The mystery of the 'Moose' and 'Elk' on Mars: Curiosity sent back to examine strange rocks on red planet's surface

Curiosity sent back to Mars to examine 'Moose' and 'Elk' rocks on planet’s surface

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).

Dolphin species work together to BABYSIT: Bottlenose and Atlantic spotted mammals team up to chase away intruders

Atlantic spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins were studied by The Wild Dolphin Project in The Bahamas over the space of 30 years, providing insight into how the species rely on each other.

Video from fatal Virgin Galactic crash released as co-pilot tells inquiry of harrowing accident that killed his colleague

Video from onboard cameras revealing the fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic spaceship last year has been released, along with surviving pilot's recollection of his harrowing fall to Earth.

Back to the future? Time travel could create doppelgangers that would ultimately destroy each other, claims radical theory

Robert Nemiroff, a physicist at Michigan Technological University has worked out mathematical equations to show how this could happen if faster-than-light travel was possible.

The military wants to startle protesters with NOISE: Laser gun will terrify people using screaming balls of plasma

Dubbed the Laser-Induced Plasma Effect, or LIPE, the weapon would be able to produce 130-decibels of noise in a targeted area, equal to that produced by a fighter jet.

Is the truth out there: TEN UFOs are spotted 'dancing' in the skies above Japan sparking mystery

The lights, pictured, appear to float above Osaka for a full two minutes, making their way from one side of the skyline to the other as the cameraman catches the weird phenomenon on camera.

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

Japan fires world's most powerful laser and is compared to Death Star weapon

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 makes us cheat? HORMONES: People with high levels of certain chemicals 'are more likely to behave badly' 

New research from Harvard and the University of Texas suggests that higher levels of two hormones in our bodies, testosterone and cortisol, encourages cheating and other unethical behaviour.

Video from Fatal Virgin Galactic crash released as co-pilot tells inquiry of harrowing accident that killed his colleague

Video from onboard cameras revealing the fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic spaceship last year has been released, along with surviving pilot's recollection of his harrowing fall to Earth.

Have scientists invented real-life adamantium? New alloy has highest melting point of any known substance at 4,126°C

Scientists at Brown University in Rhode Island have found the formula for an alloy that would melt at 4,126°C (7,460°F). They now hope to synthesise the material from hafnium, carbon and nitrogen.

And we needed a study to tell us this? Texting while walking makes people move more slowly

University of Bath and Texas A&M; University scientists found multi-tasking while walking and using a phone significantly affects the way a person walks.

Could house dust be making children FAT? Chemicals found in grime 'trigger protein linked to obesity'

Scientists at Duke University in North Carolina, found chemicals found in house dust bind to and activate the PPARgamma receptor, which regulates fat metabolism and cell death.

Are YOU prepared for a major solar storm? World will have just 12 hours warning if the sun erupts

The British government has released its Space Weather Preparedness Strategy and warns a major solar storm could trigger power cuts and bring travel disruption as GPS networks go down.

What are the 'blood trails' on Saturn's moon? Experts are stumped by mysterious arch-shaped red lines on Tethys' icy surface

What are the ‘blood trails’ on Saturn’s moon?

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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Failed stars have aurora that glow a million times brighter than the northern lights and could show the way to new planets

Failed stars have aurora that glow a million times brighter than northern lights

So-called failed stars, which are difficult to detect and also remain hard to classify, are too massive to be planets but physicists from the Universities of Sheffield and Oxford have revealed that they host powerful auroras just like Earth.

Life on Earth began with 'hiccups': Reproduction started slowly in primordial soup rather than with a bang

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York used computer models to simulate how strands of molecules like RNA may have first emerged on the early Earth (illustrated).

Did heartburn evolve to protect us from food poisoning? High acid levels in human stomachs may be a hangover of our scavenger past

Biologists at North Carolina State University found humans have similar stomach acidity to scavengers. A thermograph of heartburn in the stomach is shown.

The incredible teamworking skills of ANTS: Leaders and lifters coordinate to navigate and move massive meals

Researchers in Israel have revealed how ants use team work to carry large chunks of food. A carefully balanced system of leaders and lifters allows ants to coordinate their efforts.

China wants to reinvent the internet: Superpower aims to run part of the net on its own terms and police social media

A report suggests China wants to exert influence over every part of the tech industry and web in china, from social media to semi-conductors.

Emoji for FOOD ALLERGIES: Icons showing peanuts, buckwheat and celery may make life easier for people sensitive to foods

A Google engineer in Japan has submitted a proposal to add icons for peanuts, kiwis and milk, among others, to the list of official emoji

City birds are thugs compared to their country cousins: Sparrows are more protective of their territories in urban areas

Biologists from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University said it was an abundance of food in the city - often from people feeding them - that triggers their aggression.

