Pigeon-guided missiles, anus-breathing rats and pigs, dead trouts that can swim, and drunk worms are among the unusual scientific breakthroughs that make up the winners of this years Ig Nobels. Ten prizes were awarded on Thursday in a range of scientific categories to individuals and teams from around the worldContinue Reading
A Second World War project which involved training pigeons to pilot bombs has won this year’s spoof Nobel peace prize. The Ig Nobel gongs – awarded annually by the science humour magazine the Annals of Improbable Research – celebrate unusual areas of research that “make people laugh, then think”. ProfessorContinue Reading
Scientists studying the bones of Ice Age children have challenged what we know about puberty. Teenagers from 25,000 years ago went through similar stages as modern-day adolescents, the study found. This challenges the view that today’s children are entering puberty earlier, scientists have said. Researchers analysed the ancient Ice AgeContinue Reading
A newly discovered ancestor of the extinct Tasmanian tiger had “extremely thick” jawbones to pick clean their prey, including bones and teeth. This is according to a new study published on Saturday in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. It describes three ancient species of the modern Thylacines, commonly known asContinue Reading
A soft fingertip device that can mimic human touch could one day allow people living thousands of miles away to hold hands, according to scientists. Researchers at University College London (UCL) have developed new technology that they said “can simulate touch as natural as real-life sensations”. The novel device, calledContinue Reading
Four plants consumed by wild gorillas in Gabon have antibacterial properties that may help treat superbug infections, scientists found in a new study. Great apes, including orangutans and chimpanzees, often consume medicinal plants to treat their ailments and some of these plants have also been used as traditional medicine byContinue Reading
The widespread deforestation believed to have been caused by the Rapa Nui people to build the towering Easter Island statues did not result in the population’s catastrophic collapse as held by a popular theory, according to a new study. The “ecocide” or “ecological suicide” theory suggested that the island’s ancientContinue Reading
A small tropical fish may possess a sophisticated type of self-awareness only ever seen in humans, scientists have said. Researchers have discovered that the bluestreak cleaner wrasse – which are about the size of a human finger – will check its body size in a mirror before deciding whether orContinue Reading
A tiny bone, the size of a sesame seed, often found in people with a common type of arthritis may have helped humans evolve from walking on all fours to standing upright. Not much is known about the mysterious lateral fabella – a bone that is found in around 39%Continue Reading
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,000-year-old fort that defended the ancient kingdom against the invading “sea peoples” tribes from near the eastern Mediterranean. Researchers uncovered a series of mudbrick building ruins in northwestern Egypt, including remains of military barracks for soldiers and storage rooms for weapons, food, and provisions from theContinue Reading
