This week, for the first time in 100 years, an ancient Egyptian royal tomb has been discovered, a former Paralympian has become the first astronaut with a disability to be cleared for an ISS mission, and the face of the Earth is being shaped by more than 600 “animal architect” species. Finally, we ask how our brains make and break habits.
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Want To Know The Most Dangerous Animal In The World? Ask The Crespo Scale
Humankind shares the planet with all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, from rare deep-sea mysteries to black wolves and tiny insects. Some of the species run into conflict with humans from time to time, whether through direct attacks or the spread of disease. Efforts to rank the most deadly are widespread, and now a new method has entered the chat. We take a deep dive into the Crespo Scale. Read the full story here
First Ancient Egyptian Royal Tomb Discovered Since Tutankhamun’s 100 Years Ago
The tomb of King Thutmose II has finally been discovered in Egypt, more than a hundred years after the Pharaoh’s mummified body was found elsewhere. The last of the lost tombs belonging to the kings of the 18th Dynasty, Thutmose II’s burial site is also the first royal tomb to be found in Egypt since Howard Carter unearthed Tutankhamun in 1922. Read the full story here
Former Paralympian Becomes First Astronaut With Disability To Be Cleared For ISS Mission
Former Paralympian and current surgeon John McFall has become the first disabled astronaut to be cleared for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) by feasibility studies. Following on from representing the UK as a Paralympic sprinter, in 2022, McFall joined the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) “Fly!” program, which aims to make human spaceflight accessible for all. Read the full story here
More Than 600 “Animal Architect” Species Are Shaping The Face Of The Earth
A first-of-its-kind global assessment has revealed 603 wild animals plus five livestock taxa that do more than just inhabit the Earth – they shape it. These “animal architects” literally move their own versions of mountains, as tiny ants and termites build towering mounds, and beavers influence the paths of our waterways. Read the full story here
For The First Time Ever, The Moon Is About To Get A 4G Cellular Network
Nokia and NASA have developed a 4G connectivity that will be tested on the surface of the Moon this month. Intuitive Machines‘ second mission lander, Athena, is expected to launch next week and will have multiple vehicles on board that will use the Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) to communicate with the lander and send back data and images to Earth. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
How Do Our Brains Make – And Break – Habits?
Is there a habit you wish you had? Maybe it’s something simple, like always leaving your keys in one specific place so you never lose them. Or is there an annoying habit you’d really like to kick, like biting your nails? Let’s take a step back for a second, though: what actually is a habit? Read the full story here
More content:
Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS? Issue 31 February 2025 is available now. This month we asked, “The Science Of Fever Dreams” – check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.
PLUS, the We Have Questions podcast – an audio version of our coveted CURIOUS e-magazine column – continues. In episode 5, we ask “How Do You Begin Searching For Alien Life?”
Season 4 of IFLScience’s The Big Questions podcast has concluded. To revisit all of season four’s episodes, click here.