The mysterious Chinese house of horrors: Researchers find almost 100 deformed dead bodies stacked in ancient home 

Chinese house of horrors with 100 deformed dead bodies stacked

The home includes the bodies of juveniles, young adults and middle-age adults - all crammed into a house measuring just 20 square metres. Experts say the scene could have been the result of a 'prehistoric disaster,' and that an epidemic of some sort may be responsible.

Forget passwords and PINs, now you can log-in to online banking with your VOICE: Dutch bank launches sound-activated payments

Dutch bank ING Netherlands has released the voice-activated payment feature through its mobile banking app, providing a quick and easy alternative to entering your PIN.

The chemistry of TATTOOS: Video reveals why the 3,000 puncture wounds endured per minute result in a permanent inking

Rachel Feltman from the Washington Post explains exactly what is happening on the cellular level as she gets inked, including why tattoos are permanent, what the ink is made of and why they fade.

Chimps detox too! Primates binge on mineral-rich clay to purify their bodies and boost their health 

Biologists at the University of Oxford and St Andrews University have found chimps in the Budongo forest in Uganda are eating clay to supplement the minerals in their diet and neutralise toxins.

Happiness is a swing in a hammock (if you're a HAMSTER): Rodents only need to scamper about or play on a swing to boost their mood

A UK study to measure the mood of the animals found that in an 'enriched environment' - with extra bedding and hammocks - they displayed mental states similar to those seen in happy people.

Tyrannosaurus rex had teeth like a STEAK KNIFE: Serrated bite of carnivores could crush bones, analysis reveals

University of Toronto Mississauga paleontologist Kirstin Brink said fossil evidence showed that T. rex's serrated teeth could crush bone and rip through the meat of its prey.

Switching off street lights at night does NOT cause more car crashes or boost crime, study claims 

The University College London study analysed figures for 62 councils in England and Wales and found there was no rise in crime including robberies, sex attacks or burglaries.

The force is strong with Nokia: Firm reveals 'Star Wars' 360 degree virtual reality camera that can even show a live feed

Nokia reveals 'Star Wars' 360 degree virtual reality camera with live feed

The Ozo boasts eight cameras and microphones, and will work with headsets from Oculus and other makers, the Finnish firm says. It also says the camera can offer real time VR - allowing users to really experience 'teleportation'. It also looks uncannily like the Star Wars Jedi trainer (top right).

'Kindle' street signs go on trial in Australia: E-ink screens provide clearer parking instructions in bright sunlight

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Australia's Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) embedded e-ink screens (pictured), like used in Amazon's e-reader, in signs in Sydney for 'the first time' to make life easier for motorists.

Amazon reveals plans for a drone superhighway: Firm details 'air traffic control' for UAVs in bid to speed approval

Its vision, which is in line with that of Google's, is for tracked drones to communicate their positions to a centralised computer system available to all operators, similar to aviation airspace.

Would you use a SPRAY-ON condom? Girlplay concept uses aerosol latex to prevent pregnancy

Michele Chu, a student at Pratt Institute in New York, has designed a spray-on condom that comes with a 'lover's kit' including a smart bra that can be unhooked using a remote control.

Fatal Virgin Galactic crash was caused by 'braking error': Co-pilot unlocked the craft's feathering system too early, report finds

The National Transportation Safety Board found that co-pilot Michael Alsbury unlocked the feathering system at Mach 0.92 instead of Mach 1.4, causing brakes to be applied.

Google wants the world to go meat-free: Search giant tried to buy a veggie burger start-up for $300 MILLION

Impossible foods is working on meat and cheese alternatives made entirely from plants, and hope to unveil its Impossible Burger, made entirely from plants later this year.

AI will make a global arms race 'virtually inevitable': Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk call for ban on automated smart weapons

The warning was made in an open letter by the Future of Life Institute which predicts that it will only be a matter of time until AI weapons they appear on the black market.

Ants like to look their best! Insects use 'combs' and 'brushes' to groom their antenna 

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that ants use three types of hair and bristles on their front legs to meticulously clean dirt from their antennae.

Nowhere to hide: Facial recognition technology can identify people in complete DARKNESS by reading thermal signatures

Facial recognition technology can indentify you in complete darkness

Computer scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, developed the new technique that reads a person's thermal signature. It makes deductions in a similar way to the human brain to analyse infrared images (right) and match them with ordinary photos of people's faces (left).

The smog-eating TOWER: 'World's largest air purifier' building will suck pollutants from the skies to lock them inside jewellery

The Smog Free Tower will create a 'cube of smog' from every 1,000 cubic metres of air it cleans when it travels around the world, starting its journey in Rotterdam in The Netherlands.

'Mother of all Android bugs' could infect almost a BILLION handsets through a simple message users don't even have to open

Mobile security researchers have discovered the 'mother of Android bugs' - and say it can infect your phone simply by receiving an MMS message.

How to make it rain in the DESERT: UAE fires salt rockets in attempt to seed clouds and trigger much-needed downpours

The desert nation UAE ranks among the world's 10 driest countries. Rain triggered through cloud seeding is much cheaper than desalinated water, increasing rain by 70 per cent.

