In the early days of the Universe, 10.8 billion years ago, astronomers have just found a galaxy wearing the battlescars of a cosmic brawl. It's not a blob or disc of stars, like most galaxies, but a giant doughnut - with a huge hole punched right through its centre. This classifies it as a rare type of galaxy known as a ring galaxy, and it's rare even among that type - its shape forged not by internal processes, but a collision that saw its core stripped away as the other galaxy passed through.The galaxy is called R5519, and it's the first collisional ring galaxy ever found more than a few...…In the early days of the Universe, 10.8 billion years ago, astronomers have just found a galaxy wearing the battlescars of a cosmic brawl. It's not a blob or disc of stars, like most galaxies, but a giant doughnut - with a huge hole punched right through its centre. This classifies it as a rare type of galaxy known as a ring galaxy, and it's rare even among that type - its shape forged not by internal processes, but a collision that saw its core stripped away as the other galaxy passed through.The galaxy is called R5519, and it's the first collisional ring galaxy ever found more than a few...WW…

People around the world are , and yet all too often, official death records do not reflect the impact of these large-scale environmental catastrophes. According to a team of Australian health experts, heat is the most dominant risk posed by climate change in the country. If the world's emissions remain the same, by 2080 Australian cities could see at least from increasing temperatures alone."Climate change is a killer, but we don't acknowledge it on death certificates," physician Arnagretta Hunter from the Australian National University.That's a potentially serious oversight. In a...…People around the world are , and yet all too often, official death records do not reflect the impact of these large-scale environmental catastrophes. According to a team of Australian health experts, heat is the most dominant risk posed by climate change in the country. If the world's emissions remain the same, by 2080 Australian cities could see at least from increasing temperatures alone."Climate change is a killer, but we don't acknowledge it on death certificates," physician Arnagretta Hunter from the Australian National University.That's a potentially serious oversight. In a...WW…

The coronavirus pandemic is putting tens of millions of children's lives at risk by disrupting routine immunisation programmes, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said Friday. The United Nations agencies joined forces with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to warn that the pandemic has severely disrupted vaccination programmes in dozens of countries, paving the way for a ."COVID-19 threatens to undermine life-saving immunisation services around the world," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual joint press conference."This risks putting tens of millions of...…The coronavirus pandemic is putting tens of millions of children's lives at risk by disrupting routine immunisation programmes, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF said Friday. The United Nations agencies joined forces with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to warn that the pandemic has severely disrupted vaccination programmes in dozens of countries, paving the way for a ."COVID-19 threatens to undermine life-saving immunisation services around the world," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual joint press conference."This risks putting tens of millions of...WW…

The search for life elsewhere in the Universe , but such is the vastness of space, any helpful tips that can point us towards the planets most likely to be habitable are really useful – and scientists think they've just discovered another clue. A new study outlines what researchers are calling a climate 'decoder', whereby measurements of surface colours and starlight reflections observed on exoplanets could help us figure out the chances of them being able to support life or not.Working from previous climate and chemistry models, as well as observations of other stars and exoplanets, the...…The search for life elsewhere in the Universe , but such is the vastness of space, any helpful tips that can point us towards the planets most likely to be habitable are really useful – and scientists think they've just discovered another clue. A new study outlines what researchers are calling a climate 'decoder', whereby measurements of surface colours and starlight reflections observed on exoplanets could help us figure out the chances of them being able to support life or not.Working from previous climate and chemistry models, as well as observations of other stars and exoplanets, the...WW…

NASA gave the green light on Friday to next week's launch of two astronauts aboard a SpaceX vessel - the first crewed space flight from US soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets. Top officials at the US space agency and Elon Musk's company had been meeting since Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final checks of the ahead of its maiden May 27 crewed mission."At the end we got to a go," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters by video of the meticulous Flight Readiness Review, which provided the go-ahead.US...…NASA gave the green light on Friday to next week's launch of two astronauts aboard a SpaceX vessel - the first crewed space flight from US soil in nine years and a crucial step towards ending American dependence on Russian rockets. Top officials at the US space agency and Elon Musk's company had been meeting since Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final checks of the ahead of its maiden May 27 crewed mission."At the end we got to a go," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters by video of the meticulous Flight Readiness Review, which provided the go-ahead.US...WW…

