Boeing’s Starliner leaves space station for Earth – without its astronauts
Nasa’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who flew Starliner amid technical failures, will remain at ISS until February Boeing’s Starliner space capsule undocked to leave the International Space Station on Friday – months after its original departure date and without the two astronauts it carried when it launched in early June. According to Nasa, the […]
DRC receives first donation of 100,000 mpox vaccines to contain outbreak
Jab not yet approved for children, who make up most cases, while officials warn millions more doses will be required The first donation of mpox vaccines arrived in Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday, but officials say millions more doses will be needed. The announcement came amid warnings that the geographical spread of the […]
Experience: we discovered a rare T rex fossil
My hands were shaking. It was the first time a person had touched it and the first time it had been seen in 66 million years I have loved dinosaurs since I was a little kid. I have loads of model dinosaurs, books about dinosaurs and I’ve watched all the Jurassic Park movies. My dad, Sam, […]
Light pollution at night may increase risk of Alzheimer’s, study finds
Research says outdoor light exposure in evening increases prevalence of the disease, especially in people under age 65 New research claims that exposure to outdoor light at night may increase the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in people under the age of 65. The researchers who conducted the study, funded by a National Institutes of […]
Common food dye found to make skin and muscle temporarily transparent
Researchers say procedure not yet tested on people could eventually be used to help locate injuries or tumours Researchers have peered into the brains and bodies of living animals after discovering that a common food dye can make skin, muscle and connective tissues temporarily transparent. Applying the dye to the belly of a mouse made […]
Stonehenge tale gets ‘weirder’ as Orkney is ruled out as altar stone origin
Weeks after revelation that megalith came from Scotland, researchers make surprise discovery The plot has thickened on the mystery of the altar stone of Stonehenge, weeks after geologists sensationally revealed that the huge neolithic rock had been transported hundreds of miles to Wiltshire from the very north of Scotland. That discovery, described as “jaw-dropping” by […]
Treating eyesight issues could prevent one in five dementia cases, study finds
Up to 19% of dementia cases in older people could be attributed to vision impairments, research suggests Up to one in five cases of dementia in older people might be avoided if problems with eyesight are prevented or treated, research has suggested. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 55 million people living […]
The race to understand mpox – podcast
Last month the World Health Organization declared the recent mpox outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern. As scientists race to find out more about the new strain, Ian Sample talks to Trudie Lang, professor of global health research and director of the global health […]
Airbus trials prototype space rovers in Bedfordshire quarry
Fitted with robotic arms and navigation cameras, the rovers are being developed for mooted missions to the moon and Mars Two space rover prototypes that could be used to help search for life on Mars are being trialled at a quarry in Bedfordshire. The robots are being put through their paces by the European aerospace […]
Romans’ siege wall in Masada may have been built in a fortnight, study finds
New archaeological research adds to view that siege may have been quicker and more efficient than was thought The Roman siege of Jewish rebels in Masada, one of the founding myths of modern Israel, may have been far quicker and more efficient and brutal than it has been traditionally represented as, according to new archaeological […]