Vikings were the original PACKAGE HOLIDAY tourists: Sightseeing and souvenirs inspired raids on Britain

Dr Ashby from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York said there were social reasons for raids on Britain as well as seeking wealth and power.

Apple's iPhone 6s revealed: Leaked shots show screen of supercharged handset being released in September

The images reveal the front facade of the iPhone 6s, it is claimed. Experts say the device will look almost identical to the 6 and 6 plus on the exterior, but will have a new screen and be far faster.

Does becoming a father make men SEXIST? New role makes attitudes to childcare and housework more traditional, study claims

The University of Queensland study found that after the birth of their first child men believe more strongly that a woman's most important role in life is being a mother.

Why your WET DOG smells so distinctive: Canine pong contains notes of honey and almonds ... and a touch of sulphur

Why your WET DOG smells so distinctive

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.

Does semen control a woman's behaviour? Exposure may affect genes, hormones and fertility, research claims

University of East Anglia scientists, say one of the proteins in semen is a 'master regulator' of genes  - and females exposed to it showed a wide range of changes in gene expression.

Beauty science is BOGUS: Just 14% of claims made by cosmetics firms are acceptable, say researchers

Marketing experts at Valdosta State University, Georgia and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studied how much truth lies in glossy adverts in women's magazines such as Vogue and Elle.

Are YOUR apps hijacking your phone? Thousands of games are secretly running hidden ads, causing mobiles to freeze

Over a 10-day study, Forensiq found one per cent of all devices in the U.S. ran at least one app committing this kind of fraud. In Europe and Asia, two to three per cent of devices are affected.

Apple's Kill Switch fails to clamp down on phone theft: Report reveals RISE in some cities as criminals bypass security feature

In Seattle iPhone thefts and robberies went up by more than 30 per cent in the six months after the Kill Switch was introduced, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Struggling to remember something? Sleep on it: Shut eye doubles chance of recalling something that has been forgotten

Volunteers taking part in a study were asked to remember made-up words either before a night's sleep or after 12 hours of wakefulness.

The anti-DRONE missile: US Army fires steerable smart shells that can bring down UAVs from miles away

Called the Extended Area Protection and Survivability Integrated Demonstration, or EAPS ID, Army bosses revealed the weapon has already been fired at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

Clocks 'SPEAK' to each other: Mystery of how pendulum clocks synchronise their ticks and tocks solved after 350 years

Scientists at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, used high precision optical lasers to measure two pendulum clocks and found the sound they produced gives a 'kick' that alters the pendulum swing.

Jamestown's original four colonial leaders discovered buried under the church where Pocahontas was married amid claims one may have been a Spanish SPY

Jamestown's four early colonial leaders discovered under church

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.

Does music give you an ORGASM? Certain melodies and harmonies can trigger a physical response similar to sex in some

Scientists at Wesleyan University in Connecticut have revealed that while 80 per cent of listeners experience physical reactions to music, a small number experience 'skin orgasms'.

Have we got dark matter all wrong? New theory says mysterious substance acts like a particle discovered in the 1930s

A team of physicists at the University of Tokyo has offered a new hypothesis that suggests dark matter acts like a particle called the pion, which is responsible for binding atomic nuclei together.

Storm in a teacup as Americans reckon they can teach the British how to make the perfect cuppa 

A new American-made guide titled How To Make Tea: The Science Behind The Leaf claims Brits have lost their claim as the world's authority on the drink.

Mystery of a Mayan king: 1,600-year-old stone tablet reveals reign of early ruler in the ancient South American civilisation

Archaeologists at Tulane University have discovered a stone tablet hidden inside the ruins of a shrine at an ancient palace in the jungle of Peten in Guatemala.

Google teams up with Ancestry.com to defeat ageing: Medical research arm Calico will probe our DNA in quest for a longer life

Calico have said that AncestryDNA have a unique combination of resources to help them identify patterns in longevity and heredity that they hope will lead to therapeutic solutions.

Why birds of a feather don't fly together: Endangered species of duck found to migrate to different locations to ensure their survival if disaster strikes 

Researchers studying four common scoters nesting in the same loch found they all split up and flew to different locations in Scotland, Ireland and Morocco.

Will the Apple Watch be the surprise Christmas must have? Best Buy to begin selling smartwatch in time for holidays

The Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models will be sold at more than 300 Best Buy stores in time for the holiday shopping season, a spokeswoman for Apple said.

Is Russia preparing for a new space war? Three mysterious 'communications satellites' launched by the Kremlin have potential to be weapons, say U.S. analysts 

Russia has launched three mystery spacecrafts in 18 months, under cover of routine satellite launches. U.S. analysts say the unusually nimble satellites have the potential to be weaponised.

From Occota to Haulani: Nasa renames the features of Ceres after gods and reveals its dramatic terrain in stunning new maps

Nasa renames the features of Ceres after gods and reveals its dramatic terrain

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).

