Fears whale is about to blow
DON’T stand too close. Residents fear a 60,000kg whale that washed up near the boardwalk on a small Canadian town will blow up at any moment.
Science
Exoplanet’s day length finally clocked
SCIENTISTS have for the first time measured the rotation of a planet in another solar system — a gassy giant spinning at a breakneck 90,000km/h.
Aussie doctor in heart breakthrough
AUSTRALIAN cardiologist Dr James Chong uses stem cells to regrow heart muscle killed by heart attacks in medical breakthrough.
Skeleton key to missing man
HE is America’s oldest missing person. Now after 88 years, a skeleton may unlock the mystery of how he vanished on Halloween.
World’s deadliest animals revealed
A NEW graphic reveals the world’s 15 deadliest animals. And while sharks might terrify us, the biggest killers lurk much closer to home.
Ring of Fire: The eclipse as it happened
THE sun was overshadowed by the moon in a rare eclipse that only a few places on Earth got to see. Here’s what it looked like around the country.
Donkey’s beekeeper suit creates buzz
A BEEKEEPER says honey production has gone through the roof after he fitted out his trusted donkey with his own beekeeping suit.
Int’l Space Station: yours to rent
BORED of Capri and tired of St Tropez? Why not try a holiday on the International Space Station? It could become a reality if NASA gets its way.
The best places to view the solar eclipse
THE Ring of Fire solar eclipse is coming and Australia is one of the best places in the world to get a glimpse of this event — as long as clouds don’t spoil the party.
The simple trick to better memory
WANT to know the secret to boosting your ability to remember things? Grab a pen and take note, you might learn a thing or two.
The mysterious plane speeding through space
IS IT a weapon? Is it a spy? Or is it just there to confuse the Chinese government? This mystery plane is flying through space and no one knows why.
The reason humans can’t travel to Mars … yet
A NEW report has exposed one of the big problems confronting our ambition to send humans to Mars. That problem comes in the form of cosmic ray radiation.
China outlaws eating exotic animals
PEOPLE who eat rare wild animals like giant pandas and golden monkeys will now face jail time, under new laws in China.
Sonar image maps sunken shipwreck
STATE-of-the-art sonar imaging has been used to find a steam ship that sunk to the bottom of the sea more than 120 years ago after smashing into another vessel.
Wife sues after hubby ‘killed by swan’
THE wife of a man who died after a vicious swan attack is suing his employer and the apartment complex where he looked after the birds.
Mystery creature behind bizarre ocean ‘quack’
SCIENTISTS have finally identified the source of strange “duck-like quacks” first heard in the Southern Ocean off Australia 50 years ago.
Man crowdfunds for tortoise’s penis
A PET-OWNER in England has tried crowdfunding to raise money for an operation to relieve his tortoise’s painful swollen penis.
The moth-er of all infestations
IT’S a battle for your biscuits — and your flour, pasta and breakfast cereal — and the enemy is lurking in your pantry right now.
Most Americans don’t believe Big Bang
A NEW poll has found the more abstract a scientific concept, the less likely Americans are to believe it.
Is it a bird? A plane? No, a dwarf
IT’S known as the white dwarf and it’s doing some pretty cool things in space. See why astronomers are excited by this bright star.
Russia gets another space visitor
AMAZING new dashboard video of a meteor confirms Russia’s reputation as the country that gets all the best stuff from outer space.
Russia gets another space visitor
AMAZING new dashboard video of a meteor confirms Russia’s reputation as the country that gets all the best stuff from outer space.
Orang-utan relaxes during surgery
A HUGE orang-utan has undergone an operation in an Indonesian clinic to remove metal pellets — fired by a poacher — from the primate’s backside.
Moon-orbiting robot crashes
NASA’s robotic moon explorer, LADEE, is no more, having made a controlled crash into the back side of the moon.
Most Earth-like planet discovered
THIS could be the closest we’ve come to finding life on other planets. Kepler-186f is almost exactly like Earth and has lakes, oceans and maybe extraterrestrial life.
