As a young kid, you were no doubt told by your teachers how many continents there are on Earth. However, the answer you were given most likely depends on where (and when) you were taught. In the US, students are generally told that there are seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, […]
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Antarctic Sea Ice Is At A Staggeringly Low Record Level
It’s mid-September, which means the amount of sea ice surrounding Antarctica should be reaching a healthy level as it hits its annual maximum extent. However, according to satellite readings from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the quantity of ice is currently way below anything that has ever been seen before at this […]
Is Bennu Really Going To Hit Earth On September 24, 2182?
One of the few asteroids that humanity has visited might one day visit us. Unfortunately, while we delicately (with a little help from Queen’s Brian May) landed on the asteroid and scooped up samples to return home, a visit from Bennu to Earth would involve it slamming into the planet with the force of 22 […]
US Military Forced To Ask Public To Help Find Its $135.8 Million Jet After “Mishap”
The US military is appealing to the public to help them find a missing plane after a pilot ejected from an F-35B Lightning II jet. The “mishap” forced an unnamed pilot to eject from the plane – one of the US military’s most expensive at around $135.8 million – as they were flying near Joint Base […]
Earthly Electrons Could Be Generating Water On The Moon
The Moon has no flowing water, but has plenty of the substance trapped in minerals and even ice. Most of it is created by the effect of the solar wind, the stream of charged particles that comes from the Sun. Hydrogen ions in the solar wind slam into the lunar soil and interact with oxygen […]
How Supermassive Black Holes Shape Their Galaxies’ Chemistry
A study of the active supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the heart of a relatively nearby galaxy has confirmed the suspicion that these objects can change the distribution of molecules far from the galactic core. Although we don’t yet know what part the SMBH at the heart of our own galaxy played, the discovery raises […]
What NASA Said In Their Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Study Report
Representatives of NASA discuss what their strategy is going forward regarding UAPs and how they plan to disclose new information to the public. Advertisement Below are the statements regarding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena from Former Navy Pilot Ryan Graves, Former US Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch, and Retired US Navy commander David Fravor, given on […]
Is It Really Safe To Feed Your Cat A Vegan Diet?
Research Checks interrogate newly published studies and how they’re reported in the media. The analysis is undertaken by one or more academics not involved with the study, and reviewed by another, to make sure it’s accurate. Recently there’s been a trend of people wanting to feed their pets a diet that follows their own dietary […]
What Are Those Red And Brown Spots You Sometimes See In Cracked Chicken Eggs?
Ever cracked open an egg, only to find a mysterious red or brown spot? Whilst the sight might be a bit off-putting, eggs with these spots can be perfectly safe to eat, and there’s a solid explanation for their appearance too. Red and brown spots in eggs are usually either blood or meat spots. These […]
An “Avocado” Rock Has Been Spotted On Mars
NASA has released an amusing new photo of some avocado-lookalike rocks, taken by its Mars rover Perseverance. Snapped on September 8, the photo features a pair of rocks resembling an avocado split in half – although frankly, it looks a little crunchy for most people’s tastes. In the background of the picture sits the half […]
First Look: Ocean Explorers Rediscover Long-Lost Japanese WWII Vessel Akagi 18,000 Feet Below Ocean
In a monumental occasion for marine archaeology and world history, explorers aboard E/V Nautilus successfully completed the first deep-water visual dive to revisit the Second World War (WWII) Imperial Japanese Navy vessel, Akagi. Seen at a depth of 18,000 feet (5.5 kilometers) below the surface of the ocean, a Japanese and American-led expedition team conducted the […]
407-Million-Year-Old Bacteria Were Among The First Organisms to Colonize Land
Researchers examining a collection of old and new fossils have recently discovered that an ancient species of bacteria, called Langiella scourfieldii, was among the first to colonize land, over 407 million years ago. L. scourfieldii are a species of cyanobacteria, which is part of the Hapalosiphonaceae family. These microorganisms grew among early land plants during the […]
In The Throes Of A Hurricane, An Uncrewed Vehicle Just Smashed A World Record
An ocean drone coursing through the eyewall of Category 4 Hurricane Sam on September 30, 2021, has broken a Guinness World Record for reaching the highest wind speed ever recorded by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). Named Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, it was designed in collaboration with Saildrone and the United States National Oceanic and […]
First Documented Case Of Hybridization Between A Dog And A Pampas Fox
As towns and cities grow and expand into previously rural areas, this brings into contact not only humans and wildlife but domestic pets and wildlife. While this can lead to issues such as the spread of disease, it can also have other unintended consequences. For the first time, researchers have documented a case of hybridization […]
Why People Hate Words Like “Moist”
Moist. For many people, it’s just another word. For some, it’s impossible to hear without recoiling in horror. You may not even be comfortable reading it, in which case we apologize for what’s to come. Word aversion is a real thing, and it extends much further than an adjective to describe something that’s slightly damp. […]
New Chicken-Sized Dinosaur Discovered On The UK’s Dino Island
A new species of dinosaur called Vectidromeus insularis has been discovered on the Isle of Wight, the UK’s dinosaur island. It’s a big name for a critter that was adorably small – about the size of a chicken – but it also represents the second member of this dinosaur family to be found on the […]
Non-Diabetic People Are Using Glucose Monitors To Track Metabolic Health
Have you ever seen people wearing a white plastic disc on their arm and wondered what they are? Well, they are biosensors, and often they are continuously monitoring a person’s glucose levels. They are used by some people with diabetes, however, some people without diabetes are using them for metabolic health reasons. What is blood […]
NASA And ESA Collaboration Inches Closer To Solving The Sun’s Hottest Mystery
Two important missions to the Sun have been launched in the last few years: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter. The two are studying the Sun in different ways, and in June last year they demonstrated just how complementary they are, helping to close in on the solution to […]
How Ants Get Themselves Out Of Traffic Jams
Being stuck in a queue of traffic on your daily commute is one of life’s common frustrations. Traffic jams aren’t unique to the human experience though – even ants are prone to logjams, but new research suggests they’re pretty nifty at getting themselves out of the chaos. As masters of collective behavior, division of labor, […]
Soy-Based Superglue Offers Sustainable Sticking Strength
A new superglue alternative, derived from soy, could provide sustainable and biodegradable stickiness that rivals the less environmentally friendly products currently on the market. Traditional superglues and epoxies are generally made from fossil fuels, and as such take thousands of years to biodegrade. Their production also generates a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions – […]
