Michael Irving
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Science/tech journalist at New Atlas (@nwtls), @ScienceAlert, Stack magazine. Simpsons collector @CollectSimpsons. Tweets about science, video games, writing
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Articles by Michael Irving
Meet The 'Hell Chicken', a Dinosaur With an Extremely Rare Type of Diet Original
Discerning dinosaur lovers have a new name to drop when asked about their favorite dino. Meet Infernogallus jamesi – the 'hell chicken' that lived alongside icons like Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. Despite its fearsome name, Infernogallus was only about the size of a turkey, weighing around 12 kilograms (26 pounds). It wouldn't have been anything to worry about – unless you were a juicy piece of fruit.
Dinosaur Blood Cells Detected in 115-Million-Year-Old Fossil Original
We've found plenty of dinosaur bones. We've found their teeth, skin, feathers, eggs, and even their poop. And now, we've found dinosaur blood. A team led by scientists at Curtin University in Australia has identified what appear to be fossilized red blood cells, along with blood-derived molecules, preserved for over 100 million years, inside an unassuming dinosaur leg bone.
Africa Is Breaking Apart Faster Than We Thought, Forming a New Ocean Original
Geologists have discovered that the African continent will split apart sooner than we thought. An active rift has reached a "critical threshold" and will soon break apart, forming a new ocean. That said, 'soon' is a relative term – it'll still take a few million years more, but that's a blink of an eye on a geological scale. "We found that rifting in this zone is more advanced, and the crust is thinner, than anyone had recognized," says Christian Rowan, a geoscientist at Columbia University.
A worrying new trait has appeared in an isolated cat species on a Japanese island
On a small, isolated island of Japan, lives a tiny population of Tsushima leopard cats ( Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus ). With only around 100 individuals believed to exist, they're considered critically endangered there. Recently, scientists have noticed a new trait emerging in the island's leopard cats that could mark a worrying trend for conservation efforts.
Physicists just turned the entire planet into a dark matter detector – and strange signals kept turning up
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A Worrying New Trait Has Appeared in an Isolated Cat Species on a Japanese Island Original
On a small, isolated island of Japan, lives a tiny population of Tsushima leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus). With only around 100 individuals believed to exist, they're considered critically endangered there. Recently, scientists have noticed a new trait emerging in the island's leopard cats that could mark a worrying trend for conservation efforts.
A Worrying New Trait Has Appeared in an Isolated Cat Species on a Japanese Island
7 hours ago The Atlantic is quiet — record quiet — this hurricane season thanks to an enormous El Niño that crushes storms before they get going. No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year and none are likely to form for at least another week, even though this would normally be the peak of the season, …
Physicists Just Turned The Entire Planet Into a Dark Matter Detector – And Strange Signals Kept Turning Up Original
Physicists have conducted a worldwide hunt for dark matter. Literally – they turned Earth itself into a giant detector. Weirder still, the experiment picked up dozens of candidate signals that fit predictions for certain types of hypothetical particles that could make up dark matter. Those signals still need verification, and there's plenty of other things that they could be before they're dark matter particles.
Poop concrete, hot ice, and more!
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This Week in Science: Poop Concrete, Hot Ice, And More! Original
This Week in Science: The secrets of a sneaky snake, cholesterol gene therapy, nature plugs a methane leak, and more! First up: An arthritis drug regrows lost hair in a clinical trial, potentially providing a new treatment for alopecia.
This Week in Science: Faux Fox Head, Strange Saturn Structure, And More! Original
This Week in Science: Enriching bread with spinach, a GPS glitch, a new Parkinson's test, and more! First up: Sneaking spinach into bread could be a good way to get more veggies in your diet, providing useful benefits for your insulin response too.
Antique 'Fox Head' Bought at Auction Wasn't a Fox at All. It Was a Long-Extinct Species. Original
With its googly eyes, lumpy forehead, and awkward almost-smile, the strange, taxidermied fox head at the antique market was funny enough to throw down 50 quid on. When the buyer later sold it at auction, they were stunned to see it go for 1,000 times more than they'd paid for it. That's because this was no fox. This extremely rare specimen was instead the head of an extinct species.
Breaking: Physicists May Have Found The Best Evidence of Dark Matter Yet Original
In an experiment deep underground, a tiny flash of light may, ironically, mark the first detection of dark matter. This mysterious stuff should outnumber regular matter by a ratio of 5 to 1, but despite decades of searching, it's remained frustratingly elusive. Now, physicists are reporting a strange signal in the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment that has all the characteristics expected of a leading dark matter candidate, and is tricky to explain through known physics.