Too STONED to drive? $4.99 My Canary app tells drivers if their cannabis consumption puts them over the limit

American cannabis advocacy group Norml have released a controversial new app which they claim will be able to asses cannabis users' suitability to drive safely.

Size matters for men, especially when it comes to HEIGHT: Men exaggerate how tall they are to compensate for feelings of inadequacy

If a man feels like his masculinity is being questioned he is more likely to lie about various physical and mental attributes, University of Washington researchers found.

The secret of happiness: Party while you are in college, but concentrate on a few good friends when you hit thirty, say scientists

FILM: Project X (2012) DVD

Researchers say the quantity of social interactions a person has at 20, and the quality of social relationships that person has at age 30, can benefit their well-being later in life.

There's no such thing as 'chemical-free' food! Video exposes idiotic fad for describing products as being natural or chemical

The video was produced by Toronto-based Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown from ASAPScience and explains that bananas, for example, contain more chemicals than some sweets.

Amazon launches Prime Music in the UK: Streaming service goes live, but you'll have to do without Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Jay-Z

Amazon has launched its Prime Music streaming service for subscribers in the UK who pay the £79 a year but did not manage to reach a deal with Universal Music Group.

Does taking the Pill make women better at loading the dishwasher and map reading? Hormones in contraceptives 'boost spatial awareness', study claims

Pennsylvania State University researchers found women taking pills such as Cilest and Yasmin, which lower the amount of the hormone oestrogen in the body, performed better in spatial awareness tasks.

Mystery of HAIR ICE solved: Strange white frozen growths found on trees are engineered by fungus

The physical, chemical and biological processes behind the formation of 'hair ice' has been revealed by researchers in Germany and Switzerland after remaining a mystery for 100 years.

Forget Mars and Curiosity, next up is Jupiter and the WINDBOTS: Nasa wants to send a fleet of flying robots powered by the wind to explore the gas giant

Engineers at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California are developing 'windbots' to float through Jupiter's atmosphere by harvesting energy from the gas giant's turbulent winds.

Nasa's biggest ever rocket gets closer to reality: Agency completes review of Space Launch System to send humans to Mars

Nasa 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.

Follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark: Images from space reveal route of first ever expedition across Western US

The topographic relief maps of the US provides geographic context to the historic journey by showing the expedition's entire route across the Louisiana Territory.

Did humans start farming 11 THOUSAND years earlier than we thought? Stone 'sickles' suggest we were cultivating crops 23,000 years ago

Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of an early human settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel where plants were being cultivated and harvested for food.

How clean is YOUR car? Deadly bugs such as E.coli and found lurking on steering wheels and handbrakes caused by people eating and drinking on the move

Cars were put under the microscope by scientists from the University of Nottingham. They found evidence of potentially deadly bugs staphylococcus and Ecoli lurking on steering wheels.

The schizophrenia gene test for babies: 'Immense' breakthrough discovers if gene linked to mental illness is active in infants 

Researchers in Cardiff discovered that the gene associated with schizophrenia is active in newborns, which raises the possibility that infants could be screened and treated before it develops.

Scientists say humans really could become IMMORTAL, but only if they're wealthy

University of Arizona researcher, Wolfgang Fink, says that while the technology remains in the realm of science fiction, the ability to create immortal humans may not be all that far-fetched.

Jay Z invests in 'Uber for private jets': App that lets you book an executive plane anywhere in seconds raises $20 million

Jetsmarter, an app built by 27-year-old entrepreneur Sergey Petrossev, said the money will go to expanding routes and buying up more flights from carriers.

Battle to save the hugging chimps: Heartbreaking story of 66 apes and a baby 'abandoned' on island by medical firm after they finished experimenting on them

The chimps were captured by the New York Blood Centre and held on small islets in the south of Liberia where they were infected with diseases in a bid to find vaccines for them.

Strange 'conehead' skeleton unearthed at Russia's Stonehenge: Elongated head was bound in tribal tradition 2,000 years ago

Strange skeleton with 'alien' skull unearthed at 'Russia's Stonehenge'

It is believed that the woman belonged to a tribe that was part of what is now modern day Ukraine. The remains were found in Arkaim, near Chelyabinsk in central Russia. She had an elongated skull which was bound when she was a child. This practice is thought to have been a tribal tradition.

Why we live on Earth and not Venus: Early asteroid bombardments created conditions just right for life to emerge, study reveals

Researchers at the University of British Columbia claim that the shedding of the Earth's first crust was crucial to the development of a habitable climate due to regular volcanic activity.

Move over Kentucky, Israel had the original recipe chicken: Bone discovery suggests Maresha was the first to use the bird as food

Researchers recently dug up a collection of more than 1,000, well-preserved chicken bones in the region, which appeared to have knife marks from butchering.

World's oldest Koran found: Pages from ancient manuscript may have been written shortly after Prophet Mohammad died - but could 1,400-year-old parchment spark Elgin Marbles-style row?

Two pieces of parchment written on in ink were found bound with pages of another younger copy of the Koran in the University of Birmingham's library, but were discovered to be up to 1,448 years old.

