The rocks contain high levels of silica and hydrogen which are ideal for preserving evidence of carbon-containing organic materials that could point to signs of ancient life. Elk lies downhill from a geological contact zone the rover has been studying near 'Marias Pass' (left) on lower Mount. Sharp. Upon its return, the rover looked at a similar region, dubbed 'Lamoose' (right).
Bugzilla! If you're scared of insects, look away from these magnified images
Windows 10, the biggest update Microsoft has made to its computer software, has finally launched after a massive beta test programme.
The Death Star weapon is here! Japan fires world's most powerful laser to produce energy equal to 1,000 times the planet's power consumption
Osaka University was able to produce a 2-petawatt - or 2 quadrillion-watt - laser beam using the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiments. This is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's electricity consumption, causing the laser to be compared to that on the Death Star in Star Wars (inset). The energy of the laser beam itself was only powerful enough to run a microwave for around two seconds. However, the team were able to produce such a high output by concentrating the power to 1 pico-second, or around a trillionth of a second.
What are the 'blood trails' on Saturn's moon? Experts are stumped by mysterious arch-shaped red lines on Tethys' icy surface
Cassini has spotted mysterious red lines, several hundred miles long, scratched across the surface of Saturn's icy moon Tethys (inset). The unexplained arc-shaped 'blood trails' are among the most unusual colour features on Saturn's moons to be revealed by the probe. Scientists are baffled by the presence of the red lines, with some suggesting they may be exposed ice with chemical impurities, or the result of outgassing from inside Tethys.
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- The mysterious Chinese house of horrors: Researchers find almost 100 deformed dead bodies stacked in ancient home
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- Nasa's 'impossible' fuel-free thrusters DO work: German scientists confirm viability of super-fast space travel that could slash a journey to the moon down to 4 HOURS
- The mystery of the 'Moose' and 'Elk' on Mars: Curiosity sent back to examine strange rocks on red planet’s surface
- Dolphin species work together to BABYSIT: Bottlenose and Atlantic spotted mammals team up to chase away intruders
- Video from fatal Virgin Galactic crash released as co-pilot tells inquiry of harrowing accident that killed his colleague
- Windows 10 security alert as new 'feature' automatically shares your wifi passwords with ALL Outlook, Skype and Facebook contacts who also have the software
- Back to the future? Time travel could create doppelgangers that would ultimately destroy each other, claims radical theory
- The military wants to startle protesters with NOISE: Laser gun will terrify people using screaming balls of plasma
- Is the truth out there? TEN UFOs are spotted ‘dancing’ in the skies above Japan sparking mystery
- The Death Star weapon is here! Japan fires world's most powerful laser to produce energy equal to 1,000 times the planet's power consumption
- What makes us cheat? HORMONES: People with high levels of certain chemicals 'are more likely to behave badly'
- Have scientists invented real-life adamantium? New metal alloy has highest melting point of any known substance at 4,126°C
- And we needed a study to tell us this? Texting while walking makes people move more slowly
- Could house dust be making children FAT? Chemicals found in grime 'trigger protein linked to obesity'
- Are YOU prepared for a major solar storm? World will have just 12 hours warning if the sun erupts
- The Death Star weapon is here! Japan fires world's most powerful laser to produce energy equal to 1,000 times the planet's power consumption
- Are YOU prepared for a major solar storm? World will have just 12 hours warning if the sun erupts
- Meet the crazy gang! Researchers reveal incredible teamworking skills of ANTS
- Nasa's 'impossible' fuel-free thrusters DO work: German scientists confirm viability of super-fast space travel that could slash a journey to the moon down to 4 HOURS
- The mysterious Chinese house of horrors: Researchers find almost 100 deformed dead bodies stacked in ancient home
- Chimps detox too! Primates binge on mineral-rich clay to purify their bodies and boost their health
- The chemistry of TATTOOS: Video reveals why the 3,000 puncture wounds endured per minute result in a permanent inking
- Back to the future? Time travel could create doppelgangers that would ultimately destroy each other, claims radical theory
