In the video game The Last of Us and its spin-off HBO series, humans fight to survive against cordyceps, a parasitic fungus that turns its hosts into zombies. While the infections are wildly dramatized in both the game and the show, these fungi aren’t mere science fiction. In fact, some species have been around since […]
Struck by Lightning? This Tree Kinda Likes it
If you’re stuck outside in the middle of a lightning storm, the most common advice is to stay away from trees, which might attract lightning. And while getting struck by lightning would certainly be very bad news for you, new research suggests certain trees might draw unexpected benefits from the electrocution. A team of researchers […]
Shockingly Tiny Galaxy Near Andromeda Is Just One-Millionth the Size of the Milky Way
A group of astronomers has discovered the smallest, dimmest satellite galaxy bordering the Milky Way’s nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. The itsy-bitsy satellite galaxy is named Andromeda XXXV and sits about 3 million light-years from Earth. The discovery of the galaxy gives astronomers a useful comparative tool for studying satellite galaxies on the outskirts […]