The violent death throes of a supernova revealed: Beautiful animation shows a star DYING in 3D

The final seconds in the life of a very massive star are captured in 3-D by an MSU-led team of scientists. This is the first time a 3-D model of such a star has been developed and could lead to a better understanding of why these stars blow up as supernovae. Photo courtesy of S.M. Couch.

SEEING TRIPLE: NEW 3-D MODEL COULD SOLVE SUPERNOVA MYSTERY
Contact(s): Tom Oswald , Sean Couch

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Giant stars die a violent death. After a life of several million years, they collapse into themselves and then explode in what is known as a supernova.

How these stars explode remains a mystery. However, recent work led by Michigan State University may bring some answers to this astronomical question.

In a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team details how it developed a three-dimensional model of a giant star?s last moments.

?This is something that has never been done before,? said Sean Couch, an MSU assistant professor of physics and astronomy and lead author of the

Exactly how stars explode remains one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy. Now, researchers in Michigan believe they have come closer to an answer by creating a 3D model of a dying star.

What does YOUR music taste say about you? Sex pistols fans love to be organised, while Taylor Swift listeners have more empathy, finds study

Researchers at Cambridge University found that music listeners usually fall into one of two camps: those who are empathisers, and those who are systemisers.

Just ONE night of bad sleep can alter your genes: Pulling an all-nighter damages the DNA in our biological clocks, claims study

Researchers in Sweden say disrupted biological clocks can affect everything from changes in our body temperature, appetite and even brain activity.

How to REALLY tell if your milk has gone bad: 3D-printed bottle caps warn you if the drink is past its best 

The 3D-printed 'smart caps' were designed by researchers at the University of California at Berkley and measure changes in resonance frequency caused by increasing bacteria levels.

Why do black Americans live shorter lives than white Americans? Controversial studies claim it could be down to sleep

A study, led by Diane Lauderdale at the University of Chicago found white people seem to sleep more than black people. And this, some researchers claim, is behind the health gap.

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

Is the OnePlus 2 an Apple iPhone killer?

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).

Does this tooth belong to one of the first Europeans? 580,000-year-old incisor unearthed in French cave by teenager

Volunteer Camille Jacquey unearthed the tooth in the rocky soil of the Arago Cave in Tautaval in the French Pyrenees. Experts have described it as a 'major discovery'.

What happens to Alka-seltzer in space? Effervescent tablet fizzes furiously inside a floating bubble of water... but drinking it might be a bit of a headache

Nasa astronaut Terry Virts added an antacid tablet to a globule of water on the International Space Station to see what would happen. In low gravity it fizzed in mid-air, spitting water in all directions.

The boy with a DOUBLE hand transplant: Zion, 8, shows off new limbs after he lost both to infection

A 40-person team at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia labored for 11 hours earlier this month to give an 8-year-old Zion Harvey a new set of hands.

Underwater eruptions that created two new islands in the Red Sea could reveal a hidden volcanic region, say scientists

The new islands, dubbed Sholan and Jadid, were born in the Zubair Archipelago between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Monstrous GIANT SQUID caught on camera: Russian fishermen desperately try to save their catch from terror of the deep

The squid can be seen feasting on a fish as it is hauled out of the ocean onto a fishing vessel while Russian sailors try to prod it with a long pole from the side of the boat to try to save their catch.

Self-driving trucks are just TWO years away says Daimler as it is set to get go-ahead for trials on German roads within months

First tests of semi-autonomous trucks will take place in Daimler's home state Baden-Wuerttemberg while the start of production is 2-3 years away, the firm says.

End of the world is not nigh after all (it's been pushed back till 2100): Scientists use computer model to predict how quickly resources will run out

A doom-laden US study in 1972 predicted that the earth would run out of food and resources, becoming uninhabitable by around 2050. British scientists now claim we have a little more time.

The HUMAN water bomb: Watch a giant balloon with a man inside burst in spectacular slow motion

The 4K video is a remake of a video made by the Texas-based Slow Mo Guys in 2011. The latest video shows one half of the pair, Daniel Gruchy, inside a 6ft water balloon as it fills with water.

Can't control your shopping habit? You're probably an extrovert, say scientists

Women with shopping bags happily walking through town square. 

Image shot 2012. Exact date unknown.
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Extroverts are far more likely to indulge in impulsive spending, have higher credit card debts and reduced savings, researchers say.

Is Nintendo working on the ultimate sleep tracker? Patents hint at gadget that projects health and emotional data onto your ceiling

A number of patents filed by the Japanese firm hints it is working on a sleep monitoring device that could be part of its plan to diversify into 'Quality of Life' products.

New Horizons finds another icy mountain range on Pluto, and reveals the dwarf planet's tiniest 'red jellybean' moon

New Horizons spotted a new, apparently less lofty series of mountains on the lower-left edge of Pluto's best known feature, the bright, heart-shaped region named Tombaugh Regio.