- Would you use a SPRAY-ON condom? Girlplay concept uses aerosol latex to prevent pregnancy
- Jamestown's original four colonial leaders discovered buried under the church where Pocahontas was married amid claims one may have been a Spanish SPY
- Windows 10 security alert as new 'feature' automatically shares your wifi passwords with ALL Outlook, Skype and Facebook contacts who also have the software
- Have scientists invented real-life adamantium? New metal alloy has highest melting point of any known substance at 4,126°C
- Is Pluto's atmosphere about to COLLAPSE? New Horizons spacecraft may have made it to dwarf planet in the nick of time
- Google wants the world to go meat-free: Search giant tried to buy a veggie burger start-up for $300 MILLION
- Windows 10 is here: Microsoft finally launches 'last version' of its OS as experts give it a lukewarm reception (but say you should still upgrade)
- Mystery of the BLOB solved? Massive underwater ‘cloud’ off the Turkish coast is a mass of millions of squid eggs, says expert
- The mystery of the 'Moose' and 'Elk' on Mars: Curiosity sent back to examine strange rocks on red planet’s surface
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Why your WET DOG smells so distinctive: Canine pong contains notes of honey and almonds ... and a touch of sulphur
A Bournemouth-based chemistry teacher explains bacteria and yeast dwelling in dog hair are mostly responsible for the nasty odour. A study identified smelly compounds that increase when a dog is wet (stock image inset). These include almond-like benzaldehyde, honey-like phenylacetaldehyde (top row) fruity acetaldehyde, 'medicinal' phenol and 2-methylbutanal, which is described as 'musty and nutty'. Odours of faeces, sulphur, mushroom and fruit (bottom row) are also involved.
Jamestown's original four colonial leaders discovered buried under the church where Pocahontas was married amid claims one may have been a Spanish SPY
Archaeologists have uncovered human remains of four of the earliest leaders of the English colony that would become America (main image), buried for more than 400 years near the altar of what was America's first Protestant church in Jamestown, Virginia (top right). Researchers were stunned to find one of the, identified as Capt. Gabriel Archer , a vociferous critic and rival of Captain John Smith, was buried with catholic artefacts (bottom right), leading to claims he was part of a secret catholic cell or a Spanish spy.
From Occota to Haulani: Nasa renames the features of Ceres after gods and reveals its dramatic terrain in stunning new maps
Colourful new maps of the dwarf planet sh height differences between crater bottoms and mountain peaks as great as 9 miles (15km). Some of these craters and other features now have official names, inspired by spirits and deities relating to agriculture from a variety of cultures, such as Haulani, after the Hawaiian plant goddess. The newly labeled features also include Occator, the mysterious crater containing Ceres' brightest spots, which has a diameter of about 60 miles (90km) and a depth of about 2 miles (4km).
Nasa's biggest ever rocket gets closer to reality: Agency completes review of Space Launch System to send humans to Mars
The Space Launch System (SLS) is set to usher in a new era of exploration to destinations beyond Earth's orbit. The in-depth review - the first in almost 40 years for a Nasa exploration class vehicle - provides a final look at the design of the rocket before full-scale construction begins. The final design will stand 322ft (1,012 metres) tall, provide 8.4 million pounds of thrust at lift-off, weigh 5.5 million pounds. It will also carry 70 metric tons or 154,000 pounds of payload - equivalent to approximately 77 one-ton pickup trucks' worth of cargo.
Is the OnePlus 2 an iPhone killer? £239 smartphone boasts a powerful camera and high res screen for half the cost of Apple's handset
Made by a Chinese start-up, the 5.5-inch model (main image) with a 13 megapixel camera is the follow-up to last year's popular OnePlus One. It runs Android Lollipop and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor. One of the phone's selling points is its powerful 13 megapixel camera with image stabilisation, a laser focusing system and two-tone flash as well as a 5 megapixel front-facing camera for selfies. It comes in a variety of finishes (pictured inset).
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All around the world... and beyond
British photographers Fiona Rogers and Anup Shah captured apes in Indonesia and Borneo - and highlighted how human our evolutionary cousins are.