RESCUE IN SPACE

Fortunately, space emergencies are a rare occurrence, but astronauts and space agencies need to be prepared for any eventuality that might arise

NEANDERTHAL LIVING

Why our prehistoric cousins were pioneers, not clueless apes

BUILDING ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

One World Trade Center rose from the ashes of the Twin Towers. Now, as the tallest building in New York City, it looks to the skies and the future. Here's how this sustainable and secure record-breaker was built

BECOME A SMARTPHONE SCIENTIST

Amazing tips and tricks to transform your smartphone into a bug-finding, star-spotting, data-gathering device

LIFTING THE LID ON ANTARCTICA

What was the coldest continent like without ice?

URBAN WILDLIFE

How wild animals have evolved to thrive alongside humans in towns and cities

WHAT IS SUNBURN?

How solar rays can leave us red, sore and irritated

ALL ABOUT FAT

Fat is a complex, active organ. Here's how genetics, evolution, lifestyle and diet dictate how much we have beneath our skin

The Space Force is launching lasers into orbit

The Space Force aims to better pinpoint the location of Earth's true centre using lasers on GPS satellites, slated to launch in 2025. A set of Laser Retroreflector Arrays, or LRAS, will be installed onto two GPS III satellites, SV9 and SV10, as part of NASA's Space Geodesy Program. The lasers are designed to make precise sub-centimetre measurements using a technique called Satellite Laser Ranging, which will allow researchers to more accurately determine Earth's centre.

Eating too much sugar may accelerate cellular ageing

A nutrient-rich diet with few added sugars may slow the rate of biological ageing in women. Scientists found that middle-aged women who ate more foods packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants had 'younger looking' cells than those who consumed less nutrient-rich diets.

Sapphires form inside volcanoes, not deep in the mantle

Brilliant-blue sapphires look like bits of sky brought down to Earth, but a new study finds these gemstones are from a different boundary: the one between the planet's crust and magma welling up from the mantle, Earth's middle layer. Sapphires have been thought to form in the mantle itself or in the lower sections of the crust.

Webb confirms the earliest known galaxy is erupting in stars

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted the earliest galaxy ever seen, and its unusually bright light is coming from a bizarre frenzy of star formation. Named JADES-GS-z14-0, the galaxy formed at least 290 million years after the Big Bang and contains stars that have been bursting into life since an estimated 200 million years after our universe began.

Ancient Egyptians may have used a hydraulic lift to build the first pyramid

Ancient Egyptians may have used an elaborate hydraulic system to construct the world's first pyramid. Known as the Pyramid of Djoser, the step pyramid was built around 4,700 years ago on the Saqqara plateau, an archaeological site in northern Egypt.

T. rex could have been 70 per cent bigger

There's no denying that Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest dinosaurs to ever walk the planet. But how big could this dinosaur get? In a new investigation, researchers attempted to answer that. Palaeontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa estimated that the largest T. rex may have tipped the scales at a whopping 15,000 kilograms, making it heavier than an average school bus, which weighs about 11,000 kilograms.

Scientists achieve record-breaking data transmission speeds

Researchers have achieved record-breaking fibre-optic data transfer speeds of 402 terabits per second, roughly 1.6 million times faster than typical home broadband speeds. Scientists at Aston University in the UK achieved these new speeds by tapping into all the wavelength bands used in commercially available fibreoptic cables. Only one or two bands are used in most fibre-optic broadband connections.

'Hypervirulent' superbug detected in 16 countries

Dangerous new strains of a \"hypervirulent' superbug have been found in 16 countries, including the US, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a new report.

HOW ANIMALS LIVE IN EXTREMES

Surviving in some of the world's harshest environments is tough, but not for these robust species

HOW TO OPERATE ON THE BRAIN

The procedures and surgical techniques that tackle problems inside your skull

HOW AEROPLANE ESCAPE HATCHES WORK

Discover the engineering that allows an entire commercial aircraft to be evacuated in under two minutes

AMAZING OLYMPIC INNOVATIONS

The 2024 Summer Olympics comes with an array of inspired inventions, from performance-enhancing footwear to Al-powered judges

Solar power generates enough heat to power a steel furnace

Scientists have used solar power to heat an object to 1,000 degrees Celsius - hot enough to power a steel furnace.

New antivenom invented for black widow spider bites

Scientists have invented a new antivenom for European black widow spider bites that uses human antibodies to mitigate the effects of the arachnid’s painful toxins.

50,000-year-old Neanderthal bones harbour the oldest known human viruses

Meanderthals who lived 50,000 years ago were infected with three viruses that still affect modern humans today, researchers have discovered.

A new study shows crows can count out loud

Crows can count out loud, a startling new study has revealed, and they may even have the same numeracy skills as human toddlers.

Canadian 'super pigs' are likely to invade the northern US

Feral 'super pigs' in Canada could soon trample across the US border.

Heavy metals in Beethoven's hair may explain his deafness

High levels of heavy metals detected in Ludwig van Beethoven's hair reveal that he may have had lead poisoning, possibly contributing to his deafness and other illnesses.

The bizarre evolutionary roots of upside-down baobab trees revealed

The iconic 'upside-down' baobab tree first emerged on the island of Madagascar, new research into its tangled evolutionary history has revealed.

The James Webb Space Telescope sees the birth of three ancient galaxies

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope may have detected some of the earliest galaxies in the known universe in the midst of being born.

COULD A SUPERNOVA WORDS ANDREW MAY ENGULF EARTH?

We put some intriguing, baffling and bizarre space questions under the spotlight

Understanding MENTAL HEALTH

Take a tour of the brain to discover the origins of anxiety and how to tackle it