America wins robot soccer world cup: Thor triumphs in China as organisers pledge to take on a human team by 2050

THOR, a humanoid robot under the command of UCLA and University of Pennsylvania, has kicked its way to the top of the robotic soccer world, winning first place and a top technology trophy on July 22 at RoboCup, an annual robot soccer tournament held this year in Hefei, China. More than 400 teams from 40-plus countries participated.

UCLA and University of Pennsylvania students partnered to lead Team THORwIn (named for THOR and Darwin, a smaller robot that the team has competed with in the past) to victory in the adult-size humanoid robot category with a 5-4 win in the finals over Baset Robot Laboratory of Tehran. Team THORwIn also earned RoboCup?s Louis Vuitton Cup Best Humanoid Award, given to the team that best demonstrates advances in artificial intelligence and robotics.


RoMeLa/UCLA
Members of Team THORwIn work on algorithms and software at the 2015 RoboCup competition.
The team will get to keep the trophy, a Baccarat crystal statue, for a year.

The world championship title is

It's not just America's women who have triumphed in a soccer world cup. Thor, a 5-foot-tall,humanoid robot built by UCLA and University of Pennsylvania has won the 'RoboCup'.

The Amazon's last lost tribe: Never-before-seen pictures capture the lives of Peruvian nomads who are untouched by civilization

EXCLUSIVE: Never-before-seen photographs of the Mashco Piro tribe have emerged, revealing previously untold secrets of their way of life. The government in Peru is trying to contact them.

Formula One for DRONES: Aircraft dodge obstacles and crash into each other while tackling a fiendishly difficult racecourse

The flying machines were controlled by competitors wearing goggles with video links at a difficult course at Drinkwater Park in the north Manchester suburb of Prestwich.

Major earthquake on San Francisco's Hayward Fault expected 'any day now': 140-year wait has come to an end, claims geophysicist

Residents of the San Francisco Bay area should prepare for a major earthquake 'any day now' according to a scientist from the US Geological Survey.

Want to be rich? It helps if you're a PSYCHOPATH: Economist reveals common factors among the world's wealthiest people

Couple drinking champagne in limo

Money money money,' as Abba once sang with typically Scandinavian wisdom, 'it's a rich man's world'. We all know the truth of this, whether we have enough money or not.

Are Apple's earpods going wireless? Patent suggests fitness-friendly rubbery earbuds are designed to stay in while running

The patent awarded by the US Patent and Trademark Office shows a design for earbuds with a bendy rubber outside part that's designed to mould to a user's ear so the buds don't fall out easily.

Exam results are down to your GENES: DNA plays a bigger part in success than school and home life combined

Scientists from King's College London analysed genetic data from 12,500 identical and non-identical twins to assess the importance of genetic factors in academic achievement.

The four legged SNAKE: Fossil find reveals serpents evolved from burrowing lizards

The discovery of a four-legged fossil of a snake hints that this suborder may have evolved from burrowing, rather than marine, ancestors. The unique four-legged specimen, found in Brazil's Crato Formation, provides us with more insight into how these creatures transitioned into the sleek, slithering reptiles that we are familiar with - and often fearful of - today. By analyzing both the genetics and the morphological features of this species compared to other known snake species, and giving different weight to each factor in four separate analyses, the authors determined that the four-legged creature is in fact an ancestor of modern-day snakes. The newly discovered species Tetrapodophis amplectus, which lived during the Early Cretaceous 146 to 100 million years ago, maintains many classic snake features, such as a short snout, long braincase, elongated body, scales, fanged teeth and a flexible jaw to swallow large prey. It also maintains the typical vertebrae structure seen in modern-

The first known fossil of a four-legged snake has been discovered by scientists who believe it may help unravel the mystery of how serpents lost their legs.

Israeli top secret missile launcher disguised as a TANK finally declassified after 30 years of rumors and secret missions

An Israeli soldier gestures in front of a Merkava tank at an army deployment area near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, on July 12, 2014. Israel pounded Gaza for a fifth day with air strikes and artillery, killing 22 Palestinians as Hamas defiantly kept up its rocket fire into the Jewish state.   AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ        (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

The front of the vehicle is fitted with a fake cannon so it looks like a standard main battle tank, with 12 Spike anti-tank missiles hidden at its rear.

Could this be the end of the freezing cold summer office? App lets workers 'vote' on a building's temperature in ten minute bursts

Building Robotics, an Oakland-based startup, has created an app dubbed Comfy which connects to an office's existing heating and cooling systems.

Were Aborigines the first AMERICANS? Native tribes in the Amazon found to be most closely related to indigenous Australians

A study by geneticists at Harvard Medical School has found three native tribes in the Amazon who share more DNA with Aborigines from Australasia than any other modern population.

Twitter ditches custom backgrounds on accounts paving the way for more adverts to appear on the site

The images have been removed from all home and notifications screens on a user's account. Custom backgrounds still appear on public pages such as individual tweet pages meline.

