Why are we so scared of clowns? Here’s what we’ve discovered: Are you scared of clowns? You are not alone. Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is a widely acknowledged phenomenon. Studies indicate this fear is present among both adults and children in many different cultures. Yet it is not well understood due to a …
500-year-old horn container discovered in South Africa sheds light on pre-colonial Khoisan medicines: Both the Khoi and the San believed in a mythical animal, resembling a cow, whose horns were thought to have medicinal attributes. Rodger Smith In 2020, a chance discovery near the small South African hamlet of Misgund in the Eastern Cape unearthed …
Archaeologists have discovered a mummy wrapped in gold – here’s what it tells us about ancient Egyptian beliefs: In January 2023, a group of archaeologists excavating tombs in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, near Cairo, discovered the mummified remains of a man named Hekashepes, who lived circa 2300BC. Found inside a limestone sarcophagus in a burial …
Rutland Roman villa: how we found one of the most significant mosaics discovered in the UK: Archaeology students and ULAS staff from University of Leicester carefully clean the fully exposed Trojan War mosaic. © ULAS, Author provided The discovery of a previously unknown Roman villa in rural Rutland during the 2020 lockdown was one of …
Mars: how we discovered two huge, unusual impact craters – and the secrets they unveil: InSight's dusty solar panel. NASA/JPL Most of the worlds of our Solar System are pockmarked with impact craters. These bear testament to the violence of the early days of the Sun, when asteroids, comets and entire planets routinely collided with …
Has the modern world discovered the ancient truths of Buddhism or simply invented a new version?: Ross Tetlow / Alamy For many people, Buddhism appears to be uniquely compatible with modern lifestyles and world views. It provides staunch atheists – those who do not believe in the existence of any god – with a religious …
Seven times people discovered the Americas – and how they got there: The Vikings got to the Americas long before Columbus. vlastas/Shutterstock When Columbus landed in 1492, the Americas had been settled for tens of thousands of years. He wasn’t the first person to discover the continent. Instead, his discovery was the last of many discoveries. …
We studied 40,000 pieces of litter to find out where it all comes from – here’s what we discovered: Litter is perhaps the most tangible of all environmental problems. And it’s not just a disrespectful few who are responsible for it. Litter, defined in its broadest terms, includes any solid material present in the environment …
Even scientists can’t keep up with all the newly discovered particles – our new naming scheme could help: fran_kie/Shutterstock Physicists at Cern have discovered a plethora of new exotic particles being created in the collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider over the past few years. So many have been found in fact, that our …
Whale sharks: how we discovered what’s killing so many of the world’s largest fish: This whale shark bears a scar from colliding with a boat. David Robinson, Author provided Over 80% of international trade is carried by sea. Much of what we use and consume everyday either has been or will be transported on huge …
How the first cat-like sabre-tooth predator was discovered – and why it differs from modern cats: Diegoalerus was probably around the size of a bobcat Erick Toussaint, San Diego Natural History Museum (licensed under CC by 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Although they are currently the greatest predators on land, it’s likely that modern-day cats wouldn’t have been …
We’ve discovered why some whales stop feeding in response to the sound of sonar: In September 2002, a number of beaked whales were stranded and killed in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. It was the first time we started to get a real understanding of the negative effects of sonar sounds on …
How we discovered that sea turtles in Seychelles have recovered from the brink: Rich Baxter, Author provided It’s not always easy to assess whether animal conservation measures have worked. But we’ve discovered that green turtles of Seychelles – once almost hunted to extinction – are now thriving again. And it’s all because of crucial protection …
We discovered how the largest dinosaurs walked – and it was more like rhinos than elephants: Kostiantyn Ivanyshen/shutterstock While our knowledge of dinosaurs and other extinct animals has dramatically increased during the last couple of decades, their gaits – the order and timing of how animals move their legs – have remained a blind spot. …
Asteroid sharing Earth’s orbit discovered – could it help future space missions?: Where 2020 XL5 would appear in the dawn sky if we could see it with the naked eye from Chile. NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva, CC BY-NC-SA Research has shown that the Earth trails an asteroid barely a kilometre across in its orbit about the …
How we discovered a rare giant millipede fossil on a beach – and why it matters: Ever stumbled upon a huge fossil on your holiday? That’s what happened to me and two friends in January 2018, on a beach in Howick in the north of England, while on a geological road-trip across England and Wales. …
Diets: how scientists discovered that one size doesn’t fit all: Anton Mukhin/Shutterstock If you ate too much over the festive season, you may well be thinking about a healthy diet plan for 2022. But as anyone who has ever dieted knows, there are countless options out there. Right now, we’re in the midst of a …
South Africa in the news: Inside the Botswana lab that discovered Omicron: Meanwhile, scientists working in parallel in South Africa and Hong Kong were also sequencing the new variant, subsequently designated B.1.1.529, and then named “Omicron”. Their discoveries to which …: “South Africa” – BingNews Five new symptoms of Omicron and how it is different …