Gruesome Discovery Shows 17th-Century Villagers Were Terrified of What Lurked in 'Grave 75'
Polish countryside, 17th century. A young woman from high society is buried in a remote cemetery away from the village, because of the manner of her death. To keep her from returning from the dead, a padlock is clamped around her big toe. But it doesn't work. She soon rises from her grave and causes more misfortune for those around her.
Gruesome discovery shows 17th-century villagers were terrified of what lurked in 'Grave 75'
Polish countryside, 17th century. A young woman from high society is buried in a remote cemetery away from the village, because of the manner of her death. To keep her from returning from the dead, a padlock is clamped around her big toe. But it doesn't work. She soon rises from her grave and causes more misfortune for those around her.
This Week in Science: Ocean 'Backrooms', Plastic Cookies, And More! Original
This Week in Science: Reversing Alzheimer's damage, the safest place on Earth, and more! First up: Oceanographers exploring a sonar blip assumed they'd find a shipwreck. Instead, they stumbled onto an eerie scene that looked like the ocean's own 'Backrooms'. Also this week: Alzheimer's symptoms reversed in mice after just two injections The country with the best chances of surviving a global catastrophe When you eat your meals matters Would you eat a cookie made from plastic waste?
Scientists Reverse Alzheimer's Damage in Mice With Just Two Injections Original
Slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease is the goal of most existing treatments, but reversing it is much harder. That's because once neurons are lost, the adult brain lacks the ability to replace them. But new research, led by scientists at the University of South Carolina, has shown promise in regrowing neurons in brain organoids, and restoring cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's.
Scientists Reverse Alzheimer's Damage in Mice With Just Two Injections
Science 5 hours ago 43 Years Ago, Scientists Dropped Gophers Onto a Volcano. Today, They’re Tiny Heroes. Popular Mechanics - Michael Natale • 5h It started as a go-for-broke experiment, but it wound up saving an ecosystem. A study reveals that an unconventional ecological intervention tactic is still providing benefits 43 years later. • After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens devastated the local environment, scientists set a few gophers … Beauty 1 hour ago Collagen vs.
Scientists Just Made A Cookie Out of Recycled Plastic 'Slurry'. Welcome to 2026 Original
Would you eat a cookie that was made from plastic? Technically, we're all ingesting an ungodly amount of plastic already, in the form of micro- and nanoscopic particles in our food. But now, researchers from Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale are trying to get us to eat the stuff on purpose. It takes the form of cookies they call µBites, which, if you know your scientific notation symbols, is pronounced "microbites".
Scientists Just Made A Cookie Out of Recycled Plastic 'Slurry'. Welcome to 2026
Plastic Pollution 3 hours ago Leaked memo shows how U.S. aims to weaken global limits on plastic pollution The Washington Post - Conor McGlone, Jake Spring, Emma Bryce, Benard Ogembo • 3h A memo reviewed by The Washington Post, circulated by U.S. diplomats, comes as negotiations over a plastics treaty reach a critical point.
Science Weighs in on Whether All Those Photos Are Helping or Hurting Your Memory Original
Chances are, there are thousands of photos on your phone right now – and you probably never look at them. Selfies at parties. Brunch spreads, carefully staged for Instagram. Your cat sleeping in slightly different positions. Sunsets, supermoons, and travel snaps. One of the main reasons people take photos is to help us remember an experience or event. But it turns out that stopping to snap a selfie could actually hinder your memory of something.
Highest Radiation Occupation, a Shooting Star, and More!
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This Week in Science: Highest Radiation Occupation, a Shooting Star, And More! Original
This Week in Science: Jellyfish attack, lab-grown mini-brains sense time, and much more! First up: An analysis of 500 occupations revealed the job with the highest risk of radiation-related cancer deaths, and it's probably not one you'd expect. It turns out it's flight attendants, followed by pilots. The prime suspect is a strange one.
A Hidden Pattern in Your Saliva Can Predict Risk of Colorectal Cancer, Study Finds Original
Gastrointestinal cancers are among the most common cancers worldwide, and a leading cause of death. Diagnosis isn't a particularly pleasant experience, usually involving inserting a camera where the Sun don't shine. But soon, doctors might be able to spot this kind of cancer by looking at the other end.
