From the good old-fashioned Flat Earth movement‚ to QAnon “truthers” and anti-vaccine zealots‚ you don’t have to look very far in our hyperconnected world to find someone spreading conspiracy theories. Often‚ a slide down the rabbit hole into the murky world of conspiracies comes as a shock to someone’s friends and family – how does a previously rational person get sucked into believing that dinosaurs aren’t real? Well‚ psychology might just have an answer.Seeing patternsUnderstanding what drives people into conspiracist thinking has inspired a number of scientific investigations. There’s one feature of the human brain that appears to bear quite a lot of the responsibility – the problem is‚ it’s also something we couldn’t manage without.The brain is primed to look for patterns. As humans have evolved‚ this has proven extremely useful. It’s handy‚ for example‚ to learn that the color red often equals “danger”. It's less handy to take the leap from‚ "Hmm‚ we appeared to have misplaced some ships‚" to‚ "It must be an eldritch triangle of ocean gobbling up vessels like there's no tomorrow!"    “Our brain is constantly trying to make sense of the outside world. One way the brain accomplishes this goal is by detecting and learning patterns‚ which are essentially statistical regularities in the environment‚ because these patterns help the brain decide how to react or behave in order to survive‚” Dr Jess Taubert‚ an associate professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland‚ previously told IFLScience. The issues start to arise when this pattern-recognizing power goes into overdrive‚ joining dots in random data and adding two and two to make five. This concept is called illusory perception.A 2017 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology explored this further. The scientists took groups of up to 401 people through five experiments designed to test the relationship between conspiracist thinking and illusory pattern perception.One thing that came out of the study was a link between belief in some common conspiracies – including ones around climate change‚ the moon landing‚ and the assassination of JFK –  and seeing a pattern in a series of random coin tosses. Those inclined towards a more conspiratorial way of thinking were also more likely to find patterns in chaotic artwork‚ like Jackson Pollock’s splatter paintings. The researchers also explored a common observation in conspiracy spaces‚ that belief in one irrational theory is often indicative of belief in other‚ unrelated theories. If you can accept the idea that Barack Obama is a lizard in a human suit‚ it’s really just a short hop and a skip to believing that the US government had advance notice of 9/11.“[A]cceptance of a conspiracy theory implies an increase in the extent to which people perceive patterns in world events‚ as reflected in the belief that instead of being a coincidence‚ many events that happen in the world are somehow causally related‚” the authors posited.To test this‚ they asked participants to read either a pro-conspiracy or anti-conspiracy article‚ before asking questions to assess their perception of a pattern in world events‚ finding that a correlation was present in those who’d been exposed to the conspiracy theory.To summarize the findings of the study‚ the authors wrote‚ “We conclude that illusory pattern perception is a central cognitive ingredient of beliefs in conspiracy theories and supernatural phenomena.”In the wake of conspiracy theories around the COVID-19 pandemic‚ this research became all the more timely‚ and subsequent studies have built on the ideas explored here.One from the height of the pandemic in 2020 supported the importance of illusory perception and also touched on the idea of confirmation bias.“[Conspiracy theory] believers may find it hard to believe that a virus could originate randomly from the natural world because it does not fit with their preconceived view that events have a reason and usually a human or government influence behind it‚” the authors explained.The role of personalityAnother key factor that has come to the fore in psychology studies of conspiracy beliefs is the role of personality.Narcissism – the belief in one’s own superiority over others – has been found to be among the best psychological indicators of a predisposition toward believing in conspiracies. A 2022 study outlined three features of narcissistic personalities that seem to underpin this: agentic extraversion (which covers traits like assertiveness‚ self-confidence‚ and reward-seeking); antagonism; and neuroticism. In a nutshell‚ narcissistic people will