Is the Amazon rainforest MAN-MADE? At least 8 MILLION humans may have lived and farmed the basin at its peak, study claims

Scientists in Brazil have uncovered evidence that between eight and 50 million people lived around the Amazon river by 1492 and farmed extensively in the region, shown in the map pictured.

Should we MINE the Moon? Selling off resources could make colonising the lunar surface more affordable

A Nasa-funded study has found it may be possible to cut the cost of missions to the moon by 90 per cent by working with private companies who could dig up hydrogen fuel from the lunar surface.

Face of Thankerton Man revealed: Copper Age skull is finally given a face, showing what Scots looked like 4,000 years ago

Experts at the University of Dundee built the model based on a skull found at Boatbridge Quarry in Thankerton. The man is unusually tall for the Copper Age, standing at 5 foot 11 (1.8 m).

Will a robot take your job? Majority of senior managers say they would use a robot to do white collar office work

A survey of managers has shown 70 per cent of them would consider using a robot on their team, suggesting a future like that depicted in the TV series Humans (pictured) may become a reality.

Turning factory workers into SUPERHEROES: Exoskeleton lets humans pick up objects TEN times heavier than they would normally be able to carry

Dubbed Robo-Mate, the German technology adds metallic supports to arm, legs and the back to allow workers to lift ten kilograms, making it feel like just one.

Who knew slugs could be CUTE? Tiny molluscs dubbed 'sea bunnies' thanks to their fluffy-looking bodies and 'ears'

Footage of the slugs was captured by Japan-based Dive Store Exiles. Named Jorunna parva, the slugs have been dubbed 'sea bunnies' because of their white bodies and ear-shaped spines.

Is Pluto's atmosphere about to COLLAPSE? New Horizons spacecraft may have made it to dwarf planet in the nick of time

Scientists at Stanford University say data sent back by the New Horizons spacecraft suggests the thin atmosphere on Pluto is falling back to the surface.

'We've got a 1% chance of making contact': Head of $100m hunt for alien life backed by Professor Stephen Hawking and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner reveals its chances 

EXCLUSIVE: Peter Worden (pictured), the ex-head of Nasa's Ames Research Center, said the team made the calculation 'as we were waiting for the press conference announcing this to start'.

America like you've never seen it before: New Nasa camera provides an 'EPIC' view of Earth from a million miles away

The blue marble was captured by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic) and created by combining three separate images to show our planet in incredible detail.

Could EGGS cure gluten intolerance? Scientists claim yolk could provide the antidote for coeliacs who want to enjoy some cake and a few beers

Beautiful woman eating a pizza on white background

According to a study at the University of Alberta, antibodies in the yolk can be used to coat gluten as it passes through the body - stopping it from irritating the small intestine.

Mother was right! Scientists find the secret to feeling fuller for longer is to eat slowly 

A study by scientists from the University of Bristol found people who eat more slowly feel fuller and think they have eaten more than those who eat quickly.

How thrillers can boost memory: Experts reveal the brain acquires 'tunnel vision' during tense moments on screen which could be used to increase power of recall

The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock knew how to grab our attention - because during tense moments our brain narrows in on the action on the silver screen.

Could electromagnetic pulses give a warning of the big one? Nasa launches plan to monitor mysterious signals that occur before an earthquake

A Nasa challenge is looking for concrete proof to support the theory by asking the public to develop software codes or algorithms to search through data on electromagnetic pulses.

What's next for New Horizons? Probe may be first to venture into icy Kuiper Belt surrounding our solar system after historic Pluto mission

Nasa is to consider sending the New Horizons probe to one of two frozen objects in the ring of debris orbiting four billion miles from the sun. The spacecraft has power to last 20 more years.

Did climate change rock the cradle of civilisation? Global warming shaped the Middle East 5,000 years ago, claims study

The finding is based on an analysis of ancient peat deposits found deep within Neor Lake in Northwest Iran, which revealed unusual weather patterns in the region.

Have scientists found the key to eternal life? Discovery of how to switch off ageing process in worms could lead to mechanism being delayed in humans 

A study of worms by scientists at Northwestern University in the US showed adult cells abruptly begin their downhill slide when they reach reproductive maturity.

How to spot a serial killer: Criminologists reveal five key traits the most notorious murderers have in common

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Experts from Bournemouth-based Real Crime magazine partnered with the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University to reveal the five key traits.

U.S. Predator drone crashes in Iraq after suffering 'technical complications' while conducting spying mission on ISIS militants

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The Pentagon confirmed the disaster after pictures emerged online that appeared to show the wreckage of the MQ-1 Predator aircraft, thought to be worth around £5million.

Do you live in a chocolate candy state or a green bean borough? Interactive Twitter maps reveal each state's favourite snacks and activities

Mississippi, the state with the biggest obesity problem, tweets more about cake than any other food, and eating appears to be their favourite activity on Twitter, the US-Australian study found.