Scientists Discover a New Organ Hiding in The Skull
After centuries of medical science, it's reasonable to assume that we have a complete tally of all the organs in the human body by now. But scientists just keep discovering new ones working thanklessly in the background, performing vital functions like sensing pain or producing saliva. The latest is all in your head. In a new study published in Nature, biologists at Washington University (WashU) School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a new immune organ inside the skull.
Mosquito magnets, bonus benefits of GLP-1s, and more
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This Week in Science: Mosquito Magnets, Bonus Benefits of GLP-1s, And More Original
This Week in Science: Staring at the Sun, unraveling the 'farm effect', and much more! First up: You're not imagining it – it turns out that some people really do attract more mosquitoes than others. It all has to do with the particular scents and microbes on your skin.
Ever Experienced Something You Can't Explain? Detailed Study Investigates How People Deal With The Uncanny Original
Have you ever heard a voice when you were completely alone? Or felt the presence of some unseen being? You're not alone; around 60 percent of Americans believe they've had some kind of unexplainable experience. But was it scary? Inspiring? Perhaps it invoked a new spirituality in you, or made you feel closer to a deceased loved one. Or maybe it just sent you to the doctor for a brain scan.
'Only One Conclusion': Radical Study Suggests Life on Earth Arose Twice
10 seriously surprising facts about orgasms, from the experts who study them Getting off, having a happy ending, coming undone – there are endless slang terms for experiencing an orgasm. But what do we really know about the …
'Only One Conclusion': Radical Study Suggests Life on Earth Arose Twice Original
The fact that you, or I, or any living creature, is here at all is a series of astonishing strokes of luck stretching back more than 4 billion years. One of the biggest hurdles was the very first one: How did life emerge from a primordial soup of stuff that very much wasn't alive? A radical new study, published in Science Advances, suggests that this unlikely threshold may actually have been crossed not once, but twice.
An Ancient Poop Explosion Could Have Helped Complex Life Evolve
We may owe our very existence to an ancient poop explosion. If the earliest animals hadn't been such prolific poopers, life might not have diversified into all the weird and wonderful forms we see today. That's the conclusion reached by a new review study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
An Ancient Poop Explosion Could Have Helped Complex Life Evolve
We may owe our very existence to an ancient poop explosion. If the earliest animals hadn't been such prolific poopers, life might not have diversified into all the weird and wonderful forms we see today. That's the conclusion reached by a new review study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
Physicists Shatter Quantum Entanglement Distance Record With 420 Kilometers of Optical Fiber Original
Maintaining a long-distance relationship may be difficult for humans, but it's even more difficult for entangled states. The longer the fiber, the harder it becomes to keep the two quantum memories linked. Overcoming this tyranny of distance has been one of the major challenges of quantum communication. But perhaps not an insurmountable one.
You're Not Imagining It – Some People Really Are More Attractive to Mosquitoes, Study Shows Original
For many of us, mosquitoes are mostly a source of irritation and annoyance – and if that's all they are to you, you might count yourself lucky. That's because the mosquito is actually the world's deadliest animal, thanks to its unrivaled ability to spread a swathe of harmful diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and more.
This Week in Science: Dyson Spheres, Hidden Amazon Structures, And More Original
This Week in Science: Creatine's effect on cancer, a dinosaur-era 'turducken', and much more! First up: has closely examined two stars that were promising candidates for alien 'megastructures'. In bad news for E.T. hopefuls, however, it turns out both signals are caused by rare alignments.
It Takes Just 3 Amino Acids to Let Us See Red And Green, Study Finds Original
Red and green don't look like particularly close colors at a glance, but the way your eye treats them is surprisingly similar. A new study in Science, led by biochemists at Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan, has now revealed just how close they really are on a molecular level. It only takes differences in three amino acids to tune cones in the retina to be sensitive to red or green light, the team found.
It Takes Just 3 Amino Acids to Let Us See Red And Green, Study Finds
12 hours ago Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., faced off with leading COVID-era infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing today, bringing renewed attention to ongoing debates about the origins of the coronavirus that caused the pandemic. Fauci, who directed the National Institute of Allergy …
Epic 'Turducken' Fossil Reveals Ancient Sea Monsters Devouring Each Other Original
Making a turducken – stuffing a chicken inside a duck, then stuffing that inside a turkey – seems like a recent Thanksgiving tradition, but paleontologists in Australia may have found the dinosaur-era equivalent. In this case, the 'chicken' is a hapless flying reptile that swooped too close to the ocean and was eaten by a marine predator. That meal may have been its last, though, because it was soon gobbled up by an even bigger sea monster.
