The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing designed the plane, and presented its ideas at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico last month. China's plane would be a vertical take-off and landing aircraft (pictured inset). The researchers presented two ideas. The first design weighs in at 10 tonnes and has a wingspan of 6 metres. The second design was for a scaled up 100-tonne version, with a 40 foot (12 metre) wingspan, could fly 20 people to 80 miles (130 km), giving 4 minutes of weightlessness (diagram pictured).
Diane Cox, 48, has just started as master grader at leading cheese-maker Wyke Farms of Somerset. Her job is to use her olfactory skills to detect blocks of cheddar.
Diane Cox, 48, has just started as master grader at leading cheese-maker Wyke Farms of Somerset. Her job is to use her olfactory skills to detect blocks of cheddar.
Mysterious 'UFO' filmed hovering over block of flats in Moscow as locals claim 'it's not the first sighting'
An extremely bright 'UFO' has been filmed hovering above a block of flats in Moscow as witnesses looked on. Russian officials have not commented on the unidentified flying object, but some viewers said it's not the first time it has been sighted. Local man Vasya Mirny said: 'You can see this UFO quite often in Moscow, I've seen it two times this year. They are even more frequent in other cities.'
The DIY smartphone microscope that lets you play Pac-Man and soccer with microbes
Microbiology might not be everyone's idea of fun, but a new DIY project designed by experts at Stanford University aims to bring ‘playful interaction’ to the study of single-celled organisms. A bioengineer has developed a 3-D printed smartphone microscope that allows users to observe microbes called Euglena, to make serious observations or even play games. The researchers have revealed interactive platforms to go along with the device, including a virtual soccer game and a Pac-Man-like maze, which rely on the movement of the tiny light-seeking organisms.
The heartbreaking iPhone game designed by a father to recreate his young son Joel's final years as he battled the brain cancer that killed him aged five
Ryan Green, 34, from Loveland, Colorado, designed ‘That Dragon, Cancer’ to recreate his son’s battle against terminal brain cancer. The game - which Green says is a 'video game composed of pain and hope, a script written day by day' - is not typical fare. It gives players the opportunity to 'relive memories, share heartache and discover the overwhelming hope that can be found in the face of death'. Set in recreated scenes of the family's house and hospitals, the characters in the video game are faceless but remain entirely emotional (pictured, main). The game first takes place in a park where Joel is feeding ducks and his family's voices are heard explaining his condition in the background. During the interactive retelling of the couple's experience raising their son, players can touch Joel's face as he lies in a hospital bed or push him in a swing. Joel (bottom right with his father) was diagnosed with an Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) at age one, but surprised doctors by outliving his bleak prognosis by more than three years. In the years following his diagnosis there was a brain surgery, six weeks of radiation, intense chemotherapy, several tumor recurrences and a relocation to San Francisco to pursue a medical trial, which wasn't able to help Joel. The game was a huge hit on the PC and Mac when it launched earlier this year, and now, users can play it on their iPhone for $4.99. His parents hope the game will be a resource for other grieving parents (top right, with Joel).
- Diane has a £5m nose: Master grader's skills are so highly valued that her bosses are willing to pay £25,000 a year to insure her specialist snout to sniff CHEESE
- Proxima b 'may well' harbour life: New study claims 'second Earth' just four light years away has oceans and a thin gassy atmosphere
- What personality type are YOU? Researchers say 90% of people can be classified within just four groups (and 'envious' is the most common)
- How to cut a cake: Mathematicians reveal the technique to make sure everyone is happy (but be warned, it could involve 203 cuts)
- China to build the world's biggest space plane by 2020: Aircraft would take 20 tourists 80 miles above Earth
- Now you can chat to your house: Thington AI personal assistant lets you control your home
- Apple wins $120 million appeal in Samsung copycat patent case
- Forget DNA, experts say RNA could hold the key to 'eternal life pill'
- Facebook launches 'party app' to keep track of your events - and will even suggest things for you to go to
- How climate change could erode our national security: Rising temperatures could lead to 'ungoverned spaces and uncontrolled migration'
- Is Samsung on the verge of a SECOND Galaxy Note 7 recall? Investigation begins into supposedly safe handset that exploded on a Southwest Airlines flight
