New Atlas

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Prehistoric mummy shows embalming took place 1,500 years before the Pharaohs

Michael Irving August 15, 2018

Mummification is usually associated with the age of Pharaohs, but it didn't spring up overnight. Now an international team has found further evidence that deliberate mummification was taking place a millennium and a half earlier and across a much wider area of Egypt than previously believed.

Chemical analysis of a mummy has now revealed that the mummification process was being performed 1,500 ...

VR

VR therapist helps patients overcome fear of heights in Oxford study

Rich Haridy July 12, 2018

A new study has used a VR-based treatment to help people overcome a fear of heights. The treatment is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of a completely automated therapy guided by a computer-generated virtual therapist that responds to the patient's voice.

This is the first treatment that removes the need for a real-life therapist to guide a ...

Biology

Oxford scientists see sparks fly in decision-making brains

Michael Irving May 1, 2018

From the time we choose whether to hit the snooze button or get up, we make countless decisions every day, but just how the brain manages this mundane task is still shrouded in mystery. Now, researchers at Oxford University have observed in detail the mechanism that lets fruit flies make decisions.

Oxford scientists have observed the electrical signals running through fruit fly brains while they gather evidence ...

Biology

Oxford scientists cancel "genetic catalyst" that helps bacteria evolve drug resistance

Michael Irving April 24, 2018

Humanity might not go out with a bang, but a sniffle – at least if the terrifyingly-plausible “superbug” scenario comes to pass. But now, researchers at Oxford University have discovered a “genetic catalyst” that lets the bugs develop resistance – and they might be able to switch it off.

Researchers have found a way to counter the evolutionary catalyst that lets bacteria become resistant to ...

Science

Here lies Santa Claus? Researchers zero in on bones of St Nick

Rich Haridy December 5, 2017

A new radiocarbon dating study by Oxford University researchers on a bone attributed to St Nicholas has been dated to around the 4th century CE bringing us closer to uncovering the authentic remains of the original Santa Claus.

Dating on a bone attributed to St Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, has been found ...

Medical

Study shows dolphins develop Alzheimer's – and that's bad news for extending human lifespan

Michael Irving October 23, 2017

Oxford researchers studying the brains of dolphins have found clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease, marking the first time the illness has been detected in a wild. Interestingly the discovery may dash the hopes that an extreme calorie-restricted diet can extend our lifespans.

The telltale signs of Alzheimer's have been detected in the brains of wild dolphins for the ...

Medical

Universal flu vaccine to begin human trials this winter

Michael Irving October 3, 2017

The flu virus is a crafty foe, constantly adapting to our best weapons. But now a universal flu vaccine has been cleared for widespread human trials in the UK, which should be much more effective at destroying different forms of the virus.

Human trials for a universal flu vaccine will begin in the UK this winter

Physics

Do gravitational anomalies prove we're not living in a computer simulation?

Michael Irving October 2, 2017

Is our entire universe just a computer simulation? Theoretical physicists believe they’ve found proof that our universe is far too complex to be captured in any simulation. According to the researchers, the hypothesis is done in by gravitational anomalies, tiny “twists” in the fabric of spacetime.

Researchers from Oxford and the Hebrew University believe they've found proof that the universe is too ...

Biology

Utterly unkillable tardigrades will live to see our Sun die

Michael Irving July 14, 2017

Humans will probably be long gone by the time our Sun dies, but at least one lifeform will likely still be alive: the unkillable tardigrade. According to a study from Harvard and Oxford, it’ll take the death of the Sun to kill the species, which bodes well for the resilience of life as a whole.

The tardigrade shall inherit the Earth, according to a new study from Oxford and Harvard

Biology

Prehistoric lizard wasn't what we thought

Ben Coxworth June 30, 2017

Back in 2003, the fossilized remains of a supposedly aquatic prehistoric lizard known as Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi were discovered in Italy. Now, however, thanks to a marvellously-complete skeleton found in the Alps of eastern Switzerland, that's no longer thought to be the case.

The fossilized Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi skeleton