more readily believe that others are “out to get them”‚ meaning that conspiracies about sinister government plots or shady cabals controlling the media narrative fit right into their way of thinking.Narcissists are also driven by a need to feel unique and special‚ something that research has also identified as a predictor of conspiratorial thinking. Others may be drawn to conspiracies out of a desire to “watch the world burn” – basically‚ some people simply thrive on chaos. For as long as there have been vaccines‚ there have been antivax conspiracists.Image credit: GillianVann/Shutterstock.comStill‚ more research has suggested a link between increased anger and belief in conspiracies‚ though it was not possible to say whether anger was a cause or consequence of believing irrational things. And some people may be initially drawn to conspiracies because they find them fun. I mean‚ there’s no denying that there’s a certain amount of entertainment to be derived from discussing the most outlandish of beliefs about our world‚ whether or not you actually see truth in them. You did click on this article‚ after all…What we know‚ and what we still don’tA systematic review published in 2022 aimed to collect together what we know so far about conspiracy beliefs as they apply to COVID-19‚ with lessons that could be applicable more broadly.Narcissism came up again‚ along with the three other personality traits that‚ with it‚ collectively form the so-called Dark Tetrad (Machiavellianism‚ psychopathy‚ and sadism). Another factor that was mentioned was poorer psychological wellbeing‚ such as feelings of anxiety‚ depression‚ or uncertainty – something we probably all remember well from the early months of 2020. What’s still tricky to pin down is which of the factors are causes and which are effects. Perhaps some people’s brains and personalities do make them more prone to belief in conspiracies‚ but it takes a particular set of external circumstances to tip them over the edge and into the rabbit hole.The authors of the review called for more research to address these open questions‚ with more varied samples. Above all‚ understanding the drivers that push people towards conspiracy theories – and remembering that these beliefs can have real-life consequences – is vital if we want to tackle future waves of disinformation head-on.

It is remarkable that the Sun and the Moon are roughly the same apparent size so that in most solar eclipses – but not all – the whole solar disk is blocked by the Moon. However‚ the lunar disk is not a perfect circle‚ as the moon is not a smooth sphere‚ and this creates a peculiar effect just minutes before totality.A series of bright spots will form just off the limb of the Moon. Due to mountains and craters on the Moon‚ the final slither of the Sun disk will appear fractured in a string of bright spots. DO NOT TRY TO OBSERVE THEM WITHOUT PROPER EYE OR CAMERA PROTECTION. We won’t even apologize for shouting. Eye safety is paramount during eclipses.The beads are still a portion of the surface of the Sun and they are as bright as the Sun is usually. This is why you shouldn’t look at them without protection. As totality approaches (when it is safe to take off protective glasses)‚ the beads will start disappearing until only one or two are left‚ producing the spectacular and well-known diamond effect.The diamond and then the beads will reappear just after the end of totality; be ready to see them on the other side of the Moon as our satellite moves away from the Sun in the sky. Since the geography and the motion of the Moon are well known‚ it is possible to work out exactly where the beads will appear.“This phenomenon has very precise parameters‚” explains NASA. “[T]he geometry of the observer-Moon-Sun coincidence‚ and its exact time on sub-second timing scales. The parameters differ systematically for observers located at different places and times within the path of totality.”So‚ NASA has developed an app that can focus on the beads at the right time‚ exactly where they will appear – and they are asking people across the path of totality to download it and let it do its thing. The project‚ called SunSketcher‚ will automatically take photos when it needs to and allow astronomers to better understand the Sun‚ using the light from the beads pre and post-totality.While the path of totality will stretch from the west coast of Mexico to Newfoundland in Canada‚ the app is set up only for the US. Still‚ tens of millions of people will be able to see it there. Just be safe! You can download the SunSketcher app for iPhone‚ with an Android version coming soon. 

