This week a chart of everything suggests the observable universe might be a black hole, Guinness World Records crowns world’s hottest chili, and molecules crucial for life may have formed in the water on dwarf planet Ceres. Finally, we investigate the historic whaling industry, and what it was they were actually after.
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Hybrid Pythons Are Winning The Invasive Snake War In Florida Everglades
Interspecies breeding is creating a slippery problem in Florida’s conflict with invasive pythons. A few years ago, scientists discovered that a significant number of the giant snakes stalking the Everglades are hybrids created as a result of breeding between two different species. Remarkably, these hybrids appear to be even better-adapted to this new environment than their separate parent species. Read the full story here
The Observable Universe Might Be A Black Hole, Suggests A Chart Of Everything
It seems such a simple idea it’s surprising no one has done it before: plot everything from subatomic particles to superclusters on a chart of mass and radius. Now that someone has, the results raise some very intriguing, and possibly a little disturbing, questions. Read the full story here
Adults With ADHD Could Be Up To 3 Times More Likely To Develop Dementia
Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are almost three times more likely to develop dementia than those without the condition, according to a new study. It highlights the need for more attention to be paid to a group that has historically been excluded from this kind of research. Read the full story here
Pepper X Is Crowned World’s Hottest Chili By Guinness World Records
Measuring in at a tongue-blistering 2,693,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), “Pepper X” has been awarded the title of the world’s hottest chili pepper. It dethrones the infamous Carolina Reaper chili, which averages at a comparatively mild 1.64 million SHU. Someone pass the milk. Read the full story here
Molecules Crucial For Life Formed In Water On Dwarf Planet Ceres
Ceres is the only dwarf planet in the inner Solar System and it was visited by the Dawn mission last decade. NASA’s spacecraft revealed that the world hosts complex organics, possible volcanism where salt erupted, and plenty of water ice. The origin of organics was not fully understood: were they native to Ceres or were they brought by carbon-rich asteroids? Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
Whaling Was Once A Big Industry In The US, But It Wasn’t Meat They Were After
At its peak, whaling was the fifth-biggest industry in the US and the animal was almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century; however, this multi-million-dollar industry was not driven by demand for meat, but by a strange commodity that became integral to the Industrial Revolution. Read the full story here
More content:
Check out season 3 of IFLScience’s The Big Questions Podcast, so far we’ve asked:
• How Is Climate Change Affecting Polar Bear Populations?
• Why Is Space Junk Such A Big Deal?
• Can We Save A Species On The Very Brink Of Extinction?
• How Does A Quantum Computer Work And How Will They Change The World?
• What Is Space Weather And How Does It Affect Us?
• What Can Ancient Ice Tell Us About The Future?
• Are E-Fuels The Future Of Aviation?
• How Are Glaciers Changing In A Warming World?
• Are We Ready For The Next Massive Solar Flare?
PLUS, have you seen our free e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 14, September 2023, is out now. Check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more
PLUS, join us for our first-ever free virtual festival of science, CURIOUS Live. Streaming online on October 21, 2023, we have a line-up of fascinating experts discussing all things Life, Death, and Creation (y’know, the small stuff) across three festival “stages”. Sign up now to find out more and secure your spot.
Source Link: Hybrid Pythons Are Taking Over The Florida Everglades, Adults With ADHD At Risk Of Dementia, And Much More This Week