A Simple Lighting Swap Could Save Millions of Insects Original
Forty percent of the world's insect species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, mainly because of habitat loss, pollution, pathogens, introduced species, and climate change. Artificial light at night is included among those stressors, because it disrupts the natural behaviors of insects. More than 60 percent of invertebrates are nocturnal, so any artificial light within their habitat is going to affect them during their most active hours.
Your Brain Really Can Learn to Multitask – And Scientists Just Revealed How Original
Driving while listening to the radio; making breakfast while talking to the family; eating a sandwich while reading a book. Our daily lives are built on multitasking, but are our brains actually doing two things at once, or just switching very quickly between them? Well, it depends. The science shows it's the latter, for cognitively demanding work.
Your Cannabis Habit May Be Quietly Raising Your Stress Levels Every Morning Original
Cannabis is widely considered to be a stress reliever – at least for some – but there's new evidence that it might actually have the opposite effect when used regularly. Researchers from Oregon State University wanted to take a closer look at the relationship between cannabis and stress after earlier studies had hinted that the drug may raise stress levels rather than lower them. The team looked specifically at the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body's main stress responder.
Experts Met at MIT to Discuss The Possibility of Alien Tech Around Black Holes. Here's What Was Discussed. Original
Last June, while most of us were sweating it out and scrolling socials, more than two dozen of the best scientific minds in the world headed to MIT. For two days, they gathered around whiteboards and lecture theaters discussing a pretty out-there idea: alien technology. Not just any alien tech, mind you, but the possibility that extraterrestrial intelligent life may have built energy-harvesting structures called Dyson spheres around black holes. We know how that sounds.
A Grim Measles Milestone, a Lifespan Limit, and More
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This Week in Science: A Grim Measles Milestone, a Lifespan Limit, And More Original
This Week in Science: A galactic flip, 'programmable heat', and much more! First up: Measles cases in the US have just passed a 'grim milestone': 2026 has already beaten 2025's total, reaching the highest numbers in 35 years. Also this week: The Milky Way may have done a sick kickflip in its youth There may be a hard limit on human lifespan The biology behind a bizarre parasite Overwhelmed with modern life?
Can We Really Create Infinite Photons? Physicists Reveal What Might Happen if We Try to Cut Light in Half Original
Photons act in freaky ways that remind us that nothing is as it seems at the smallest scales and most fundamental levels of existence. Photons are the smallest possible bits of electromagnetic energy and are massless, allowing them to travel at the speed of, well, light.
A Wild Parasite Makes Ants Live Longer And Tricks Others Into Worshipping Them. Scientists Finally Know How. Original
Imagine a parasite that makes you live up to 10 times longer than you naturally would – while also inspiring others to treat you like royalty. It sure seems like a pretty good deal, but of course there's a catch. The parasite just wants to keep you lazy so you'll be easy pickings for a giant predator – the bowels of which are the parasite's preferred breeding ground. Might sound like an intriguing setup for an indie horror movie, but that's the reality for Temnothorax nylanderi ants.
Finally, Two New Vaccines Show 100% Effectiveness Against The Plague in Mice Original
When people think of the plague, they might think of medieval peasants with painful lumps under their arms, being treated by doctors wearing creepy bird-like masks. But the disease still persists today, and can be lethal if not treated quickly. Now, almost 700 years after the Black Death killed 50 percent of the European population, we may soon have a new vaccine for this notoriously deadly disease.
A Rare, Distant Space Rock Killed The Dinosaurs – And It Reveals Just How Unlucky They Were Original
The dinosaurs had a good run, but when their time was up, it was very much up. Around 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid slammed into what is now the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. The impact triggered worldwide wildfires, towering tsunamis, ocean acidification, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Debris clouded the sky, reducing sunlight and cooling the planet, which killed plant life and set off a cascade of collapsing food chains.
New Review From American Heart Association Reveals The Optimal Daily Cups of Coffee For Your Health Original
A cup of coffee or two (or three) in the morning is one of the most common pleasures of the modern world. But how guilty should we feel about indulging in it? A new scientific statement by the American Heart Association (AHA) may have an answer.
American Heart Association Reveals The Optimal Daily Cups of Coffee For Your Health
Michael Irving Mon, 20 July 2026 at 9:00 am UTC 4 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. (Stefania Pelfini la Waziya/Getty Images) A cup of coffee or two (or three) in the morning is one of the most common pleasures of the modern world. But how guilty should we feel about indulging in it? A new scientific statement by the American Heart Association (AHA) may have an answer.
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