Tiger-Lily‚ the incredibly rare two-headed western rat snake‚ is recovering well after undergoing critical surgery earlier this month which‚ surprisingly‚ had nothing to do with the snake’s many heads.Despite the western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus)‚ also known as a black rat snake‚ being a common‚ nonvenomous species across much of central North America‚ this pair is a rare 1-in-100‚000 case of polycephaly. Polycephaly is a form of conjoined twins where one body has two independent heads. In this snake’s case‚ each head was named Tiger and Lily by the family who found the pair in 2017.After celebrating their sixth birthday in October of last year‚ the 1.5-meter (5-foot) long twins were set to continue their statewide tour of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) sites on March 18‚ but‚ after sneezing up traces of blood during a feeding‚ the tour was put on hold a week before their intended departure.“This immediately raised a red flag with our staff‚ and we quickly got her an appointment with the Animal Health Team at the Saint Louis Zoo‚” MDC Naturalist Lauren Baker said in a statement.Upon investigating Tiger-Lily’s condition‚ the Saint Louis Zoo’s veterinary team found that the twins' ovaries were in pre-ovulation stasis.Dr Michael Warshaw‚ Staff Veterinarian at the Saint Louis Zoo‚ explained‚ “Under normal circumstances‚ the ovary would grow follicles‚ then ovulate them as eggs to eventually be laid. In Tiger-Lily’s case‚ she began the reproductive cycle‚ but the follicles did not ovulate and instead continued to grow and remain static in her ovary.  Over time this led to inflammation and the risk of infection.”The procedure to remove the twins' ovaries was successfully carried out on March 11 at the Saint Louis Endangered Species Research Center and Veterinary Hospital‚ and they are currently recovering well. “The Saint Louis Zoo and MDC have a long history of partnering together for the care of Missouri’s native wildlife and we are happy to have played a part in caring for this exceptional animal‚” Dr Chris Hanley‚ Director of Animal Health at the Saint Louis Zoo‚ said.The snakes’ home at Shepherd on the Hills Conservation Center is closed for construction‚ but after the twins' recovery period is over‚ which could take around a month‚ they will continue on their statewide tour until they can return to their swanky new digs.Despite being a rare condition‚ there are a handful of snakes with polycephaly currently living in captivity‚ however‚ survival rates are low for these animals in the wild. Polycephalous snakes are particularly vulnerable to predation as they struggle to escape and hide in small holes. Additionally‚ the physical act of eating is compromised when both heads are fighting to eat the same bit of prey. While much of polysepalous animals’ eating abilities are determined by their unique anatomy‚ with some two-headed snakes able to eat a meal at the same time‚ in Tiger-Lily’s case‚ they only have one esophagus between them.“We have to keep the heads separate when they are eating‚” MDC Interpretive Center Manager Alison Bleich said in a statement. “Since they share the same throat‚ it wouldn’t be good for them to both eat a mouse at once or to try to swallow the same mouse.”To feed these twins‚ a small cup is placed over the head of one to prevent it from taking the other’s food‚ then the cups are switched so both twins have a chance to eat. Both meals travel down the same esophagus and into the same stomach.If you want to catch a glimpse of this rare celeb‚ Tiger-Lily’s tour will continue in the coming months with a trip to MDC’s Anita B. Gormon Discovery Center in Kansas City.

What color is your blood? If you said red‚ you are correct – most of the time. Under certain circumstances‚ such as underneath the ocean‚ it can appear to be green. The reason behind this is the same reason why fish deep down in the Twilight Zone of the oceans have evolved red coloring. First things first‚ here's a look at the green color we're talking about‚ courtesy of a scuba diver who got bit by a Moray eel at around 20 meters (65 feet) under the ocean.          The reason this happens is fairly simple. If you remember from school science‚ any object we see is because light has reflected off it and into our eyes. Red objects appear red because they absorb other spectrums of light‚ reflecting the red light.That's how it's taught when you are younger. But reality is a little messier‚ with objects generally reflecting a range of wavelengths of light. Blood absorbs most colors‚ and reflects back light mainly in the red spectrum. However‚ it also reflects a much smaller amount of green and blue light.Water‚ meanwhile‚ appears to be slightly blue due to absorbing a lot of light in red wavelengths. If you go deep enough‚ enough red light is absorbed that only the green light is reflected back at your eyes (or recording equipment) so you perceive it as a green-blue color.       Because red light gets absorbed so well by water‚ a lot of fish living at depths are red."At depth‚ these animals are not visible‚" the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains. "The black animals absorb all colors of light available and the red animals appear black as well since there is no red light to reflect and their bodies absorb all other available wavelengths of light. Thus‚ in the deep ocean‚ red and black animals predominate."

