Felicity Nelson
ScienceAlert
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Past articles by Felicity:
Almost Nowhere on Earth Is Safe From Air Pollution Now, Scientists Warn
A world-first study has found almost nowhere left on Earth with consistently safe levels of air pollution. → Read More
The Whitest Feathers of Any Bird Have Been Found, And They're Dazzling
The bright, white tail feathers of the otherwise inconspicuous Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) are the most reflective on record. → Read More
Even a Small Amount of Alcohol During Pregnancy Linked to Changes in a Child's Face
Just one glass of wine a week during pregnancy has been linked to permanent changes in a child's facial features – and possibly their cognitive abilities too. → Read More
Does a Vast Network of Fungi Connect Forests? Here's What We Know.
The possibility that communication networks of fungi exist connecting forest ecosystems in a 'wood-wide web' has increasingly gained attention among researchers in recent decades. → Read More
Your Blood Type Affects Your Risk of Early Stroke, Scientists Find
People with one of the type A blood groups are more likely to have a stroke before the age of 60 compared with people with other blood types, research shows. → Read More
This Small Australian Marsupial Is Quite Literally Dying For Sex
The adorable, white-spotted pink-nosed marsupial that lives in the top half of Australia would rather die than miss out on sex. → Read More
Study of 500,000 Medical Records Links Viruses to Alzheimer's Again And Again
A study of around 500,000 medical records has suggested that severe viral infections like encephalitis and pneumonia increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. → Read More
Viagra Linked to Much Lower Risk of Death in Men, But Questions Remain
Men taking Viagra for erectile dysfunction could be saving themselves from an early death, according to the results of a recently published observational study. → Read More
Your Blood Type May Affect Your Risk of an Early Stroke, Research Reveals
People with one of the type A blood groups appear to be more likely to have a stroke before the age of 60 compared with people with other blood types, according to a 2022 study. → Read More
Empathetic People Seem to Have A Special Ability When It Comes to Animals
Can you tell just from a whine, grunt, bleat, or a moo whether a hoofed animal is happy or in distress? If you can, it might be a sign that you are particularly empathetic – or you spend a lot of time around animals. → Read More
A Tiny Flicker in Your Eyes Opens a Window to Your Private Thoughts
When we are shown two options, our eyes tend to flick from one to the other and back again several times as we deliberate on the pros and cons of each. → Read More
Stunning Grave Find Once Belonged to A Dark Age Female Church Leader
Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove that reveals a brief period in medieval English history where pagan and Christian traditions melded together, and women held positions of power in the church. → Read More
Millions of 'Silent Synapses' Could Be The Key to Lifelong Learning
Newborns need to store vast amounts of new information quickly as they learn to navigate the world. → Read More
Do You Need to Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day? It's Complicated
It's unclear exactly where the myth that humans need to drink eight glasses of water a day came from – but we've probably all heard it at some point in our lives. → Read More
New Fentanyl Vaccine Eliminates The Drug's High, Rat Study Finds
A vaccine that blocks fentanyl from entering the brain in rats – thus stopping the addictive high – could one day be used to combat the opioid crisis. → Read More
A Bone-Eating Pathogen From Thousands of Years Ago Is Still Circulating Inside Us
Tuberculosis (TB) is usually found in the lungs, but there's an ancient lineage of TB that specializes in spreading to the bones and damaging them from the inside, researchers have discovered. → Read More
A Woman Had Cancer 12 Times by Age 36. Her Genes Showed Something Never Seen Before
When Spanish scientists came across a strange case of a woman who had experienced 12 different types of tumor before the age of 36, they decided to dig a little deeper to find out why she was so susceptible to cancer. → Read More
New Hybrid Virus Discovered as Flu And RSV Fuse Into Single Pathogen
Researchers have witnessed two viruses – influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus – fuse together to form a single, hybrid virus. → Read More
Does Faking a Smile Make You Happier? The Latest Findings Are In
Does faking a smile make you feel happier? That question has been debated since famed naturalist Charles Darwin published a book on the subject in 1872. → Read More
Finally, Scientists Have Figured Out A Key Molecular Mechanism Behind Human Hearing
Scientists have finally unraveled the structure of a mysterious protein complex inside the inner ear that enables hearing in humans. → Read More