Frenzied search for space rocks
SOUTH Koreans are scouring hills and rice paddies for valuable space rocks after a rare meteor shower.
New breathalyser detects diseases
FORGET booze – a new breathalyser can detect illnesses like diabetes, stomach problems and even a hangover.
Scientists visit ‘beginning of time’
SCIENTISTS have announced a major discovery about the universe overnight that dates back to the beginning of time itself.
NASA: ‘It’s the end of the world as we know it’
CIVILISATION could collapse within decades if the past is anything go by according to a study by NASA. Well, that’s ruined our week.
Proof the five-second rule is real
ANYONE who’s eaten food off the floor using the five-second excuse will no longer need to hang their head in shame. Science says the five-second rule is no myth.
Snail venom ‘a powerful painkiller’
AS SCIENTISTS look for non-addictive alternatives for pain medications they have struck on an unlikely solution.
There’s no Planet X: scientists
It was an elusive planet that for 200 years appeared to explain Uranus’s wobbly orbit, but scientists say Planet X may have never existed.
Old folks’ mild superpower revealed
AS superpowers go, it’s not the most amazing. But a new study shows that the elderly have a skill that many younger mortals lack. Can you guess what it is?
Was ‘Little Foot’ our oldest ancestor?
A NEW study shows that a hominid found in South Africa and known as ‘Little Foot’ may have been humans’ oldest ancestor.
The jobs most likely to be stolen by robots
ROBOTS are no longer stuff of science fiction. They’re here and they want our jobs. But what roles are our robotic rivals looking to steal and should you start dusting off your CV?
3D printer rebuilds man’s face
A MAN who suffered horrific facial injuries in a motorbike accident has had pioneering surgery to rebuild his face using 3D printed parts.
Ice melt could bring virus back from the dead
THIS disease was eradicated in 1979. It’s supposed to be dead. But scientists fear thawing corpses in Siberia could lead to a comeback. Warning: Graphic images.
Test detects early stages Alzheimer’s
SCIENTISTS have developed a new blood test that could detect whether a person is likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease in the future.
Truth about out-of-body experiences
TRICKS of the mind or something more significant? Woman who can drift out of her body at will sheds light on the strange phenomenon.
$150m centre to combat space junk
A CENTRE will be set up near Canberra to fight the potential of a devastating avalanche of space junk — just like the one depicted in the film Gravity.
Would you leave Earth for Mars?
A MISSION to send humans to live permanently in Mars is set to leave in 2025, but what does it take for people to want to leave for Mars forever?
Space, like you’ve never seen it
THOUGHT you’d seen all there was to space? Think again. NASA has released a range of never-before-seen images that will take your breath away.
Croc v snake in epic reptile rumble
WHOA! It’s the heavyweight reptile battle to end them all. This python saw this crocodile and decided he’d make a good feed. Who won?
Avatar could care for elderly
AN INTELLIGENT avatar which would detect whether people are in pain could help care for the elderly.
How insects are inspiring gadgets of tomorrow
BUGS, flies and cockroaches are providing scientists with inspirational designs to help build the future of vehicles, robotics and safety.
The seven strangest objects seen in space
BLUEBERRIES on Mars and Mickey Mouse on Mercury have been spotted in space. But they’re not alone. What other oddities have been found?
Could a giant solar flare unplug Earth?
WHAT would happen if the sun suddenly erupted a gigantic solar burst aimed right at our planet? It’s the silent natural disaster looming above our heads.
NASA, I have a problem
THE deadline loomed. The problems were daunting. The answers needed a rocket scientist! So, when a four-year-old student sent his questions into NASA, he got one.
NASA discovers 715 new planets
NASA has announced a torrent of new planet discoveries, hailing a “bonanza’’ of 715 worlds now known outside the solar system.
Treasure troves burst at the seams
A $10 MILLION gold coin stash in California isn’t the only recent treasure find. A Roman gold hoard and a cache of medieval coins have also been unearthed.
Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/technology/science/page/179