Purple potato grown in microgravity aboard ISS. A strange, tentacled object floating aboard the International Space Station recently sent the internet into a frenzy, with many mistaking it for something straight out of a science fiction film. The eerie, purple, egg-shaped form with tendril-like growths quickly went viral, prompting reactions ranging from curiosity to outright…
The inventor of Mesmerism, Franz Mesmer, believed there was an invisible fluid referred to as the ‘magnetic fluid’ that flowed through all living things and that an imbalance could lead to an illness. He claimed to be able to restore this balance using magnets and through a process called ‘laying on of hands’. A Royal…
With only a week left until liftoff, the anticipation is building for the upcoming NASA mission, dubbed Artemis II, which is designed to send humans on a journey around the Moon for the first time in over half a century. With a target launch window of no earlier than 1 April 2026, this mission is…
Astronomers have reportedly narrowed the search for extraterrestrial life to a focused list of 45 rocky exoplanets. Out of more than 6,000 confirmed worlds, these planets were selected based on their potential to host life according to the study published in ScienceDaily. Using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, a team led by…
NASA has confirmed that a car-sized asteroid, designated 2026 FM3, will make a close approach to Earth on 25 March 2026. The asteroid is expected to pass at a distance closer than the Moon’s orbit. NASA scientists report that the flyby does not present a threat to the planet. Monitoring such objects is an essential…
The ‘guest star’ of 185 AD has been one of astronomy’s most unresolved cases for over 1800 years. Ancient Chinese chroniclers recorded a mysterious light that lasted eight months, but an examination of the debris field created (RCW 86) has shown that the debris remains too substantial in size compared to the time elapsed. However,…
Of course, war can be understood in terms of its immediate human cost, but its impact on the environment can be just as significant, and in many ways, even longer lasting. Beyond the direct damage caused on the battlefield, war can be understood as a force that changes the very air we breathe and the…
Spring marks the start of mosquito activity in many regions, particularly in the United States. For decades, researchers have studied why certain people seem more prone to mosquito bites than others. A recent study published in ScienceAdvances provides detailed insights into the behaviour of one of the most common species, Aedes aegypti. The research examined…
The notion of a robot ‘smelling’ its way through a complex environment has captured the imagination of scientists for years, but has always come with a caveat: what if the robot loses a sensor? In a groundbreaking advance that combines biology and engineering, a new robot, inspired by the humble silkworm, is able to continue…
Incidents of “blood rain” during times of war usually evoke fear and many unfounded stories and speculations. This phenomenon is particularly common during war times and in war-torn regions, especially when the sky turns red, and it appears to be raining blood. However, the real explanation for this phenomenon is quite simple and not so…