A tiny device called a micro-comb could one day replace existing internet infrastructure to hit crazy new highs in download speeds, providing millions with ample data at the same time, even during the busiest periods. The lightweight technology has recently been put to the test in a field trial that measured data rates of an astonishing 44.2 terabits per second, all emitted from a single light source.The micro-comb chips themselves aren't exactly new, having been invented around a decade ago. But with rising pressure on our data highways, the technology is now showing promise as a way to...…A tiny device called a micro-comb could one day replace existing internet infrastructure to hit crazy new highs in download speeds, providing millions with ample data at the same time, even during the busiest periods. The lightweight technology has recently been put to the test in a field trial that measured data rates of an astonishing 44.2 terabits per second, all emitted from a single light source.The micro-comb chips themselves aren't exactly new, having been invented around a decade ago. But with rising pressure on our data highways, the technology is now showing promise as a way to...WW…

Caffeine is the psychoactive stimulant in the world – not to mention the only one that isn't really regulated anywhere, at least in products like coffee, tea, and soft/energy drinks. But while most of us ingest caffeine in safe, moderated doses, the truth is that in its pure or concentrated powdered form, caffeine is an extremely powerful substance that can be dangerous if you take too much.The that a single teaspoon of caffeine powder is equivalent to approximately 28 cups of coffee, which helps to explain why the sale of caffeine powder supplements in bulk form has been and .Those bans...…Caffeine is the psychoactive stimulant in the world – not to mention the only one that isn't really regulated anywhere, at least in products like coffee, tea, and soft/energy drinks. But while most of us ingest caffeine in safe, moderated doses, the truth is that in its pure or concentrated powdered form, caffeine is an extremely powerful substance that can be dangerous if you take too much.The that a single teaspoon of caffeine powder is equivalent to approximately 28 cups of coffee, which helps to explain why the sale of caffeine powder supplements in bulk form has been and .Those bans...WW…

Researchers say they've created a proof-of-concept bionic eye that could surpass the sensitivity of a human one."In the future, we can use this for better vision prostheses and humanoid robotics," researcher Zhiyong Fan, at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, .The eye, as detailed in published in the prestigious journal Nature today, is in essence a three-dimensional artificial retina that features a highly dense array of extremely light-sensitive nanowires.The team, led by Fan, lined a curved aluminum oxide membrane with tiny sensors made of perovskite, a light-sensitive...…Researchers say they've created a proof-of-concept bionic eye that could surpass the sensitivity of a human one."In the future, we can use this for better vision prostheses and humanoid robotics," researcher Zhiyong Fan, at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, .The eye, as detailed in published in the prestigious journal Nature today, is in essence a three-dimensional artificial retina that features a highly dense array of extremely light-sensitive nanowires.The team, led by Fan, lined a curved aluminum oxide membrane with tiny sensors made of perovskite, a light-sensitive...WW…

I always remember hearing the comparison of how the Space Shuttle's main engines would drain an average family swimming pool in under Or that the Saturn V used the equivalent ofBut just how much fuel does a rocket burn during its ascent to orbit? As you might expect, the amount varies with different rockets. A great new video provides an incredible visual of how much fuel is burned by four different rockets, from launch to the various stage separations by showing what rocket launches would look like if the rockets were completely transparent.The animation from YouTuber compares the four...…I always remember hearing the comparison of how the Space Shuttle's main engines would drain an average family swimming pool in under Or that the Saturn V used the equivalent ofBut just how much fuel does a rocket burn during its ascent to orbit? As you might expect, the amount varies with different rockets. A great new video provides an incredible visual of how much fuel is burned by four different rockets, from launch to the various stage separations by showing what rocket launches would look like if the rockets were completely transparent.The animation from YouTuber compares the four...WW…

Around 13.8 billion years ago, somehow the Universe popped into existence. But it didn't come fully equipped. At some point, the first stars formed, and the first galaxies. How and when this happened is still a mystery astronomers are trying to solve… but one galaxy could have a vitally important key. It's called DLA0817g - nicknamed the Wolfe Disk - a cool, rotating, gas-rich disc galaxy with a mass of about 72 billion times that of our Sun. And the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array has snapped it a massive 12.5 billion light-years away - when the Universe was just 10 percent of...…Around 13.8 billion years ago, somehow the Universe popped into existence. But it didn't come fully equipped. At some point, the first stars formed, and the first galaxies. How and when this happened is still a mystery astronomers are trying to solve… but one galaxy could have a vitally important key. It's called DLA0817g - nicknamed the Wolfe Disk - a cool, rotating, gas-rich disc galaxy with a mass of about 72 billion times that of our Sun. And the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array has snapped it a massive 12.5 billion light-years away - when the Universe was just 10 percent of...WW…