In Australia and snake-infested parts of Indonesia‚ it pays to be resistant to snake venoms even‚ or perhaps especially‚ if you’re part of the same zoologic order as snakes. A study of how large and medium-sized lizards handle the problem of their cousins’ toxins has revealed a never-seen-before evolutionary sequence its discoverers compare to Russian dolls.Some large lizards like to feed on snakes‚ which makes sense because the squamates often live in similar territory‚ but it comes with its own dangers. Many years ago‚ Professor Bryan Fry of the University of Queensland discovered that venom is much more common in lizards than previously recognized‚ but few produce anything nearly as potent as their legless counterparts.Such a diet comes with risks‚ however‚ since the snakes don’t take kindly to being eaten. Smaller lizards can in turn be prey to snakes‚ who use the venom to subdue their dinners. In both cases‚ having some resistance to the venom can be the difference between life and death. Fry and PhD student Uthpala Chandrasekara set out to explore how the lizards deal with the poison‚ studying 27 varanid lizard species (25 of them Australian)‚ and discovered a much more complex story than they imagined.For one thing‚ lizards have evolved two quite different methods of venom resistance. Komodo dragons and the perentie rely on armor a medieval knight might envy. “Their thick‚ bone-filled scales are enough to protect them against snakebite‚ while their large teeth are used to quickly dismember the fettuccini-like snakes‚” Fry said in a statement sent to IFLScience. Bryan Fry admiring the snake-repelling scales of a Komodo dragon‚ the future of humanity.Image credit: Bryan FrySmaller lizards can’t carry that much weight‚ so they instead developed biochemical defenses. Using synthetic nerves that Fry helped invent that allow scientists to study nerve behavior without needing to use live animals‚ the team discovered some lizards have evolved nerves that are less susceptible to the local snakes’ neurotoxins.“Every biological application comes with a tax‚” Fry told IFLScience. In the case of neurotoxin resistance‚ this is slower nerve response times – a problem for primates and lizards alike. Consequently‚ while the big lizards stay armored‚ when their smaller counterparts find themselves in places without a lot of snakes‚ they quickly lose their resistance. This can either result from moving outside the snakes’ range‚ or taking to the trees‚ where some lizards have found safety.Every time the lizards find themselves too close to snakes for comfort‚ they re-evolve resistance. However‚ Fry told IFLScience‚ each time this happens‚ it is with a slightly different mutation. Consequently‚ zoologists can track the lizards’ history by observing all the genetic changes that have seen them evolve and lose resistance genes over and over again.“This complex dance of adaptation has resulted in a Russian doll-like nesting of gains and losses over time and suggests that the evolutionary battle doesn’t always head in one direction‚” Chandrasekara said.Naturally‚ the snakes do not take the resistance… ok they’re definitely lying down‚ but that doesn’t mean they just accept it. Instead‚ they are constantly evolving new venoms that get around the lizards’ resistance‚ creating a biological arms race that only stops when the two don’t overlap much.Although Fry recently made headlines leading the celebrity-assisted discovery of the world’s largest snake‚ venom is his primary specialization. Most of his discoveries come accompanied with suggestions the work could lead to better antivenoms or have potential for medications‚ in the footsteps of captopril derived from Brazilian viper venom. In this case‚ however‚ he told IFLScience there is “zero practical use”. That said‚ he can see the appeal of genetically modifying humans to have snake-repelling scales‚ acknowledging an affiliation with the mad scientist in a Spiderman cartoon who says he doesn’t want to cure cancer‚ he “want[s] to turn people into dinosaurs.”The study is published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Barbie-pink sea pigs‚ rattail fish‚ and a unicumber: these were the unexpected stars of a recent expedition into the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) where scientists are studying biodiversity. The region’s animal life is of particular interest because it’s also the proposed site of deep-sea mining‚ being home to a huge volume of “sea potatoes” that contain the precious metals we need for the green revolution.Amperima “sea pigs” and “unicumbers” were perhaps the most alien of the critters captured on camera by the team led by Dr Adrian Glover‚ a deep-sea researcher at London’s Natural History Museum (NHM). This included the hot-pink "Barbie pig" whose nickname was coined by Southampton PhD student Bethany Fleming after most of the team watched the movie on the plane to Costa Rica. The curious creatures may even be new-to-science species‚ making their debut in these first-ever high-definition photos."We can assume that many of these species will be new to science‚" Regen Drennan‚ a post-doctoral