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When searching for signs of extraterrestrial life, we have for the large part focused on carbon-based lifeforms. It makes sense that we would do so, as the only lifeforms we have found (here on Earth) are carbon-based. Advertisement It has been suggested that silicone could also provide a base for life, though nothing matches carbon’s […]

As pretty much every sci-fi movie ever has taught us, the future is going to be full of lasers. They will power our quantum computers; probe microscopic nooks and crannies in scientific experiments; we’ll use them in medicine, for surgeries, or to assess eye health – the possibilities are endless. There’s just one problem: so […]

Brain fog, trouble concentrating, and memory loss have become common complaints for many people who have contracted COVID-19. In fact, between 10 and 30 percent of the general population has experienced at least one of these post-infection conditions. Now researchers have not only pinpointed a specific protein that may drive it, but have also shown […]

Among the towering rock walls of an Indonesian island, archaeologists have discovered the earliest known example of artwork that tells a story, highlighting a “key development in art history” and a major milestone in the history of humankind. Advertisement The rock art is one of many found around the lowland karst landscape of South Sulawesi […]

Animals mimicking different sounds is nothing new in the natural world: some birds can mimic the sounds of car alarms and camera shutters with surprising accuracy, while some predator species may have learned the calls of their prey to lure them to an untimely end. However, some species have gone a step further and learned […]

For the first time ever, researchers have documented a traditional healing practice involving the use of psychedelic mushrooms on the African continent. Performed by Indigenous diviners and spiritual curers in Lesotho, the ritual involves a species of mushroom that is brand new to science. Advertisement Discovered growing on a cow manure-covered pasture in the Free […]

Precision time-keeping is moving on from atomic clocks and embracing the revolution that is optical atomic clocks. Over the last few years, these instruments have gone further and further in the precision timekeeping they can demonstrate. Their level now is outstanding, well beyond the capabilities of regular atomic clocks. Advertisement Atomic clocks use cesium atoms […]

New research has discovered that the bodacious bodies of hippos go airborne when they trot, building up enough speed to get all four of their trotters off of the ground simultaneously. They might not be giving Superman a run for his money, but the discovery has revealed that these animals are more athletic than we […]

Life ain’t easy being a songbird in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). New research has looked into the birds inhabiting the irradiated wasteland and found a link between radiation levels and their gut microbiome, suggesting their health is being impacted by their troubled homeland.  Advertisement The CEZ is a highly contaminated area in Ukraine surrounding […]

It feels like every other day a new species is in peril, so at IFLScience we like to celebate the wins – most recently, we’re excited about some good news for one of the world’s weirdest dolphins. The Mekong dolphin, also known as the Irrawaddy dolphin, plummeted from 200 to 89 from 1997 to 2020 […]

Thanks to a video by TikTok creator @zachdfilms3, people are learning that there used to be 27 letters of the English alphabet, rather than the current 26. Advertisement The video explained that the 27th letter of the alphabet is “ampersand”, as denoted by “&”. Advertisement “This is an ampersand and believe it or not it […]

In recent years, we have observed some stars acting seriously strangely. The classic example is KIC 8462852, better known as Boyajian’s star, or just the “alien megastructure” star. In 2016 and 2017, the star dimmed in unusual ways, leading some to suggest it could have a “Dyson sphere” around it, created by some advanced alien […]

Protostar L1527 has been observed by the JWST in near-infrared, revealing in fiery colors how this fledgling star is literally carving a space for itself in the nebula from which it formed. However, those wavelengths were not enough to penetrate the thick dust that surrounded the protostar – to finally see the protostar, the telescope […]

Longevity has got the world in a right tizz of late, as everyone scrambles for the right goop to slather on their face as they wild swim their way to eternal life – but can we learn secrets to long life from nature? And if so, what does the world’s longest-living vertebrate have to say […]

When NASA first began launching rockets into space – barely half a century after the first airplane took flight – it encountered what it calls the “pogo problem”. Advertisement During the launch of Saturn V rocket’s first stage burn, part of the uncrewed Apollo 6 mission, the rocket experienced oscillations along its length, like springs […]

Giant clams have a thin light-scattering layer that covers symbiotic photosynthetic algae, allowing their companions to capture more sunlight. This and other unexpected tricks probably make the clam-algae combination the most efficient sunlight harvesters on Earth. Since holding onto more sunlight is among the major technological challenges of our age, the clams might have a […]

Among all the other strange things about the platypus, only the very observant notice that it also barely has a stomach. Short-beaked echidnas share some of the unusual traits of the platypus digestive system as well. Now, a genetic study of the two monotreme species has provided some insight into the timing of this development, […]

The sight of a snake coiling its way up a stick might not immediately conjure up the idea of good health, yet the staff-scaling serpent has stood as an emblem of medicine for thousands of years. Seen on ambulances, hospitals, and paramedic uniforms the world over, this insignia continues to represent the art of healing […]

Pop on a medical drama and it won’t be long before you hear the dishy protagonist yelling something along the lines of “give me 100 of epi, STAT”. That they want the medication administered quickly is usually easy enough to pick up, but why are they saying stat? Is it a word, and if so, […]

The first hurricane of this year’s Atlantic season is certainly making a name for itself, with Beryl now having strengthened to become the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. Advertisement As of 5am AST, the National Hurricane Center reported that Beryl had maximum sustained winds of 270 kilometers (165 miles) per hour, with even […]