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Animals get a pretty bad rap when it comes to spreading viruses. After all, some of the most well-known infectious diseases in humans – think COVID-19, Ebola, or swine flu – are the result of viruses that naturally circulate in animals. But a new study might just salvage that reputation, with researchers having found that […]

The skulls of two baby predators found littered among a nest containing the near-complete embryo of an Oviraptor puzzled scientists when they described the find back in 1994. Why were these Velociraptor-like animals in such close association with what appeared to be the nest of its prey? The juiciest among several explanations is that it […]

There are few things we enjoy hearing of more than a rediscovered species. Since the rare Santa Marta sabrewing (Campylopterus phainopeplus), a beautiful blue and green hummingbird, was unexpectedly rediscovered in 2022 after 64 years as a lost species, researchers have been studying this striking bird to learn more about this extremely rare population. “The […]

Next time you’re bracing for a long-haul flight, spare a thought for Robert Timm and John Cook. In 1958-1959, the two pilots set the record for the world’s longest-ever flight when they flew non-stop for 64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes over Las Vegas, landing on February 7, 1959. In total, the journey clocked […]

Taking cannabidiol (CBD) for chronic pain is unlikely to have much of an effect, but it may at least relieve you of some of the weight in your wallet, a new study has found. After analyzing the results of existing clinical trials involving CBD, researchers found that there is simply no evidence that the compound […]

Indigenous leaders from across the Pacific have officially ratified the He Whakaputanga Moana (Declaration for the Ocean), a document that calls for whales to have legal personhood and all the rights that come with it. “The sound of our ancestor’s song has grown weaker, and her habitat is under threat, which is why we must […]

Invisibility cloaks were once the stuff of ancient myth and sci-fi, but a British start-up has been busy spending the past four years making them a reality.  Invisibility Shield Co. released their first-generation product in 2022 with much online fanfare and hype. Now, the company is looking to launch their latest second-generation shields that are […]

By far the biggest drama queens of the fruit and vegetable world are the alliums: the onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and various bulbous cousins. Oh, they may look calm and innocent when they’re sitting pretty in the grocery store or your cupboard – but as soon as you cut into them, out come the waterworks. […]

The composition of a tiny grain within an Antarctic meteorite alerted astronomers it predated the Sun. On further investigation, they have concluded the mix of isotopes present requires the grain to have been formed from the output of an unusual type of supernova, which seeded the galaxy with some very distinctive isotopes. Although most meteorites […]

With April’s total solar eclipse fast approaching, we’ve had our fair share of warnings already, from potential air travel disruption to expected difficulties accessing food, water, and fuel. Now, according to new research, we may also need to beware of potentially fatal road traffic crashes. Looking at 2017’s total eclipse, researchers found that fatal road […]

The size of the human brain has been increasing each decade since at least the 1930s, new research has revealed. According to the study authors, this cerebral growth is likely to be the result of improved early life environmental factors and may act as a buffer against the threat of dementia as we age. Researchers […]

It was only in 2015 that Professor Adam Zeman first came up with a term to describe the peculiar condition of having no mind’s eye. He called it aphantasia, and before it had a name many who resonate with the description had no idea others processed information differently. Now, almost 10 years on, Zeman has […]

Has Pierce Brosnon taught us nothing? Far from how we should order our martinis, the former Bond actor was recently in court and later fined for trespassing in Yellowstone National Park and it appears the cautionary tale did not reach everyone. Now a man has been convicted for taking a shovel to the sands at Sleeping […]

Unless we take action, global timekeeping could be heading toward a major problem that will upset everything from computer networks to financial markets. The culprit, oddly enough, is melting polar ice caused by climate change.  The world uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to ensure there’s a consistent, standardized measure of time across the world to […]

Astronomers have found a way to measure the jets produced by an accreting neutron star. It is hoped that once a large sample of such measurements have been made it will be possible to answer a question that has bugged astronomers since the jets were discovered: what is accelerating these jets so spectacularly? According to […]

Earth is riddled with millions of tonnes of explosive bomb material, particularly from the two world wars that struck the 20th century. While most have remained buried and forgotten over the past decades, new research is showing that many are loaded with a chemical that’s making them increasingly prone to blowing up as time goes […]

Ancient ocean sediments have revealed the fluctuations in the strength of the Atlantic Circumpolar Current (ACC) over the last 5.3 million years. Comparisons with climatic conditions paint a complicated picture, but in more recent times, the current has been strongest when the Earth is at its hottest. Consequently, it’s no surprise that it’s happening again […]

Rare reptiles and amphibians can now be found lurking in a new exhibit at ZSL London Zoo which aims to showcase some of the conservation work going on behind the scenes to return rare and endangered species to the wild. Mountain chicken frogs, big-headed turtles, and giant salamanders make up just a few of the […]

For many people, total solar eclipses are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So if you are, or you are going to be, on the path of totality on April 8, you might want to consider not just safely watching it but snapping photos of the incredible event. You will have several minutes of totality, so you have […]

“Almost everyone wishes to modify their personality in some way,” is the straight-shooting opener to a new paper that promises to detail four mechanisms by which you too could achieve lasting change. But we wouldn’t want you to go in with lofty expectations – the scientists say that small adjustments are the most you can […]