marine biologist at London NHM‚ told IFLScience. "Sometimes they have been seen/observed/known before‚ but not collected or formally described. For example‚ the sea pig nicknamed the unicumber had been seen in previous seabed imagery surveys‚ but not collected or imaged in high definition to the best of our knowledge.""All the specimens that have been collected will be brought back to the museum‚ where they will be identified and studied by the researchers here‚" added Eva Stewart‚ also a post-doctoral marine biologist based at the NHM. "Some may be described as new species‚ and lots of the specimens will be used for research looking at patterns of diversity across the seafloor in this area."The team also spotted rattail fish‚ one of the few vertebrates that can survive at such great depths. The expedition journeyed 4‚000-5‚000 meters (13‚000-16‚000 feet) below the surface of the central Pacific as part of the SMARTEX project to explore the CCZ‚ keeping an eye out for what curious life exists here.It’s a question of global interest due to the great fields of sea potatoes‚ also known as deep-sea tubers or manganese nodules‚ that can be found here. These black rocks don’t look like much‚ but they are one of the richest-known sources of cobalt‚ nickel‚ and manganese on the planet: three things we’re going to need a lot of if we’re going to turn all the planet’s gas-guzzling cars into battery-powered ones.The "Unicumber"‚ a see-through sea cucumber.Image credit: © #NHMDeepSea Group‚ Natural History Museum‚ UK“[Ninety] percent of the world's exploration contracts for nodules are in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone‚ which represent less than half of 1 percent of the global seafloor‚” The Metals Company PR and Media Manager Rory Usher told IFLScience. “But this represents the largest source of manganese‚ nickel‚ and cobalt‚ anywhere on the planet and that dwarfs everything on land by many orders of magnitude. There are enough metals in situ at two of the sites that would satisfy the needs of 280 million cars‚ which represents every car in America‚ or a quarter of the world's vehicle fleet.”Deep-sea mining aims to harvest these nodules by scooping them up off the seabed and transporting them to the surface. The motivation to search for these resources on the seabed is that it represents a purer source that would produce less run-off compared to terrestrial mining. It likely also has less biomass per square meter compared to the forests of Indonesia‚ which is a leading site for mining.“The distribution of these animals seemed to be quite patchy - the dominant sea cucumber on one ROV dive might be completely absent at another location‚ with a different one more common‚” continued Drennan. “But in terms of density that we are used to‚ for example on land or shallower marine systems‚ the deep sea in general (and this area of the CCZ) is characterised by very low population densities‚ largely because food is so limited at these depths.”Rattail fish‚ one of the few vertebrates that can survive at these depths.Image credit: © #NHMDeepSea Group‚ Natural History Museum‚ UK“Therefore‚ even when we discuss a ‘dominant’ species‚ this is still at relatively low numbers. What will be important to understand is the presence of species over large spatial scales‚ and connectivity between populations across these large scales.”Before we can start scooping up these precious potatoes‚ much research needs to be done to establish if disturbing the seabed and creating sediment plumes in this otherwise pristine environment could have a negative influence on the survival of wildlife and ecosystems. That’s one of the things SMARTEX – aka‚ Seabed Mining and Resilience to Experimental Impact – hopes to ascertain.

Imagine stumbling upon a story so charming it feels like a breath of fresh air‚ where a wild fox and a dog meet by chance and dive into the most endearing playdate you’ve ever seen. This delightful saga isn’t just a treat to watch — it’s a journey into the heart of animal friendships. With... The post Wild fox sneaks up behind ‘unsuspecting’ dog leading to cutest ‘playtime’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

If you’re a proud pup parent or just utterly smitten with canines‚ you’re well aware of one universal truth – dogs absolutely adore their snacks! But here’s the thing: when you snag those dog treats off the store shelf‚ do you really know what’s inside them? Many of us never glance at the ingredients list‚... The post 8 super-easy and healthy dog treat recipes using just 5 ingredients or less appeared first on Animal Channel.

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Imagine you’re on the edge of your seat‚ eyes wide‚ heart racing. That’s exactly where a group of tourists found themselves during a safari adventure in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Their guide‚ a quick-thinking individual named Bongani Yende‚ was about to become an unexpected hero. The day took a turn when an elephant‚ clearly in... The post Tourists’ safari ride turns frightening when they encounter angry elephant appeared first on Animal Channel.