A swirling, twisted cloud of dust and gas over 530 light-years away isn't just a tumultuous wonder. It's a new piece of the puzzle as to how planets grow from tiny grains to giant globes. Astronomers have obtained breathtaking new near-infrared images of the protoplanetary disc around the young star AB Aurigae. These images show spiraling disturbances the researchers believe are caused by planets coming together from the dust."In the early stage of planet formation, hydrodynamical simulations indicate that the accretion process generates at the planet location an inner and outer spiral...…A swirling, twisted cloud of dust and gas over 530 light-years away isn't just a tumultuous wonder. It's a new piece of the puzzle as to how planets grow from tiny grains to giant globes. Astronomers have obtained breathtaking new near-infrared images of the protoplanetary disc around the young star AB Aurigae. These images show spiraling disturbances the researchers believe are caused by planets coming together from the dust."In the early stage of planet formation, hydrodynamical simulations indicate that the accretion process generates at the planet location an inner and outer spiral...WW…

– that strange but potentially hugely useful quantum phenomenon where two particles are inextricably linked across space and time – could play a major role in future radar technology. , an engineer from MIT devised a way to use the features of to illuminate objects while using barely any photons. In certain scenarios, such technology promises to outperform conventional radar, according to its makers, particularly in noisy thermal environments.Now, researchers have taken the idea much further, demonstrating its potential with a working prototype.The technology might eventually find a variety...…– that strange but potentially hugely useful quantum phenomenon where two particles are inextricably linked across space and time – could play a major role in future radar technology. , an engineer from MIT devised a way to use the features of to illuminate objects while using barely any photons. In certain scenarios, such technology promises to outperform conventional radar, according to its makers, particularly in noisy thermal environments.Now, researchers have taken the idea much further, demonstrating its potential with a working prototype.The technology might eventually find a variety...WW…

Another ancient star has been found lurking in the Milky Way. Around 35,000 light-years away, a star named SMSS J160540.18–144323.1 was found to have the lowest iron levels of any star yet analysed in the galaxy. This means that it's one of the oldest stars in the Universe, probably belonging to the second generation of stars after the Universe burst into existence 13.8 billion years ago."This incredibly anaemic star, which likely formed just a few hundred million years after the , has iron levels 1.5 million times lower than that of the Sun," of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky...…Another ancient star has been found lurking in the Milky Way. Around 35,000 light-years away, a star named SMSS J160540.18–144323.1 was found to have the lowest iron levels of any star yet analysed in the galaxy. This means that it's one of the oldest stars in the Universe, probably belonging to the second generation of stars after the Universe burst into existence 13.8 billion years ago."This incredibly anaemic star, which likely formed just a few hundred million years after the , has iron levels 1.5 million times lower than that of the Sun," of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky...WW…

Over the next few years, But with nearly 50 years in between our last Moon jaunt and this one, a lot has changed.With  becoming a huge part of space programs and the , space is getting rather crowded, so some new rules may be needed to help everyone play nice. That's why NASA has just provided a set of agreements - which they've termed the Artemis Accords - for other international space agencies and private companies to abide by, while a new generation of astronauts are enjoying the off-world views."With numerous countries and private sector players conducting missions and operations in...…Over the next few years, But with nearly 50 years in between our last Moon jaunt and this one, a lot has changed.With  becoming a huge part of space programs and the , space is getting rather crowded, so some new rules may be needed to help everyone play nice. That's why NASA has just provided a set of agreements - which they've termed the Artemis Accords - for other international space agencies and private companies to abide by, while a new generation of astronauts are enjoying the off-world views."With numerous countries and private sector players conducting missions and operations in...WW…

The TRAPPIST-1 system is the most tantalising in our local galactic neighbourhood. It's just 40 light-years away, with seven rocky exoplanets, three of which are in their star's habitable zone. But it takes more than that to make a world truly habitable, so astronomers have been seeking characteristics that can tell us more about the system's history. Now, breathtaking new research has found that, just like the Solar System's planets orbit in a more-or-less flat plane around the Sun's equator - a bit like a vinyl record - so too do TRAPPIST-1's exoplanets orbit in a flat plane around its...…The TRAPPIST-1 system is the most tantalising in our local galactic neighbourhood. It's just 40 light-years away, with seven rocky exoplanets, three of which are in their star's habitable zone. But it takes more than that to make a world truly habitable, so astronomers have been seeking characteristics that can tell us more about the system's history. Now, breathtaking new research has found that, just like the Solar System's planets orbit in a more-or-less flat plane around the Sun's equator - a bit like a vinyl record - so too do TRAPPIST-1's exoplanets orbit in a flat plane around its...WW…

