Brazilian reptile species named after Aragorn from Lord of the Rings

A newly discovered reptile that lived 250 million years ago even before the dinosaurs has been named after a Lord of the Rings character. The new species, called Elessaurus gondwanoccidens, was discovered among rocky deposits not far from the Argentina border.  E. gondwanoccidens is named after the Elvish name (Elessar) of Aragorn from Lord of … Read more

Lord Of The Rings dialect coach and Star Wars actor Andrew Jack dies at 76 of COVID-19 complications

Andrew Jack, the premier dialect coach who worked on The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy, has died of COVID-19 complications aged 76. He succumbed to the illness at a hospital near London while his wife Gabrielle Rogers had to remain in quarantine in Australia, unable to say goodbye in person. Social distancing restrictions have … Read more

Teeth act as a ‘faithful archive of life’ and form layers like tree rings

Teeth act as a ‘faithful archive of life’ by forming layers like tree rings that reveal intimate details of a person’s life such as when they got pregnant, fell ill or were in prison Material called cementum in teeth develops a new microscopic layer every year   Lab analysis reveals it changes in shape and structure … Read more

Medical workers in San Francisco test ‘smart rings’ that will monitor for coronavirus warning signs

What is the coronavirus?  A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body’s normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word ‘corona’, which means crown, because they are encased by a … Read more