WEIRD SCIENCE
Sunscreen chemicals seem to cause a very strange phenomenon in coral. By Emma Betuel – The corals of Hawaii are so stressed out that they’re encasing themselves in their own skeletons and self-destructing. Many coral researchers believe that two chemicals commonly found in …
By Loz Blain – The Speeder flying motorcycle: Jetpack Aviation’s latest project. (Credit: Jetpack Aviation). If somebody tells you they’re building a flying motorcycle, it’s probably appropriate to reply “yeah, right.” But if that somebody is jetpack guru David Mayman, it’s worth your …
By Anthony Wood – Image of 2015 BZ509 captured by the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, Arizona. (Credit: C. Veillet / Large Binocular Telescope Observatory). An international team of astronomers has discovered an asteroid orbiting the Sun at roughly the same distance as Jupiter …
By Rich Haridy – New research has revealed a 40 Hz flickering light can alter the expression of genes in neurons and microglia. (Credit: OlgaYakovenko/Depositphotos). Since 2016, a team of MIT neuroscientists has been exploring the strange hypothesis that external exposure to a light flickering …
By Rich Haridy – A pilot study is looking at whether CBD reduces cases of aggression and self-harm in children with intellectual disabilities, including autism. (Credit: Omstudio/Depositphotos). A pilot study is currently underway in Australia investigating the efficacy of medicinal cannabis as a …
By Michael Irving – The metal organic framework coating (luminescent green) protects lillyturf cuttings from damage by UV light. (Credit: Joseph Richardson). Plants are naturally amazing little machines – so giving them a bionic leg-up could unlock a whole new range of …
If the Sahara were a country, it’d be the fifth largest in the world. By Amin Al-Habaibeh – Whenever I visit the Sahara I am struck by how sunny and hot it is, and how clear the sky can be. Aside from …
By Michael Irving – – A computer simulation of a spiral galaxy, like the Milky Way, forming. These simulations suggest that the outer halo is made up of stars from other galaxies. (Credit: Takayuki Saito/Takaaki Takeda/Sorahiko Nukatani/4D2U Project, NAOJ). Astronomers have discovered a …
By David Szondy – The Manicouagan impact crater in Quebec, Canada, is one of many reminders that asteroids have impacted Earth. Although large impacts are rare, it’s important to be prepared. (Credit: NASA). NASA and its international partners are thinking the unthinkable. A …
By Michael Irving – The XENON1T experiment may not have found dark matter, but it has now revealed the element with the longest half-life ever recorded. (Credit: The Xenon Collaboration). Although the many experiments searching for evidence of dark matter have yet to …