WEIRD SCIENCE
An outlandish idea code-named ‘Operation Fantasia’ aimed to demoralize the Axis power by mimicking legendary spirits. Operation Fantasia aimed to destroy Japanese morale by exposing soldiers and civilians to a Shinto portent of doom: kitsune, or fox-shaped spirits with magical abilities. (Illustration by …
A sample of crucible slag from an 11th century archaeological site in Iran, which was found to contain chromium. Rahil Alipour, UCL – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 23 – Chromium is a common addition to alloys to make materials like tool steel or …
A brain-eating amoeba – By Lauren M. Johnson and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN Updated 5:49 PM ET, Sat 2020 Sep 26 – Residents of eight cities have been alerted that a brain-eating amoeba was found in a southeast Texas water supply, leading one of …
Threats to global biodiversity are also threats to humans, experts warn. Smoke rises from a fire in the Amazon rainforest, south of Novo Progresso in the Para state, Brazil. (Photo by CARL DE SOUZA / AFP / Getty Images) – By Nora McGreevy, …
How do bees, birds, whales and eels have the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field? New research article lays out the latest evidence. zizar/Depositphotos – By Rich Haridy 2020 Sep 20 – One of the most persistent scientific mysteries over the past century …
A potential biosignature for life has been detected in the atmosphere of Venus. NASA/JPL-Caltech – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 14 – While most eyes are on Mars as the most likely place we might find life beyond Earth, perhaps we should be looking …
By Ashley Strickland, CNN Updated 2020 Sep 16 – For the first time, a planet has been discovered orbiting a white dwarf, also known as a dead star. This exoplanet, a planet outside of our solar system, is the size of Jupiter and …
Researchers have shown how to grow gold inside cancer cells in order to kill them. Spectral/Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2020 Sep 13 – Gold isn’t just a pretty face – it’s shown promise in fighting cancer in many studies. Now researchers have found …
Migraine-suffering test subjects were exposed to green light for one to two hours a day, over a 10-week period. Kris Hanning/The University of Arizona Health Sciences – By Ben Coxworth 2020 Sep 10 – Three years ago, scientists from the University of Arizona reported …
GettyImages. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images – By Yelena Ionova, Postdoctoral Fellow in Quality of Medical Products, University of California, San Francisco 2020 Sep 11 – There are many more ingredients in every pill you take than what is listed on the bottle label. These …
