For the first time, astronomers have observed a fast-rotating star emitting polarised light, a phenomenon that was first predicted over 50 years ago but has eluded our instruments until now. And based on these findings, they have finally confirmed the crazy spinning rate of Regulus – one of the brightest stars we can see from our planet. To understand what the big deal here is, we need to backtrack just a little bit to understand what polarised light is. Normally, light waves travel in whatever direction they please, hitting and bouncing off objects all around us (which is why we …

Scientists have discovered the existence of a type of particle that’s never previously been observed, which demonstrates unprecedented chemical stability for its kind. It’s big news for chemists and physicists – but the achievement isn’t just exciting for theoretical scientists, because, if researchers can figure out how to make it in the lab, it could also enable new kinds of consumer products, such as aluminium-ion batteries. The new discovery is the modelling of what’s called a tri-anion particle, so-called because they contain three more electrons than protons. While these have been found before, they’ve always been atomically unstable in the …

Everyone’s got a story about how they thought a certain friend was mean the first time they met, but realised later that he or she is actually the nicest person ever. Generally, you’ve only got a few seconds to make someone want to spend more time with you. Everything matters – from your last name to the smell of your sweat (gross, we know). Below, Business Insider rounded up various scientific findings on the traits and behaviours that make people dislike you, both online and in person. 1. Sharing too many photos on Facebook If you’re the kind of person …

So many new species aren’t discovered straight out of the ground, but after having been under our noses for decades. Such is the case with Arminisaurus schuberti, a newly discovered ‘sea monster’ that swam the Jurassic oceans 190 million years ago. Poor Arminisaurus had a dreadful journey. The fossilised bones were originally discovered in a clay pit near Bielefeld in Germany, all the way back in the early 1980s. But before it was found, the intact and complete skeleton was broken up by mining machinery. Only 40 percent of the bones could be recovered. It spent some time languishing in …

The Universe is a pretty spectacular place, and all you have to do is look up. But if you haven’t got your own telescope, you can sometimes miss out on seeing a meteor up close, or getting the most out of rare occultations. But no one wants to fork out hundreds of dollars on your first telescope. That’s why our ScienceAlert Academy deal of this week is an Outdoor Monocular Telescope with Portable Tripod. For US$58.99, you’ll get 90 times magnification, with perfect image quality. Plus the telescope itself comes with an easy to set up portable tripod for movability.   …

The most optimistic target envisaged by the Paris climate deal is still within our reach, scientists say – as long as we act urgently to seize this pivotal moment of hope and opportunity. A new analysis has found that the agreement’s most ambitious goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels isn’t just aspirational – it’s still a scientific possibility the world can realise if we act right away. The deal, drafted in 2015, saw the global community come together in a historic agreement to limit global warming “to well below 2°C above pre-industrial …

The status of the Campi Flegrei supervolcano remains unclear. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Donar Reiskoffer Scientists have discovered evidence of a ‘hot zone’ feeding a supervolcano in southern Italy. Known as Campi Flegrei, the volcanic caldera situated to the west of Naples last erupted centuries ago, however recent findings in the area, coupled with a lack of seismic activity for several decades, have indicated that another devastating eruption may be on the cards. Using seismological techniques, scientists have now succeeded in pinpointing what they believe to be the place where hot material has been rising up from deep inside …

Lunar occultations involving three planets within 24 hours are quite rare. Image Credit: CC BY-2.0 Jason Bache Venus, Mars and Mercury will all be temporarily disappearing behind the Moon over the next few hours. The event is what is known as a lunar occultation and it occurs whenever the Moon passes in front of a far away object in the sky, blocking our view of it from the Earth. The last time three planets disappeared behind the Moon within a 24-hour period was all the way back in 2008 and after this it will not occur again until 2036. “It’s …

The contest involves contorting your face in to a ridiculous pose. Image Credit: YouTube / Tyler News 50-year-old Ady Zivelonghi from Coventry has won the face-pulling contest for the second year in a row. When it comes to strange sports, it’s difficult to find anything more bizarre than this. The World Gurning Championships, which are traditionally held in the UK at the 750-year-old Egremont Crab Fair, require each contestant to pull as ridiculous a face as possible. The winner is the one who can distort their face the most without using their hands. Ady Zivelonghi, who has won the contest …

Sometimes, science goes full supervillain. From remote-controlled mice to dragonfly drones, scientists have been tinkering with animals’ brains to hijack their actions. But it’s not just because they like to let loose with a malevolent cackle every so often — it’s to help humanity. We swear. Simon Says  Stimulating parts of the brain to trigger certain actions is nothing new — brain surgeons do it on human patients all the time. When removing a brain tumor, for instance, surgeons will make sure they’re not cutting an important piece of tissue by stimulating the area with electrodes and seeing what the …