- Megaquakes could be far more powerful than thought: Researchers find quakes can occur more than 15 MILES beneath California
- Mysterious 'UFO' filmed hovering over block of flats in Moscow as locals claim 'it's not the first sighting'
- Google set to open popup Pixel showroom in New York as it spends hundreds of millions to take on Apple's iPhone
- Is Microsoft set to take on the iMac? Invites arrive for mysterious event rumoured to see launch of all in one Surface desktop PC
- Look up! The stunning Draconid meteor shower will light up the skies tonight and tomorrow
- Can dogs tell the time with their NOSES? Changes in scent may help canines keep track of passing hours
- Can dogs tell the time with their NOSES? Changes in scent may help canines keep track of passing hours
- Diane has a £5m nose: Master grader's skills are so highly valued that her bosses are willing to pay £25,000 a year to insure her specialist snout to sniff CHEESE
- What personality type are YOU? Researchers say 90% of people can be classified within just four groups (and 'envious' is the most common)
- A cure for baldness? L'Oreal is working on 3D printed hair follicles that grow NEW strands
- Are YOU prepared for a zombie apocalypse? Expert reveals what you should do if disaster strikes
- Forget DNA, experts say RNA could hold the key to 'eternal life pill'
- Is Microsoft set to take on the iMac? Invites arrive for mysterious event rumoured to see launch of all in one Surface desktop PC
- Look up! The stunning Draconid meteor shower will light up the skies tonight and tomorrow
- China to build the world's biggest space plane by 2020: Aircraft would take 20 tourists 80 miles above Earth
- Hurricane Matthew could hit Florida TWICE: Experts explain the science behind the storm's bizarre behaviour
- Pensioner discovers bowl he had been using in his garden is really a 2,000-year-old precious Roman artefact
- The heartbreaking iPhone game designed by a father to recreate his young son's final years as he battled the brain cancer that killed him aged five
- Megaquakes could be far more powerful than thought: Researchers find quakes can occur more than 15 MILES beneath California
- MOST READ IN DETAIL
-
Watch video
See it in action: Visor which can read your mind
-
Watch video
The electric scarf which can heat and cool at push of button
-
Watch video
CES: Panasonic unveils 4K tech, new take vinyl turntable
-
Watch video
CES: LG unveils ultra-thin high-tech OLED TVs
-
Watch video
TV makers shift focus to display color and HDR tech at CES
-
Watch video
CES: Samsung unveils 'Family Hub' smart refrigerator
-
Watch video
NASA offers a sneak peak at the world's largest rocket at CES
-
Watch video
CES: 3D virtual dressing mirror allows to try before you buy
-
Watch video
CES: Faraday Future Electric Luxury car shown off
-
Watch video
LG, Samsung and Sony show off their latest TVs at CES
-
Watch video
Wearable translator aims to end language difficulties
-
Watch video
Foldable electric scooter aims to transform commuting
-
Watch video
Creators of 'stealth' Parrot Disco drone discuss invention
-
Watch video
Parrot unveils 50mph drone you can launch from your hand
-
Watch video
Daily Mail tries out portable, immersive Royole headset
-
Watch video
Parrot Pot can water your plants while you're away
-
Watch video
3D Rudder allows gamers to 'walk' in virtual reality worlds
-
Watch video
ZhorTech explains what the world's first smart shoe can do
-
Watch video
Wearable Zepp tech will help athletes improve technique
-
Watch video
Parrot unveils 50mph drone you can launch from your hand
'We might be at the end of the rainbow: Explorer who discovered pirate shipwreck says he's FOUND the ship's legendary treasure after searching for 30 years
The undersea explorer who discovered the Whydah Gally (pictured inset as a drawing and as a life-size replica, left), the first authenticated pirate shipwreck in North America, believes he's found where the ship's legendary treasure lies after more than 30 years of poking around the murky waters off Cape Cod. Barry Clifford says his expedition recently located a large metallic mass that he's convinced represents most if not all of the 400,000 coins and other riches believed to be contained on the ship. A bell once belonging to the ship (top right) and a bronze wheel wax (bottom right) were recovered from the ship's wreckage.
Hurricane Matthew could hit Florida TWICE: Experts explain the science behind the storm's bizarre behaviour
Most hurricanes that hit the East Coast tend to move northwest around the Bermuda high. But Hurricane Matthew looks to be looping back around to hit Florida again. Fortunately, it is forecast to be much weaker - only tropical storm strength - as it approaches Florida again. Dr Chris Holloway, a researcher from the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'The models are forecasting that the next trough [of low pressure] coming over the eastern US will be too weak and too far north to completely carry Matthew away.'