Have we found 'solar system 2.0'? Jupiter's twin spotted orbiting a sun like our own, and it could help create conditions for life

Using the Eso 3.6-metre in Chile, an international team of astronomers has spotted a planet with a 'very similar mass to Jupiter' 186 light-years away orbiting a sun-like star, named HIP 11915.

The Weyl fermion is finally discovered: Massless particle first theorised in 1929 could pave way for next-generation quantum computing

Researchers in Princeton have discovered a new particle that can act as matter and antimatter simultaneously, and could one day help to build a more stable quantum computer.

Amazon overtakes Walmart as firm reveals record profits causing its market value to rocket to over $250 billion

amazon and walmart Dec. 27, 2013 -  (FILE PHOTO) - Amazon.com is offering $20 gift cards and refunds on shipping charges to customers who did not get their Christmas orders on time. PICTURED: Sep. 29, 2011 - Aliso Viejo, California, U.S. - Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said that the online retailer would collect taxes on its sales to California residents by 2013. (Credit Image: © Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMAPRESS.com)

The web giant reported an 19.9 percent rise in quarterly revenue, helped by higher sales in North America, its biggest market, and continued growth in its Amazon Web Services unit.

We've got Taylor Swift, but what is the rest of the UNIVERSE listening to? Map reveals how long it takes radio waves to travel through space - with distant stars only just tuning in to 40s jazz

Called Lightyear.fm, the project (pictured) was created by New York-based computer designers Brian Moore and Chris Baker with Mike Lacher and Mikhail Chernov.

Google really DOES know what you did last summer: Search giant reveals 'terrifyingly scary' timeline feature that can show users their location history

Call Timeline, it is designed to allow users of the firm's online maps to see the places they frequent most often. However, some users took to twitter to describe the feature as 'scary'.

Would you make the cut? Controversial Mars One mission reveals tests to cull its applicant pool from 100 to 24 - who will then ALL be given ten year training contracts

Mars One, often ridiculed for their overly ambitious proposal to send humans to Mars, has revealed how they plan to  whittle down their candidates from 100 to 40.

It's not just Ant Man: Researchers reveal rival insect superpowers from a shrimp strong enough to smash down a wall to bugs that are faster than a speeding bullet

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Paul Rudd

In the movie based on the Avengers series, a blast of atom-squeezing particles transforms Ant-Man from human to insect size - but researchers say other insects possess some superpowers of their own.

Is this the oldest evidence of written language? Pictograms found in ancient Turkish city could be 12,000-years-old

Archaeologists have unearthed a carving (pictured) in the ancient site of Göbekli Tepe in Anatolia, Turkey, which could be thousands of years older than other written language.

Taxi for Genet! Researchers capture video of wild cat-like creature riding on the back of a RHINO - and say he often travels by buffalo as well

The amazing incident took place at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa, and experts say the creature may be using the animal to avoid predators - or just catch a lift.

Is YOUR penis 'good looking'? Medical study reveals what women really rate as important (and it's NOT length)

Overall cosmetic appearance was rated as the most essential factor, girth was third and length only sixth out of eight aspects, say researchers writing in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Goodbye Pluto! Final image of dwarf planet reveals strange hazy atmosphere as stunning new shots confirm the 'dark heart' has moving GLACIERS made of nitrogen

The latest images reveal signs of recent geologic activity, something scientists hoped to find but didn't expect, along with unexplained layers of haze several times higher than scientists predicted.

Samsung's Galaxy S6 Plus spotted: Leaked image claims to show the clearest view yet of firm's upcoming Android smartphone

The leaked image is reportedly a dummy handset sent to a store. It shows what appears to be the curved S6 Edge Plus at roughly the same height as the Galaxy Note 4.

Is Google SEXIST? Men are shown more jobs for higher-paid executive jobs on the search engine compared to women 

The research was carried out at Carnegie Mellon University. Researchers edited preferences, gender and interests using Google's Ads Setting tool to see how these changes impacted adverts.

The portable WIND TURBINE to charge your phone: Collapsible Wisp will power up all your devices in the wilderness

The 25W portable Wisp was built by West Virginia-based Windpax. It generates energy from even the 'smallest of breezes' using three plastic fins that 'cup' the air to spin a built-in turbine.

The superfood that tastes of BACON: Scientists create strain of dulse seaweed that is packed with antioxidants but tastes of pork

Researcher Chris Langdon and colleagues at Oregon State University's (OSU) Hatfield Marine Science Center have created and patented a new strain of dulse (pictured) that tastes like bacon.

King Philip II's tomb uncovered in Greece: Analysis confirms skeleton belongs to the father of Alexander the Great

Using radiography, anthropologists from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid analysed skeletal remains in tombs in Vergina, Greece, revealing Philip's leg wound.

New hunt for alien life: Professor Stephen Hawking and Russian billionaire back $100 million quest to find ET by 2025

The Breakthrough Initiative, launched in London, aims to scour one million of the closest stars to Earth for alien transmissions and laser signals using powerful radio telescopes.