AI, aliens and giant poo piles: Weirdest science stories of 2023

Some scientists are working to tackle climate change or cure cancer, but others are more focused on figuring out if time travel really would follow Back to the Future rules. From where “love” is felt in the body, to the scientific value of giant piles … Continue reading AI, aliens and giant poo piles: Weirdest science stories of 2023

Giant pandas have their own ‘Facebook’ to chat to other bears

Scientists have discovered that the giant panda, long considered a bit of a loner, has a surprisingly active social life, communicating with friends and family in a way that’s akin to sharing status updates on Facebook.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology… Continue reading Giant pandas have their own ‘Facebook’ to chat to other bears

Scientists practice communicating with aliens by chatting to whales

If movies are anything to go by, meeting aliens rarely goes well for humanity. To stop us making a faux pas of cosmic proportions, scientists have been practicing by trying to chat to whales in their own language – and judging by the early results, we … Continue reading Scientists practice communicating with aliens by chatting to whales

Fancy a tardigrade emoji? Biologists call for this and more to be added

There may be currently 3,782 emojis in the beloved Unicode library, yet a team of biologists has found its representation of the tree of life is significantly substandard.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Biodiversity, Animals, Animal sci… Continue reading Fancy a tardigrade emoji? Biologists call for this and more to be added

Mouse passes mirror test, joining elite club of ‘self-aware’ animals

Joining the likes of killer whales (Orcinus orca) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), plus a number of primates, a common dark-furred mouse has passed what’s known as the mirror test, backed up by gene mapping, that suggests it may possess we… Continue reading Mouse passes mirror test, joining elite club of ‘self-aware’ animals

This sea worm’s butt detaches from its body to swim off in search of love

In one of the strangest paths to reproduction, this tiny Japanese sea worm actually grows a ‘mini-me’ at its rear end, which it then deploys so it can swim off on its own in search of similar autonomous tail of the opposite sex to spawn with. The worm,… Continue reading This sea worm’s butt detaches from its body to swim off in search of love

Scientists capture first-ever photos of giant coconut-cracking rats

In 2017, scientists discovered a new species of giant rat that can reportedly crack open coconuts. Now, this extremely rare creature has been captured in the wild on camera for the first time.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Animal science, Anima… Continue reading Scientists capture first-ever photos of giant coconut-cracking rats

Bat uses huge heart-shaped penis to maneuver female in unusual mating act

In one of the strangest animal behavior discoveries this year, male serotine bats living in a church attic in the Netherlands have been captured on camera engaging in marathon sessions of non-penetrative sex – the first-ever instance of superficial-con… Continue reading Bat uses huge heart-shaped penis to maneuver female in unusual mating act