Science

The origins of a 6-inch skeleton that was once thought to be the remains of an alien have been uncovered by scientists. A new DNA study of the bones shows the remains are in fact human and belonged to a young girl aged around six to eight years old who had dwarfism.  Nicknamed 'Ata', the incredible find made in 2003 in Atacama, Chile, has a long cone like skull and just ten ribs. Genetic tests at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University have proven beyond contention that the bones were that of a human female that died 40 years ago.

An interactive map shows the location of the doomed Tiangong-1 Chinese space station. Predictions of where it may land come from Aerospace, an organisation based in El Segundo, California. The Chinese space station is predicted to land in latitudes close to 43° north and 43° south and the public can track the satellite via the real-time map that provides data on altitude, latitude and longitude as well.

A new breed of superhumans that can communicate using their thoughts alone could be a reality within decades, a brain surgeon has predicted. These telepathic superhumans will transfer information to other people and machines using brain implants, according to Dr Eric Leuthardt. The Washington University brain surgeon believes getting a brain implant will be as common as getting plastic surgery or a tattoo (stock image).

Peter Dunsby (main image), a cosmology professor from the University of Cape Town, published his 'discovery' on the Astronomers Telegram (bottom right), only to realise he'd made a blunder. This journey of discovery was cut short after the realisation that the object in question (inset, left) had been observed through a telescope by Galileo in 1609. The Astronomer's Telegram Twitter made fun of the mistake and issued a certificate to mark Dr Dunsby's discovery (top right).

Researchers found a column of hot volcanic ash known as a magma 'plume' beneath the park that stretches all the way from Mexico. Experts suggest the plume a could explain the source of the heat that drives so much of the park's surface activity, such as its world-famous bubbling springs. The news follows a spate of four mini-tremors in the area last week that raised fears Yellowstone's supervolcano is about to blow. The researchers analysed seismic activity around Yellowstone using data obtained by the USArray network, which has listening stations positioned across North America. Based on these readings, the team discovered a 45 by 34-mile channel (72x55km) where seismic waves are slower (red in inset).

Mark Zuckerberg has vowed to make Facebook a more secure platform after users were left outraged by the Cambridge Analytica scandal that unfolded this week. The Facebook boss says the firm will conduct an investigation of apps that had greater access to information prior to the more recent limitations, which were rolled out in 2014. Zuckerberg also promised tighter restrictions on what data developers can access, a tool to more prominently display the apps you’ve given permissions to, and bans for developers that don’t comply.

Authorities in Arizona have released dramatic dash cam footage showing the fateful moments leading up to a self-driving Uber car's fatal collision with a pedestrian (main). The video released by Tempe police on Wednesday shows the car driving at what appears to be a reasonable speed along a relatively empty road Sunday night before it runs over a pedestrian. The clip stops just a split second before impact. The victim was later identified as Elaine Herzberg (bottom right inset), 49. The video also appears to show that the safety driver, Rafaela Vasquez (top right inset), was alert at the time of the accident but also repeatedly looking down at her lap in the build-up to the collision.

Supersonic air travel could be making a return if a plane that aims to replace Concorde takes to the skies. Boom Supersonic expects a prototype of its passenger plane to make its first test flight by the end of this year. The firm this week came a step closer to that goal after announcing a 'milestone' engine delivery for the two-seater, known as XB-1, or 'Baby Boom' (main image). CEO Blake Scholl revealed that Boom Supersonic's XB-1 engines are ready and will shortly arrive at Boom's hangar at Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado. If its full-size 55-seat plane (inset) is approved, the first passengers could be travelling at supersonic speeds around the world by 2023.

Staff at Oklahoma City Zoo, where lioness Bridget (left) is kept, report her overall health is excellent for an 18-year-old and, besides a little extra fur, the condition won't affect her quality of life. Caretakers noticed that 18-year-old African Lion Bridget began to grow the extra hair around her neck and head (right) between March and November 2017. The most likely explanation is a benign hormone-secreting tumour developing in Bridget's adrenal glands, found above her kidneys, experts say.

Seabreachers, created by water sports fanatics Rob Innes and Dan Piazza, based in Redding, California are unlike conventional watercraft that only operate on a two dimensional plane. The vehicles (pictured) - which come styled as sharks, killer whales or dolphins - can leap waves in a single bound and carry two passengers underwater. Prices for the watercraft, which are a combination of jet-ski, racing boat and submarine, vary from around $80,000 (£56,000) to top-of-the-range models costing upwards of $100,000 (£71,000).