Hubble spots burning plasma balls TWICE the size of Mars shooting out of a dying star
By viewing the star over a number of years a decade apart, a team at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California were able to build up a longer term picture of the star system’s activity. They believe that a dying red giant and its smaller companion are ejecting the plasma into space at regular intervals, every 8.5 years, from an accretion disc around the companion star (illustrated).
Radical ion rocket engine that could 'get to Mars and back on one tank of fuel' set to be tested on the ISS
It’s said that a radical ion engine known as the Neumann Drive could one day go to Mars and back on a single tank of fuel. Now, the technology which has demonstrated efficiency surpassing that of even Nasa’s top efforts is set to undergo testing on the International Space Station. The payload is expected to launch in 2018 and will operate in space for up to a year, allowing researchers to evaluate the system under real conditions. The system was developed by Dr Paddy Neumann, pictured on left, formerly a PhD student at the University of Sydney. On right, the illustration shows how an ion thruster works.
Please move, mum: Brave baby whale nudges her 'distressed' mother to freedom after she becomes stranded on a sandbar
Heartrending footage shows a mother and calf humpback whale swimming in shallow water off North Stradbroke Island in Queensland before the adult became stuck. The calf could be seen circling and nudging her 'distressed' mother, who was splashing her tail trying to free herself.
Mark Zuckerberg reveals Virtual Reality Facebook: Billionaire CEO chats to his wife, checks on his dog and takes a family snap with virtual selfie stick in blockbuster demo
Mark Zuckerberg showed off the firm's first social software for the Oculus Rift headset at the Oculus Connect conference in San Francisco, after complaining it made him look like Justin Timberlake. It allows people to join the same virtual space, and do everything from watch a video to be transported to the surface of Mars.
From Benbulbin to Pembrokeshire, stunning images reveal the beauty of Britain and Ireland's landscape
The Geological Society ran a photography competition under the theme 'Earth Science in Action.' The winners include photos from (pictured clockwise from top left) the Isle of Skye, Pembrokeshire, Sussex, Edinburgh, Moray, and Portknockie. First place in the competition went to Tim Hoe for 'Doors Portrait II: Reveal', depicting some stunning geology on the Pembrokeshire coastline (pictured top middle).
Can YOU spot what's wrong in this photo of three girls on a bench? Once you see it, you'll wonder how you ever missed it
A seemingly mundane image of three women sitting on a park bench has left the internet in a state of confusion, as on closer examination there's something very unusual about the photo. The image, which recently resurfaced online after originally being shared on Imgur, is the latest in a long line of optical illusions to confuse people, but once you've solved it, you'll wonder how you didn't get it straight away.
That's one way to get the girl: Bizarre courtship display makes hummingbirds appear to have the head of a purple octopus
The male costa's hummingbird's mating dance is a spirited dance. He gyrates his body around in order to show off its shimmery green back in every angle of the sun's light. And for the grand finale, he flexes the feathers of his mantle until they become a glowing mask of violet (left) - which also resembles metallic octopus.
America's next tank unveiled (and it looks familiar): Bradley design first developed in the 1950s set for hi-tech overhaul
BAE Systems has unveiled its prototype for the massive tank that could one day replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Next Generation Bradley was debuted at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington, revealing improvements in space, electrical power, and force protection. This new concept is a high-tech upgrade to the decades old design, incorporating targeting sensors and network connectivity and allowing for the addition of future technologies as these systems continue to grow.
Touchdown! Blue Origin passes its 'toughest test yet' as in-flight escape pod blasts off (and even Jeff Bezos is suprised)
Blue Origin and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos streamed the dangerous launch from the launch site in West Texas. The company intentionally triggered an escape in flight at the most stressful point of the flight.The rocket launched (shown left) and the crew capsule ejected from the booster (shown second from left), falling to the ground slowly with parachutes (second from right). The booster then successfully landed too (pictured right), meaning the test was more successful than the crew had hoped.
Something fishy? Man finds gruesome remains that look like a 'dead mermaid' on deserted beach
A man has posted footage of what he says looks like a 'dead mermaid' washed up on a beach near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. The images have since gone viral, with many people actually believing it is a mermaid, while others say it's a decomposing seal or a great Halloween prop with garbage bags used to create the 'tail'.
VIDEO GAME REVIEWS
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.