This week on Break It Down: the first archaeological study takes place outside of Earth, the oldest calendar might show a comet impact, a new study thinks the ancient Egyptians were using hydraulic tech to build the pyramids (others disagree), what a rock on Mars could tell us about potential life in the Solar System, […]
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Google DeepMind Reveals Robot That Plays Table Tennis At A Delightful “Solidly Amateur” Level
Ever thought, “I’d really like a game of table tennis,” but had no one to play with? Well, do we have the scientific breakthrough for you! Google DeepMind has just unveiled a robot that could give you a run for your money in a match, but don’t assume you’d be in for a trouncing – […]
This Month ESA Will Attempt Something Never Tried Before – The First Lunar-Earth Flyby
In a matter of days, the European Space Agency’s JUICE mission will attempt a completely new maneuver that breaks two records: It will be the first time a spacecraft uses two objects for a gravity assist maneuver, and it will be the first-ever Lunar-Earth flyby. The Lunar-Earth Gravity Assist (LEGA) is expected to save JUICE […]
Money Can Buy Happiness, And There’s No Upper Limit On How Much
From the life of the Buddha to A Christmas Carol, to, heck, even Aladdin, the idea that money can’t buy us happiness is pretty baked into most human cultures. Like so many “common sense” ideas, though, it seems like it’s dead wrong – at least, according to a new study from happiness researcher Matthew Killingsworth. […]
Stunning New Image Of Comet Olbers Shows Its Tail In All Its Wonky Glory
Comet 13P/Olbers is a period comet that visits the inner Solar System every 69 years. It flew past its closest point to the Sun on June 30 and is now on its long journey back away. But it has come at a particular active point in the solar cycle. The Sun is currently at or […]
Legends Of The Bondo Apes: Are They Giant Ferocious Lion Killers?
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: Legends Of The Bondo […]
Why Are The Universe’s Most Common Elements So Rare On Earth?
Our best estimates of the composition of the universe indicate that it is mostly dark matter and dark energy, neither of which have been detected on Earth. Even the baryonic matter we sometimes call the “observable universe” is three quarters hydrogen and 23 percent helium, by mass, and even less if you’re counting atoms. It’s […]
The Armadillo Lizard Is Like A Real-Life Baby Dragon In South Africa’s Desert
It looks like a baby dragon from Game of Thrones or perhaps a desert-dwelling Pokémon, but the armadillo girdled lizard is very much a real animal. Advertisement They are known by a few different names – including the armadillo lizard, the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, and the golden-armadillo lizard – although they’re scientifically known as Ouroborus cataphractus. […]
Man Destroys 6,000-Year-Old Rock Art To Get A Better Photo For Facebook
Authorities in Spain are investigating a 39-year-old man after it was discovered that, on a quest to get some exciting photos for social media, he had poured water over 6,000-year-old cave paintings, causing them to be damaged. Advertisement Agents from the Spanish Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) launched the investigation in May, after coming […]
What Is The Loudest Animal In The World?
While the light and relaxing soundtrack of a nature documentary might make it seem otherwise, nature is, in fact, very noisy – but in a cacophony of different animal sounds, which one rises above the rest? The loudest animal in the world The battle for which animal is the loudest takes place in the ocean […]
World’s First “Glacier Graveyard” To Be Unveiled Along With First-Ever Glacier Casualty List
A “Global Glacier Casualty List” is being set up by scientists to keep tabs on the ice sheets that fall victim to climate change. If things continue as they are, the database will have a lot of work on its hands: two-thirds of the world’s glaciers are on track to disappear by the end of […]
Most Spectacular Meteor Shower Of The Year Peaks In A Few Days
The Perseids meteor shower continues to be the most popular in the Northern Hemisphere as it peaks in the warmth of August. It is also the most active in this period and one of the most active across the year, consistently delivering spectacles. The peak is happening the night between August 11 and August 12, […]
World’s Oldest Message In A Bottle Might’ve Been Found On A New Jersey Beach
An otherwise normal stroll along the beach before Independence Day may have led one New Jersey resident to uncover a brand-new world record for the oldest message in a bottle ever found. The discovery was made on July 3 by Amy Smyth Murphy, who noticed something sticking out of the sand while walking along the […]
Forensic Science Cracks The “Unsolvable” Case Of A World War I Soldier’s Identity, Enabling His Re-Burial
In the early hours of July 18, 1918, the Franco-American counter-offensive against German positions began at Aisne-Marne in northern France. The first division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) drove the German forces back, but not without significant losses. Advertisement By the end of the assault, more than 1,000 US soldiers were unaccounted for – […]
The Higgs Particle Could Have Ended The Universe By Now – Here’s Why We’re Still Here
Although our universe may seem stable, having existed for a whopping 13.7 billion years, several experiments suggest that it is at risk – walking on the edge of a very dangerous cliff. And it’s all down to the instability of a single fundamental particle: the Higgs boson. Advertisement In new research by me and my […]
Women Less Likely Than Men To Get Pain Relief In The ER – And They Wait Longer
Women wait longer than men to receive medical care in hospital emergency departments and are less likely to receive pain medication for the same complaints, a study has found. The research reveals a troubling and “significant” sex bias in how medical staff perceive a patient’s pain. Advertisement Gender and sex inequality in medicine is a […]
4,000-Year-Old Babylonian Texts Reveal Deadly Omens Associated With Lunar Eclipses
Lunar eclipses were more than just entertainment for the ancient Babylonians, who saw these celestial events as harbingers of doom. Reading the signals lurking in the shadows that devoured the Moon was therefore an important science, and resulted in the production of a series of texts documenting the various omens to be found in an […]
Hundreds Of Possible Moons Discovered Orbiting Around Asteroids
The European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft has not only created the most accurate map of the Milky Way, it has also measured over 150,000 asteroids. And among that data, it found that hundreds of them might have a little moon. If confirmed, it will end up nearly doubling the known number of binary asteroids. Advertisement […]
An Extinct Woolly Rhino With Soft Tissues Intact Has Been Unearthed In Siberia
The mummified remains of an extinct woolly rhinoceros have been unearthed in Siberia. Frozen like a hunk of meat for thousands of years, the prehistoric animal still has its soft tissues intact, raising some intriguing scientific possibilities. Advertisement The discovery was recently made at a mining site in the Oymyakonsky District of the Sakha Republic […]
Getting Water And Fuel Out Of The Moon Is A Step Closer Thanks To These Projects
The return of humans to the Moon is hopefully just a few years away, and the goal this time is to establish a continuous presence on our natural satellite. Crucial to that is the human ability to use resources found on the Moon – and the big one is water. There is water on the […]