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It was a bad year for science publishing with more than 10,000 research papers being retracted, setting a new record for the most retractions in a single year. The results suggest this is just a fraction of the dodgy papers still out there. According to recent analysis conducted by Nature, the number of retractions issued […]

After successful preclinical studies in mice, researchers have this week begun the first human trials of a hormone-free male birth control pill. YCT-529, the drug being tested, is the first of its kind to reach Phase I clinical trials. Whilst scientists have been working away for decades in an attempt to create contraceptive options for […]

The first streaming video carried by laser beam from beyond the Moon has been received from 31 million kilometers (19 million miles) away. For extra points, it’s ultra-high definition (and very cute). Among the technical challenges required for human colonization of the Solar System, improved communication systems may not be top of mind. However, when […]

The man whose research sparked a global tree-planting frenzy has urged world leaders to end their obsession with reforestation, arguing that the practice may be doing more harm than good. Speaking at COP28 in Dubai earlier this month, ecologist Thomas Crowther said his initial findings had been misinterpreted and seized upon to support “greenwashing” initiatives, […]

Many families across the world will be busy decorating for the holiday season. Whether that includes hanging fairy lights, lighting candles, or decorating a Christmas tree. One family in Lexington, Kentucky, even got a bonus on their tree this year, as it came with a free owl. Michele White said that the family had decorated […]

Barbie may have a PhD, an MD, a DO, an OD, a DNP, a DDS, a DVM, a JD, an MSc, and an MBA to her name, but it seems there are some pieces of basic lab and hospital safety that have passed her by, according to a new study published in the Christmas issue […]

1929 brought the discovery that how redshifted a galaxy is is proportional to its distance, giving us a way to measure distant galaxies, leading to the discovery that the majority are moving away from us (and giving support to the idea of an expanding universe).  This knowledge, as well as helping us learn about the […]

In 1964, physicist Arno Allan Penzias and radio-astronomer Robert Woodrow Wilson noticed an unusual noise always humming away in the background of their radio telescope observations. The noise – like static on a radio – seemed to be there, no matter what direction they pointed the telescope in the sky. At first, the two believed […]

There’s something odd about the far side of the Moon, scientists have concluded based on data from the Korean Pathfinder Lunor Orbiter. The results are yet to be published, but suggest a discrepancy between the conductivity of the near and far sides, which so far lacks a plausible explanation. Lunar exploration is becoming a global […]

As a science website, it’s easy to get bogged down in questions like is there life on Enceladus and where are all the aliens, when people are struggling with more basic (but fun!) questions like why can’t we power our cars with magnets and could people breathe the air on Mars. One such question it […]

2023 was the year of “phubbing”. It’s the hot topic that causes irritation for many people in intimate (or not so intimate) situations. And now research suggests the phubbed among us may also experience greater loneliness and mental stress. It’s seriously time to put it down and stop playing with it – your phone, that […]

Snowflakes can be any old fleck that falls from a winter cloud, but when we talk about the individual structure that gets slapped all over festive decorations, we’re talking about snow crystals. Their growth pattern is dictated by environmental conditions, typically branching out with six-fold symmetry, but is there a limit to how big they […]

A group of tourists traveling through Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley were met with an unfortunate reminder of the importance of car insurance during this year’s bison rut, after one bull decided to redesign their bonnet with its horns. In a video posted to Instagram account TouronsofYellowstone – an account that often highlights the bad […]

JWST’s gift to us all this holiday season: an even better view of Uranus. Following a spectacular image taken earlier this year, the space telescope has been taking many observations of the distant ice giant planet. A new image released to mark the winter holidays reveals many previously unseen details. JWST has snapped details of […]

Off the coast of Greece, an individual striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) has been spotted. While this is not unusual in itself, the reason this dolphin is making waves (pun intended) is due to a rather strange variation in the appearance of its flippers. The flippers on both sides of the animal look hooked, giving the […]

Little is known about the customs and daily life of the ancient Scythians, yet their reputation as fearsome warriors has endured for over 2,000 years. Confirming the nomadic culture’s place among the most terrifying historical badasses, researchers have now discovered that Scythian warriors carried their arrows around in leather quivers made from the skin of […]

Everybody’s talking about “shallowing”, the new sex act guaranteed to increase Pleasure For Her! But what is this technique? Is it really as orgasmic as they say? Should we be worried? Or is this just another “fluid bonding” situation? Don’t worry you crazy kids; we’ve got your answers. The term “shallowing” doesn’t have a long […]

Inscriptions on Mesopotamian bricks promoting the king when they were fired have helped reveal the details of a curious strengthening of the Earth’s magnetic field. Traces of this puzzling strength have been found from China to the Atlantic Ocean, and they stand out more the closer they are to what is now Iraq over a […]

Ever been watching a scary movie and wished you could shield your eyes from what’s on the Big Screen without the shame of actually having to shield your eyes? For some people, not seeing what’s in front of them is a simple case of relaxing the ciliary muscle, but not everyone can blur their vision […]

Archaeologists from Jagiellonian University, Kraków, have discovered astronomical carvings and paintings made by the Pueblo culture, one of the most advanced pre-Columbian societies in America. The ancient Puebloans, also known as the Ancestral Pueblos, first emerged at the beginning of the cultivation era and lasted until around 1600 CE in the region that spans modern […]