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A team studying the group behavior of ants has found that, in the right circumstances, ants can outsmart humans in collective problem-solving tasks. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science wanted to take a closer look at “collective cognition”, and whether groups can sometimes tackle problems with more ease than when performing the tasks individually, […]

Life has limits that mean that not everything we can imagine is possible, a multidisciplinary team of scientists has argued. The capacity to rule out some forms of life, based on scientific laws, allows us to focus our energies both when it comes to searching for life on other worlds and making it in laboratories. […]

IFLScience needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out ourPrivacy Policy Deborah BloomfieldSource Link: Melvyn Read: How Pollen […]

The Pyramids of Euseigne are far, far older than the Pyramids of Giza – although, perhaps comparisons are a little unfair since they were crafted by natural forces, not human ingenuity. They are found in an alpine valley called Val d’Hérens in the Swiss Alps, not far from the village of Euseigne.  Back in 1983, […]

A particular view of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument will soon become off-limits to tourists, after a decision to prohibit commercial air tours of the area, believed to be one of the longest, continuously-inhabited areas in North America. The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday, December 20 […]

The first patient in the UK has successfully received a double-lung transplant using a machine that is being nicknamed “lungs in a box”. The XPSTM system from XVIVO could improve the number of available lungs for donation, helping those currently waiting for the life-saving procedure.  The patient, 49-year-old Daniel Evans-Smith, underwent this procedure at the Royal […]

For as long as humans have set eyes on Earth, we’ve been besotted with red – the color of blood, lust, luck, pain, and passion. It’s the first primary color we’re able to see as babies and the early introduction leaves a lasting impression on us. Forget soothing blues and luscious greens, it’s red that […]

Using nothing but sunlight and photocatalysts, a 100 square meter (1,076 square foot) reactor produced carbon-free hydrogen for three years, demonstrating the potential of the concept. The approach is still considerably less efficient than the more common method, where photovoltaic panels turn the sunlight to electricity first, but in theory the direct approach could bring […]

Were you to visit a wealthy philanthropist’s dinosaur island, you’d no doubt feel cheated to find yourself faced with an ostrich. It might not be as fearsome as Tyrannosaurus rex, but John Hammond wouldn’t technically be conning you out of your price of entry. After all, birds are dinosaurs. The “wonderchicken” was among the first […]

Stick two humans in an enclosed space with nothing to do, and before long, someone is likely to suggest a game of I Spy. Kids are so hot for smartphone games that it inspired its own meme format, and while certain generations might like to tell you this compulsion is a new thing – the […]

In Season 4 of IFLScience’s podcast The Big Questions, we’ve delved into some of the most intriguing (and biggest) scientific puzzles of 2024, from whether or not octopuses are sentient to the reasons why we’re the only surviving human species. We’ve even taken on the supernatural. Hosts Dr Alfredo Carpineti, Rachael Funnell, Katy Evans, Tom […]

From the brain-exploding Martians of Mars Attacks! to the wonderful diversity of Men In Black’s extraterrestrial entourage, the possibility of alien life is a concept that has captured the imagination of our entire planet. Most of us only get to explore it at the movies – but for some scientists, the search for alien earths […]

IFLScience needs the contact information you provide to us to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information on how to unsubscribe, as well as our privacy practices and commitment to protecting your privacy, check out ourPrivacy Policy Deborah BloomfieldSource Link: How Many Ants Are […]

For centuries, people in Europe didn’t really know where birds went during the winter. It’s not their fault, they had a lot on that kept them from investigating the disappearance of other species. It’s hard to focus on “where did birb go?” when you’re working on your main task of dying of the plague. The […]

What killed off the dinosaurs? For many, the matter is settled – and there’s a huge crater down in Mexico to act as evidence. However, a minority of experts were unconvinced, arguing instead that the Chicxulub meteorite impact was simply a bombastic end to an extinction that was already underway – one that was being […]

Kīlauea in Hawaiʻi started bursting with lava and belching out volcanic gas in the early hours of Monday morning, providing onlookers with a red-hot spectacle. The eruption began around 2:20 AM local time on December 23, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Lake-loads of lava have already been pumped out of the volcano. The […]

Ever wondered what happens to Santa’s post? Thousands of children write to Father Christmas every year. While Grinches and Scrooges might assume these letters end up in a landfill, the reality is much more heartwarming. The US Postal Service (USPS) has devised a special program to ensure as many as possible receive a reply and don’t […]

After hearing that there was a particularly tiny type of reindeer, I RAN to the internet to find some photos – and were delightfully overjoyed by how cute and fluffy they were. Introducing the Svalbard Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), which are around 1.5-1.6 meters (4.9-5.2 feet) long. What does the Svalbard Reindeer look like? These […]