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Why do some mammals lay eggs?

The question of why some mammals lay eggs, among other questions, has been answered in a study in 2021 that looked at monotreme (egg-laying mammal) DNA. Researchers sequenced the genomes of platypuses (and echidnas) and compared them to that of chickens, humans, rats, Tasmanian devils, and lizards to “[improve] our understanding of how other mammals […]

Science Education in Early Years Learning

Science education in early years plays such a key part in a child’s development, but why is it so important at this age? Because it is these early years that most of a child’s brain development occurs.   Ante-natal: Around week six the first electrical brain activity begins. This is a baby’s first synapses firing, […]

What is British Science Week? A celebration of science for all ages.

Despite its name, British Science Week (BSW) is a 10 day festival celebrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics. But how did it start? This festival is organised by the British Science Association (BSA), founded in 1831, and grew from annual meetings they held across the UK to bring scientists together to discuss their ground-breaking work […]

New dinosaur species – the world’s largest Jurassic pterosaur

PhD student Amelia Penny discovered a new dinosaur species which is also the world’s largest Jurassic pterosaur – a 170-million-year-old winged reptile – protruding from the rocks of the Isle of Skye.   PhD student Amelia Penny points to the fossil she discovered.   Originally discovered in 2017 , further examination led by PhD student […]

CT scan reveals dinosaurs caught coughs!

Researchers have discovered dinosaurs caught coughs and colds like we do today. Evidence of respiratory infection was revealed while examining the fossilized vertebrae of a young, long-necked sauropod – a diplodocid known as Dolly! Dolly’s skull and some neck vertebrae were discovered in 1990 in Montana and are approximately 150 million years old. When researchers […]

Dinosaur discovery: crocodile had dinosaur for last meal

Australian scientists have announced the discovery not only of a new species of crocodile – but also that its last meal was a dinosaur – 95 million years ago! While piecing together the crocodile, named Confractosuchus sauroktonos (try saying that fast, three times) or the “broken dinosaur killer”, researchers found the skeletal remains of a […]

Meet baby dinosaur Yingliang, the 66 million year old embryo.

Did you hear about the recent discovery of a baby dinosaur? A perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo was discovered in Ganzhou (southern China), as recently as December 2021. Researcher Dr Fion Waisum Ma said it is “the best dinosaur embryo ever found in history”. The baby dino has been affectionately named Baby Yingliang and is estimated […]

Sue in conversation with Dr. Sophie Dauvois

Sue Atkins, ITV ‘This Morning’, BBC Radio and Disney Jnr UK’s Parenting Expert, has described OKIDO as “a wonderful gift for grandparents & aunts & uncles to give as Christmas presents – it’s bursting with activities, fun & learning” and features the magazine on her Sue Atkins Recommends page. Our Editor and Co-founder, Sophie Dauvois, […]