcanic, and they’ve just dished up a steaming hot reminder of that with the eruption of La Cumbre volcano late on Saturday night. La Cumbre, a shield […]

What’s the difference between a dog and a horse? Well, look past the more obvious distinctions – the hooves; the mane; the lack of woofing – and you’ll find the two species are actually a lot more similar than they seem. Humans’ best friends Of all the species humanity has domesticated over the millennia, dogs […]

The principle that opposite charges attract and like charges repel has some exceptions, chemists have shown, complicating what is seen as a fundamental law of physics. There are few things that make chemists happier than getting one over on physicists, so the discovery must have caused great delight for that reason alone, and there could […]

How to define the tallest mountain on Earth is debatable. Mount Everest, everybody’s go-to peak, is a contender as its  8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak places it as the highest above sea level, with K2 coming a close second at 8,611 meters (28,251 feet). If you measure from base to peak, however, Mauna Kea in Hawai’i is […]

Researchers in South Korea have created a remarkable first-ever encodable multifunctional material, which can be shifted into different shapes and mechanical properties in real-time. The inspiration for this new metamaterial came from an unlikely place: octopuses. According to the researchers, this material surpasses the limits of existing materials and opens new possibilities for various fields […]

In a recent study, researchers undertook an ambitious analysis of the predictors of marital dissolution, e.g. divorce, and how they have evolved since the 1950s in the US. The study has explored whether certain factors that have been associated with higher divorce rates have remained consistent or whether new ones have emerged due to growing […]

California is gearing up for another superbloom this spring – and it’s set to be an impressive one, with swathes of rainbow-colored wildflowers expected to bejewel the state’s hillsides. However, state park officials are begging visitors to enjoy the flowers responsibly. The Golden State experienced blooms in 2017, 2019, and 2023, attracting hundreds of thousands of people […]

Many of us are concerned about how aging could impact our brains, and a lot of time and effort has gone into research that could help slow cognitive decline. A new twin study is the latest to address this question, finding that a simple fiber supplement was enough to improve memory performance in as little […]

A mighty Saharan Sand Dune has been found to have a 13,000-year-old base, but most of its current height grew within the last 1,000 years. The information transforms the way geologists think about star dunes, the tallest class category of sand dunes. Since star dunes are found not only in the deserts of Africa, Asia, […]

Moonlight can spell disaster or triumph in the animal kingdom, helping those species with limited eyesight catch prey more easily, while also giving those who might be the prey fewer places to hide away in the dark. Now, new research has investigated which species might benefit from or avoid moonlight, with the help of some […]

In the lowlands of southwestern Madagascar there is, and sometimes isn’t, a lizard known as Labord’s chameleon (Furcifer labordi) with an unusual life cycle. The chameleons, as pointed out by UK fun fact podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, are functionally extinct for several months of the year, with no adults alive (as far […]

Let’s hope for clear evenings ahead of us this month, because there are many celestial happenings in the March sky. The equinox will be at 3:06 am UTC on March 20 (10:06 pm ET on March 19), with the Northern hemisphere entering spring and the Southern hemisphere entering autumn. This month is the best time […]

During the Cold War, when messing around with nuclear energy was all the rage, the US military left a legacy of radioactive debris at a few different sites around the world. Much of the fallout was kept at bay or contained – well, depending on who you ask – but climate change is now threatening […]

Scientists have developed a new robo-surgeon that can remove cancerous tumors from extremely delicate locations that can prove challenging and risky for even the most experienced human surgeons. When removing cancerous tumors, a process known as resection, the aim is to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible while removing the cancerous cells to prevent […]

Forget vapes – there’s a new nicotine product on the block, and it’s safe to say it’s been getting people a bit riled up recently. Nicotine pouches, sold under brand names like Zyn and Velo, have been both lambasted and lauded by politicians, influencers, and parents when it comes to their supposed health effects. But […]