Life on the ocean floor 80 million years ago was tough. Sea levels were shallow, predators were ever on the prowl, and there was always some other slimy, spiky, hard-shelled critter willing to steal your spot. To survive, ancient relatives of the sea urchin reshaped their anatomy to become dead ringers for robust organic molecules made of carbon, known as buckyballs. It wasn't merely a solid choice, either – it was their mathematical destiny.Fossils representing two primitive echinoderm species from the Late Cretaceous period reveal that the arrangements of their protective plates, called a...…Life on the ocean floor 80 million years ago was tough. Sea levels were shallow, predators were ever on the prowl, and there was always some other slimy, spiky, hard-shelled critter willing to steal your spot. To survive, ancient relatives of the sea urchin reshaped their anatomy to become dead ringers for robust organic molecules made of carbon, known as buckyballs. It wasn't merely a solid choice, either – it was their mathematical destiny.Fossils representing two primitive echinoderm species from the Late Cretaceous period reveal that the arrangements of their protective plates, called a...WW…

Thousands of years ago, Ol Doinyo Lengai let forth. This – 'Mountain of God', in the tongue of the local Masaii people – erupted on an unknown day in prehistory, sending a deluge of ash and lava down its sacred slopes. The molten mass, carrying soil and mixing with floodwater from a nearby lake, produced a thick layer of impressionable mud that came to rest on the plains below. A short time later, before the cement-like sludge had a chance to harden, a tribe strode through the nascent mud flat, leaving a record of hundreds of fossilised human footprints that can still be seen to this...…Thousands of years ago, Ol Doinyo Lengai let forth. This – 'Mountain of God', in the tongue of the local Masaii people – erupted on an unknown day in prehistory, sending a deluge of ash and lava down its sacred slopes. The molten mass, carrying soil and mixing with floodwater from a nearby lake, produced a thick layer of impressionable mud that came to rest on the plains below. A short time later, before the cement-like sludge had a chance to harden, a tribe strode through the nascent mud flat, leaving a record of hundreds of fossilised human footprints that can still be seen to this...WW…

Anchovies. You know 'em. Real piscine pipsqueaks. People put 'em on pizza.Before they were a polarising flavour bomb, though, anchovies used to be a terror of the seas. As fossil records newly reveal, millions of years ago anchovies up to a metre long (3.3 feet) hunted the oceans with gnashing fangs and one single long, curving, sabre-like incisor in their top jaws. Fossils of two different species of predatory fish from the Eocene Epoch 55 million years ago have been identified as closely related to modern anchovies, which forage-feed rather than actively hunt for their prey.It's certainly...…Anchovies. You know 'em. Real piscine pipsqueaks. People put 'em on pizza.Before they were a polarising flavour bomb, though, anchovies used to be a terror of the seas. As fossil records newly reveal, millions of years ago anchovies up to a metre long (3.3 feet) hunted the oceans with gnashing fangs and one single long, curving, sabre-like incisor in their top jaws. Fossils of two different species of predatory fish from the Eocene Epoch 55 million years ago have been identified as closely related to modern anchovies, which forage-feed rather than actively hunt for their prey.It's certainly...WW…

Arctic wolves are fearsome predators in the icy north, but in terms of sheer biomass, the lesser known wolf spider () is .As the Arctic warms and summers become longer, these ferocious hunters are growing bigger and reproducing more, although that doesn't necessarily mean there will be more of these spiders in the future.   A new study suggests that as the world gets hotter, wolf spiders in Alaska might be beginning to eat each other, which could end up having a limiting effect on the size of their populations.In fact, a summer's worth of analysis on these 8-legged critters at two different...…Arctic wolves are fearsome predators in the icy north, but in terms of sheer biomass, the lesser known wolf spider () is .As the Arctic warms and summers become longer, these ferocious hunters are growing bigger and reproducing more, although that doesn't necessarily mean there will be more of these spiders in the future.   A new study suggests that as the world gets hotter, wolf spiders in Alaska might be beginning to eat each other, which could end up having a limiting effect on the size of their populations.In fact, a summer's worth of analysis on these 8-legged critters at two different...WW…

The idea that female Tyrannosaurus rex are chonkier than males may have no basis in reality. This assumption has prevailed when it comes to popular notions of these prehistoric beasties, but its origin might have been mistaken. In the science world, dinosaurs has long . Now, found that we really just don't have enough evidence to tell male and female dinosaurs apart."Many years ago, a scientific paper suggested that female T. rex are bigger than males. However, this was based on records from 25 broken specimens and our results show this level of data just isn't good enough to be able to...…The idea that female Tyrannosaurus rex are chonkier than males may have no basis in reality. This assumption has prevailed when it comes to popular notions of these prehistoric beasties, but its origin might have been mistaken. In the science world, dinosaurs has long . Now, found that we really just don't have enough evidence to tell male and female dinosaurs apart."Many years ago, a scientific paper suggested that female T. rex are bigger than males. However, this was based on records from 25 broken specimens and our results show this level of data just isn't good enough to be able to...WW…

