News

You may have come across a strange, walnut-sized growth on your Christmas tree at some point and either thought “is that a pine cone?”, before fetching more eggnog, or “what is that?”, before fetching more eggnog. Well, we hate to be the bearers of bad news, but if you do find these growths it’s something […]

The presence of a potential universal system of nonverbal communication has been hinted at in a new study that explored the age at which children develop the differences between co-speech gestures (gestures accompanying speech) and silent gestures (gesturing without speech) that adults use.  The researchers focused on children aged between 3 and 12 years old […]

Nowhere in the world has a more iconic national bird than New Zealand, so much so that the people of the island nation have adopted the nickname “the Kiwis” as their moniker. These easily recognizable flightless birds have faced countless problems with the rise of invasive species in their native home, but conservation efforts have […]

We’re all on that conveyor belt we call life, inching ever closer to our expiration date, although what happens when we finally reach the end of the line is anyone’s guess. However, over the past couple of years, researchers have gained some fascinating insights into what happens in the brain as we take our final […]

Regular or decaf? French press or Moka pot? Milk, cream, or neither? If you’re a coffee lover, you likely have a preference, and discussions about the best brewing method have sparked many a strong opinion and YouTube video essay. But have no fear, science is here! A new study brought together a coffee expert and […]

It’ll soon be easier than ever to get your hands on DNA digital data storage – although it won’t come cheaply. French startup Biomemory is selling a credit card-sized device that can store short messages encoded by DNA. DNA is essentially a natural repository of data, encoding genetic information using four nucleotide bases (A, G, […]

The plumes pushed out by Enceladus’s geysers are powerful enough that a visiting spacecraft could sample the small moon’s innards without having to land. Moreover, they’re also sufficiently gentle that if the molecules needed to get life started exist in Enceladus’s internal ocean, they won’t be destroyed by being spat out, leaving them free to […]

A bloodied booby on Wolf Island in the Galápagos tells a strange story. These birds aren’t falling victim to some sort of predatory mammal, but instead, a bird: the vampire finch. Found on Wolf and Darwin islands, these birds have adapted to a lack of resources by feeding on blood at certain times of the […]

Pain might be the first thing you associate with a shock from an electric eel, but it turns out there could be more to it than that. A new study has found that electric eels can discharge enough electricity that nearby fish larvae can end up with genetic modifications. This is thought to be the […]

The Crater Of Diamonds State Park is a treasure trove of diamonds that were forged by geologic and volcanic activity that shaped the region around 3 billion years ago. Having formed deep below the Earth’s crust, they were explosively forced to the surface and now can be found by, well, just about anyone. Don’t believe […]

Whether they give you the ick or not, snakes are amazing animals. Not only is their physiology something to marvel at, but their sheer diversity is incredible. There are nearly 4,000 species of different snakes on the planet, which accounts for over 10 percent of terrestrial vertebrates. Their evolution has given rise to an enormous […]

Planetary scientists have released evidence they claim establishes the location where an asteroid hit the Earth three-quarters of a million years ago. Although evidence for the size and timing of the event has been found far and wide, it’s been a long road to identify the likely crater in southern Laos. Southeast Asia, and even […]

With the recent news that hackers stole data from around 6.9 million users of the genetic testing company 23andMe, it’s understandable that some might have concerns as to what someone could do with that information.  Whilst no DNA records were reported stolen, it does beg the question of the potential consequences if they had been. […]

As Sun Tzu said, you should know your enemy – and there aren’t many more formidable foes than El Niño, the sort-of random climate phenomenon that can devastate everything from natural wonders like marine biodiversity to made-up human concepts like “the economy”.  Unfortunately, our knowledge of this weather pattern has always been spotty at best: […]

Tis the season to deck the halls in lights, bells, and festive decorations. If you suddenly catch yourself feeling under the weather with a stuffy runny nose and scratchy throat, it might not necessarily be a seasonal cold just in time for the holiday season – there’s a good chance it could be Christmas tree […]

As the Sun approaches the solar maximum – the height of its activity during its 11-year cycle – two studies have come out suggesting that we do not currently have the systems in place to study solar storms properly, or ones that large  Solar storms are a pretty common occurrence – a moderate storm was […]

A brain implant that could help restore cognitive function after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been shown to be safe in a small clinical trial. The treatment delivers stimulation to key circuits deep within the brain, and produced promising results for the five participants in the trial without any serious side-effects. According to the […]

With COP28 underway, campaigners have a message for wide-eyed observers: beware of “Blood Carbon”. The warning relates to carbon credits, which they believe are muddying the issue rather than seriously addressing the real causes of the deepening climate crisis. World leaders, big business, and the media have flocked to Dubai this week for the COP28 […]

There’s a lot we don’t know about life in the oceans of our planet. Rare species inhabit deep waters and new areas are discovered all the time, but sometimes, the only clues for understanding what lies beneath the waves are when they wash up on our shores. In the Dipaculao, Aurora region of the Philippines, […]

Music plays an important role in our lives, but have you ever wondered what your musical tastes say about you? Well, new research has suggested a potential link between the music we listen to and our moral compass. Music is one of the most fundamental forms of expression. As Victor Hugo, the French politician and […]