'How did the coronavirus evolve' is a simple question that has caused , , and .Right now, research shows that it's highly likely the virus responsible for COVID-19 evolved naturally – probably starting in bats, and then percolating innocently in an animal host, until it developed the necessary mutations to make it the global pandemic we see today. A new study has given even more credence to this theory, finding a close relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in bats, including similar insertion events – mutations that are 'inserts' of genetic material into the viral genome - showing that such...…'How did the coronavirus evolve' is a simple question that has caused , , and .Right now, research shows that it's highly likely the virus responsible for COVID-19 evolved naturally – probably starting in bats, and then percolating innocently in an animal host, until it developed the necessary mutations to make it the global pandemic we see today. A new study has given even more credence to this theory, finding a close relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in bats, including similar insertion events – mutations that are 'inserts' of genetic material into the viral genome - showing that such...WW…

The oldest bones of Homo sapiens ever found in Europe have been discovered in a Bulgarian cave, providing the earliest known evidence of our species' emergence in the European continent, according to new research. The appearance and spread of modern humans in Europe is a difficult timeline for researchers to reconstruct, owing to a scarcity of sufficiently ancient remains that have been identified in the fossil record.When modern humans did show up, though, our arrival ultimately sealed the fate of the indigenous Neanderthals who called Europe home before us, as we then proceeded to swiftly...…The oldest bones of Homo sapiens ever found in Europe have been discovered in a Bulgarian cave, providing the earliest known evidence of our species' emergence in the European continent, according to new research. The appearance and spread of modern humans in Europe is a difficult timeline for researchers to reconstruct, owing to a scarcity of sufficiently ancient remains that have been identified in the fossil record.When modern humans did show up, though, our arrival ultimately sealed the fate of the indigenous Neanderthals who called Europe home before us, as we then proceeded to swiftly...WW…

Some truths about the Universe and our experience in it seem immutable. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life needs oxygen to live. Except we might need to rethink that last one. Earlier this year, scientists discovered that a jellyfish-like parasite doesn't have a mitochondrial genome - the first multicellular organism known to have this absence. That means it doesn't breathe; in fact, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependency.This discovery isn't just changing our understanding of how life can work here on Earth - it could also...…Some truths about the Universe and our experience in it seem immutable. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life needs oxygen to live. Except we might need to rethink that last one. Earlier this year, scientists discovered that a jellyfish-like parasite doesn't have a mitochondrial genome - the first multicellular organism known to have this absence. That means it doesn't breathe; in fact, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependency.This discovery isn't just changing our understanding of how life can work here on Earth - it could also...WW…

As far as we know, liquid metal robots from the future have yet to show up. But new research into alloys and lattice materials shows how liquid metal shapes can be deformed and reformed using heat. Researchers have developed a method of wrapping  - a mixture of bismuth, indium and tin - in a lattice or shell made out of rubber-like , which gives the liquid metal some useful extra properties.In particular, the liquid metal and elastomer lattice combination can be deformed after heating, and then recover its original shape after being heated up again a second time: not quite a robot rising up...…As far as we know, liquid metal robots from the future have yet to show up. But new research into alloys and lattice materials shows how liquid metal shapes can be deformed and reformed using heat. Researchers have developed a method of wrapping  - a mixture of bismuth, indium and tin - in a lattice or shell made out of rubber-like , which gives the liquid metal some useful extra properties.In particular, the liquid metal and elastomer lattice combination can be deformed after heating, and then recover its original shape after being heated up again a second time: not quite a robot rising up...WW…

Some truths about the Universe and our experience in it seem immutable. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life needs oxygen to live. Except we might need to rethink that last one.Earlier this year, scientists discovered that a jellyfish-like parasite doesn't have a mitochondrial genome - the first multicellular organism known to have this absence. That means it doesn't breathe; in fact, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependency.This discovery isn't just changing our understanding of how life can work here on Earth - it could also...…Some truths about the Universe and our experience in it seem immutable. The sky is up. Gravity sucks. Nothing can travel faster than light. Multicellular life needs oxygen to live. Except we might need to rethink that last one.Earlier this year, scientists discovered that a jellyfish-like parasite doesn't have a mitochondrial genome - the first multicellular organism known to have this absence. That means it doesn't breathe; in fact, it lives its life completely free of oxygen dependency.This discovery isn't just changing our understanding of how life can work here on Earth - it could also...WW…